Post by stevek192 on Apr 19, 2019 22:23:20 GMT
For me today was a game that we really could not afford to lose. Defeat against a much improved Wimbledon side would have moved them to within two points of us and really put pressure on the next three games' I was a little surprised with the team selection, feeling that again we would give the opponents the initiative and the first half really backed up my fears and it was not until the three substitutions made that we turned the game around with Ollie Clarke's stunning equaliser and at last were on the front foot.
Bonham 6 A mixture of composed keeping and shaky moments that resulted late on in an argument with James Clarke and looked for a moment that it could get nasty. Only one really good save needed but he did take a few crosses well.
J. Clarke 6 Badly at fault with the goal when giving the scorer far too much room and overall didn't really look at ease but did probably put in our best strike at goal in the first half which drifted narrowly wide from range.
Lockyer 7 defended heroically particularly in the first half, putting his body on the line several times in goalmouth scrambles and as usual reading the game well.
Craig 7 Wimbledon are very much an aerial team with power and I was not convinced with the selection of a central defensive three and Partington ans Holmes Dennis as wingbacks
Partington 5 Looked very ring rusty from the off and never really settled giving Wimbledon far too much space and there were times where it seemed that both him and James Clarke found it hard to settle and we could easily have been more than one down at half time.
O. Clarke 9 MOM I felt he was the Man of the Match before his stunning equaliser as he was always at the centre of our better moves and seemed intent on getting involved and battling for everything. it was his defence splitting pass that also sent Reilly clean through for what should have been an earlier equalizer and even after his goal there were a couple of moments where it looked like he might repeat the goal. That's two important goals now in the last two games but this was a far more complete performance. He seems to have been fired up by his Players Player of the year award.
Upson 7.5 Played really well and won a lot of possession and rarely gave the ball away . Worked hard throughout prompting and even broke and had a shot from long range that went straight at the keeper. His use of dead balls was very mixed and too often hit the first player. I am not convinced that the three defensive players in the centre works but it did allow Ollie Clarke to have a more attacking influence today
Ogogo 6.5 Broke up play well at times but too many passes were backwards. I am not totally convinced by him but he did get better as the game went on.
Holmes-Dennis 6 Stuck to his task well and always tried to give us width. He is clever on the ball but I didn't feel that the formation today worked that well until the substitutions.
Reilly 5 Some nice touches but in truth the service wasn't great and he got out muscled too often and never really built up a partnership with Clark -Harris but could have justified his selection in the second half when put clean through by an astute pass from Ollie Clarke, the keeper made a good save but you felt that he should have put the chance away and prove that however he played he was there to put a chance away when it arrived
Clarke-Harris 6 A quiet game by his standards and only one real chance when he burst through and drove a low shot straight at the keeper. The Wimbledon defence were often first to the ball and kept him well under control although the main problem was no service until the second half.
Subs: Rodman 6.5 IMO should have come on earlier ,if not started because as soon as he arrived our attacks took on more pace and we actually started creating things for the first time. He also has the pace and experience to get back and defend as necessary. I think if the subs had been made earlier we could well have taken all three points.
Jakubiak 6 Stronger than Reilly and IMO should have made many more appearances this season.He was on the pitch when we looked our best as an attacking unit.
Sercombe 6.5 Same as Rodman ,we finally had some width on the left and at last we had a spell where we were on top and looked the more likely to score. he was confident on the ball and economic with possession.
Crowd 7 Tightly packed in with a very poor all round view. Made a lot of noise that was rarely matched by the home support.
Ref 6 Missed some clear fouls right under his nose but was better than a lot of referees we have had this season.
Wimbledon 6.5 Typical Wimbledon side that you would expect under Wally Downes. Very much a team that is solid and relies on physical strength and a system that relies on sending as many high balls in as possible. Good value for their lead but after the substitutions we finally applied our own pressure and Wimbledon suddenly looked like caving in and you could see why they are where they are in the League but there was always the chance that they would create on the break and snatch the game at the death like last season.
GC- Strange starting line up that didn't really work and gave us little offensive possession until he made the substitutions. I feel he has been sort of brain washed with the very defence orientated system especially the three defensive midfield system with little width or creativity. He must be praised for making the substitutions that did change the make up of the game and suddenly we looked a much different proposition and really took control of the game after the equaliser and looked likely winners but there was always the danger that Wimbledon could break and score. At the end this could well be the point that ensures safety and also the two points lost that could bring relegation to the Wombles..
So with 50 points on board we now move on to another tough fixture against a Rochdale side who really need to win to hold on to their status. We enter the game knowing that a victory will surely ensure safety for another year and I very much hope that we approach the game with a more positive line up than shown recently. I believe it is the right time to start with Jacubiak up top with Clarke-Harris and also a start for Rodman. If it brings mathematical safety I feel we should give a try to Deon Moore up front with Clarke-Harris at Fleetwood to see what he has to offer us.
We are nearly there - if we don't pick up anymore points this season then Bradford can't get anywhere near us, Walsall need three wins from Wycombe Away,Peterborough Home and Shrewsbury away, Southend need 2 wins and a draw from Burton Home,Rochdale Away and Sunderland Home and Wimbledon need two wins out of their three games against Luton Away, Wycombe at home and Bradford Away. That's tough enough but if we win on Monday then we are on the magical 53 points and none of those four can catch us and we are MATHEMATICALLY safe so lets get totally behind the lads on Monday and lets do it together. UTG
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Bonham 6 A mixture of composed keeping and shaky moments that resulted late on in an argument with James Clarke and looked for a moment that it could get nasty. Only one really good save needed but he did take a few crosses well.
J. Clarke 6 Badly at fault with the goal when giving the scorer far too much room and overall didn't really look at ease but did probably put in our best strike at goal in the first half which drifted narrowly wide from range.
Lockyer 7 defended heroically particularly in the first half, putting his body on the line several times in goalmouth scrambles and as usual reading the game well.
Craig 7 Wimbledon are very much an aerial team with power and I was not convinced with the selection of a central defensive three and Partington ans Holmes Dennis as wingbacks
Partington 5 Looked very ring rusty from the off and never really settled giving Wimbledon far too much space and there were times where it seemed that both him and James Clarke found it hard to settle and we could easily have been more than one down at half time.
O. Clarke 9 MOM I felt he was the Man of the Match before his stunning equaliser as he was always at the centre of our better moves and seemed intent on getting involved and battling for everything. it was his defence splitting pass that also sent Reilly clean through for what should have been an earlier equalizer and even after his goal there were a couple of moments where it looked like he might repeat the goal. That's two important goals now in the last two games but this was a far more complete performance. He seems to have been fired up by his Players Player of the year award.
Upson 7.5 Played really well and won a lot of possession and rarely gave the ball away . Worked hard throughout prompting and even broke and had a shot from long range that went straight at the keeper. His use of dead balls was very mixed and too often hit the first player. I am not convinced that the three defensive players in the centre works but it did allow Ollie Clarke to have a more attacking influence today
Ogogo 6.5 Broke up play well at times but too many passes were backwards. I am not totally convinced by him but he did get better as the game went on.
Holmes-Dennis 6 Stuck to his task well and always tried to give us width. He is clever on the ball but I didn't feel that the formation today worked that well until the substitutions.
Reilly 5 Some nice touches but in truth the service wasn't great and he got out muscled too often and never really built up a partnership with Clark -Harris but could have justified his selection in the second half when put clean through by an astute pass from Ollie Clarke, the keeper made a good save but you felt that he should have put the chance away and prove that however he played he was there to put a chance away when it arrived
Clarke-Harris 6 A quiet game by his standards and only one real chance when he burst through and drove a low shot straight at the keeper. The Wimbledon defence were often first to the ball and kept him well under control although the main problem was no service until the second half.
Subs: Rodman 6.5 IMO should have come on earlier ,if not started because as soon as he arrived our attacks took on more pace and we actually started creating things for the first time. He also has the pace and experience to get back and defend as necessary. I think if the subs had been made earlier we could well have taken all three points.
Jakubiak 6 Stronger than Reilly and IMO should have made many more appearances this season.He was on the pitch when we looked our best as an attacking unit.
Sercombe 6.5 Same as Rodman ,we finally had some width on the left and at last we had a spell where we were on top and looked the more likely to score. he was confident on the ball and economic with possession.
Crowd 7 Tightly packed in with a very poor all round view. Made a lot of noise that was rarely matched by the home support.
Ref 6 Missed some clear fouls right under his nose but was better than a lot of referees we have had this season.
Wimbledon 6.5 Typical Wimbledon side that you would expect under Wally Downes. Very much a team that is solid and relies on physical strength and a system that relies on sending as many high balls in as possible. Good value for their lead but after the substitutions we finally applied our own pressure and Wimbledon suddenly looked like caving in and you could see why they are where they are in the League but there was always the chance that they would create on the break and snatch the game at the death like last season.
GC- Strange starting line up that didn't really work and gave us little offensive possession until he made the substitutions. I feel he has been sort of brain washed with the very defence orientated system especially the three defensive midfield system with little width or creativity. He must be praised for making the substitutions that did change the make up of the game and suddenly we looked a much different proposition and really took control of the game after the equaliser and looked likely winners but there was always the danger that Wimbledon could break and score. At the end this could well be the point that ensures safety and also the two points lost that could bring relegation to the Wombles..
So with 50 points on board we now move on to another tough fixture against a Rochdale side who really need to win to hold on to their status. We enter the game knowing that a victory will surely ensure safety for another year and I very much hope that we approach the game with a more positive line up than shown recently. I believe it is the right time to start with Jacubiak up top with Clarke-Harris and also a start for Rodman. If it brings mathematical safety I feel we should give a try to Deon Moore up front with Clarke-Harris at Fleetwood to see what he has to offer us.
We are nearly there - if we don't pick up anymore points this season then Bradford can't get anywhere near us, Walsall need three wins from Wycombe Away,Peterborough Home and Shrewsbury away, Southend need 2 wins and a draw from Burton Home,Rochdale Away and Sunderland Home and Wimbledon need two wins out of their three games against Luton Away, Wycombe at home and Bradford Away. That's tough enough but if we win on Monday then we are on the magical 53 points and none of those four can catch us and we are MATHEMATICALLY safe so lets get totally behind the lads on Monday and lets do it together. UTG
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