On the album Achtung Bono, by the greatest band to come out of Birkenhead - Half Man Half Biscuit - there is a track called 'Depressed Beyond Tablets' (lyrics here http://www.chrisrand.com/hmhb/achtung-bono-2005/depressed-beyond-tablets/)
If I was a Tranmere fan, which singer Nigel Blackwell and the boys are, I would be just that after witnessing their performance.
But I am not, so quite frankly I am delighted they rolled over and kicked their legs and helped us to earn probably the easiest 18 grand we will get for a long time.
Tranmere were seventh in League One, so one of the toughest draws we could have pulled out.
They have only conceded four goals in their nine home league games, with only Sheffield United, Carlisle and Walsall managing to score against them.
We have now won six away games in a row, the last four without conceding a goal, and I would say that this was the best of the lot.
Yes, Tranmere were poor and very one-dimensional, but once again let's not detract from our performance, which was the usual away mix of commitment, quality and resilience.
There had been a few worries before the game that the loss of our loanees Jack Butland, Jimmy Spencer and Luke Garbutt would weaken us. Not the case. Jack who? Luke wotsit? Jimmy thingymebob...
These worries were also based on the limp JPT exit to Barnet, which maybe exposed our squad as not being as strong as we thought it was, but this result refutes that again.
As we have have seen at Rovers, Accrington, Burton, Wycombe and Bradford, the win was based on our solid back four, our fantastic midfield trio, unpredictable wide men and hard working striker.
Keith Lowe came back in, and it was like he had never been away. Solid as ever, offering an option going forward, causing trouble and corners and not giving anything away.
Sido switched sides and didn't let that affect his performance, while Steve Elliott and Alan Bennett just get better and better.
The midfield trio were all imperious, but none more than Luke Summerfield.
He had been in the spotlight all week with his dad sat in the opposite dugout, and he must be as proud as punch deep down after seeing his son's performance.
He was, quite simply, everywhere. Late in the game, he was our furthest attacker making a chance in their box, and seconds later he was making another biting tackle on the edge of our box to keep Tranmere at bay.
Russ Penn and Marlon Pack were not far behind as we collared the midfield from the off and never released our grip.
Having three in the middle to their two, there was always a pocket of space for one of them to drop into, meaning we always had an option in possession and just managed to play around Tranmere - toying with them at times.
There was one passage in the second half where we must have put 20-plus passes together, just keeping the ball, frustrating the opposition and taking the sting out of the game.
Out wide, Josh Low came back into the side, and while he didn't provide an attacking threat bar a second half header which nearly crept in, his defensive work was superb as he backed up Keith Lowe superbly.
Kaid on the other side was a threat at times and it is to his credit that Tranmere doubled up on him straight away and were very keen not to let him have any space to run into.
Up front, without Jimmy Spencer, there had been worries that Darryl Duffy could not play the central role on his own. Worry no more. He was a right royal pain for Ian Goodison (38, but played like he is 58) and the Tranmere back four.
His penalty was perfect, and he never stopped running or forcing Goodison and co into little niggly fouls which the referee was not picking up, and finally went off injured.
Behind them all we have Scott Brown. Oft-criticised but always reliable for a brilliant save when one is needed, and he delivered from Andy Robinson's free-kick just after half-time.
But it was testament to the 10 in front of him that that stop was just about the only one he had to make all game.
So into round two we go, and tomorrow at about 2.40, all eyes will be on number 17.
On paper, there will be some teams in the draw we might not want to pull out, but let's face it after this win, on grass we shouldn't be worried about anyone, should we?
But can we please have Salisbury, Totton, Redbridge or Oxford City, Sutton United or Hinckley or Tamworth at home please?
Thanks - and with Huddersfield going out, Jimmy Spencer may get the nod - if he can get in the side, that is...
Before that tie, we have the first of a tough run of league games, starting with Port Vale at home and Oxford away.
Yes we have won six away games in a row, but at home we have lost our last two without scoring a goal, and the win before that came with two late goals against a young side who ran out of steam.
That may sound a bit churlish, but the task for Yatesy now is to translate that away formula into one which can work at home.
He has to work out how we can combat sides who come to the Theatre of Shattered Dreams and play like we do on the road, ie adopting a 'contain and destroy' policy.
If he can do that, who knows what we can achieve this season...
Player-by-player
Scott Brown - One fantastic save from a free-kick was all he had to do. Protected well by the players in front of him, and confidence will be helped by clean sheet.
Keith Lowe - Almost like he has never been away. Didn't miss a header, tackle or interception all game. Proved he is still a steady, committed performer.
Sido Jombati - Moved to left back, but it did not affect his performance at all. Good in the tackle and got forward well to help link play in the opposition half.
Alan Bennett - Usual display from the skipper. Won every header and every interception which came his way.
Steve Elliott - See above. Having Benno alongside him has brought the best out of Stevie. Just a rock at the back.
Josh Low - Back in the side and worked very hard up the right hand flank. Nearly scored with a header in the second half.
Russ Penn - Up and down the field as usual, winning tackles and spraying passes as he went. All that is missing from his season so far is a goal.
Luke Summerfield - Man of the match and his best game in a ruby shirt. The guy was everywhere.
Marlon Pack - The third member of what is becoming the best midfield we have had in years. While his minders win the tackles, he sprays the passes.
Kaid Mohamed - Tranmere doubled up on his from the off, but he still managed to provide an outlet for us. Nearly scored with a bicycle kick and a header from 20 yards.
Darryl Duffy - Asked to play that lone role, and was superb. Always a pain for the Tranmere defence, and the penalty was never in doubt.
Substitutes
Jeff Goulding (for Darryl Duffy 76) - Put himself about very well as soon as he came on and so close to a second goal for us at the end.
Junior Smikle (for Josh Low 84) - Did what he always does. Came on and gave his all as we closed the game out.
Harry Hooman (for Russ Penn 90) - Hardly touched the ball.
Saturday, 12 November 2011
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
After the Lord Mayor's Show...
Right, so that's that then.
Cancel the red and white hat with bells on, stop the order for the big hand things with CTFC on them.
The Wembley dream is over for another year - if it was ever really there in the first place.
The bottom line from tonight's defeat is that we did not deserve anything from the game.
We were poor, as poor as we have been since the heady days of last season, when we struggled to out three passes together, and all credit to Barnet, they deserved their win.
Unbelievably, I heard some boos at the end of the game. If you were one of those booing, take a look at yourself for Christ's sake. What a joke.
We are third in the table. Six wins out of seven. Playing some great stuff, albeit mainly away from home.
And even if the boos were for the referee, he didn't cost us the match.
Those players for whom it was their big opportunity can take the rap for this one.
After the game at Bradford on Saturday, one of the most comfortable 1-0 wins you will ever see, Mark Yates said that he had those players who were outside the 16 beating his door down asking for a chance.
Tonight, he gave them that chance, and they blew it. Spectacularly.
To his credit, Yatesy came out and took the rap, saying he picked the wrong team, and made too many changes.
Magnanimous yes, but also letting the shirkers off the hook. I suspect his team selection for Tranmere has been made a lot easier after that display.
Danny Andrew was considered unlucky to be dropped from the side when he was left out at Bristol Rovers, but the run of form since then and his display tonight vindicates that decision.
The same can be said for Keith Lowe, and you can't see Junior Smikle (despite a bright first half) or Jeff Goulding earning a regular spot any time soon on their displays.
Goulding looked totally lost in that deeper role behind first Jimmy Spencer and then Darryl Duffy. He had the most to gain from tonight, but looked bereft of confidence and summed that up with our only effort on target, a weak header from a decent cross.
As it stands, he has probably lost the most, with Spencer and Duffy free to keep their places in the pecking order ahead of him.
Harry Hooman clearly still has a lot to do to make inroads on Alan Bennett and Steve Elliott's partnership with the poorest by far of his three starts in the competition.
In central midfield, Russ Penn and Luke Summerfield looked lost as a pairing, and we have also seen the Pack-Summerfield duo struggle my feeling is that if we don't play them as a trio, Pack-Penn is the only pair that works.
Barnet, in contrast, made only two changes from the side which drew at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, and they were enforced by injuries, so therein probably lies the reason for their greater cohesion.
Sam Deering and Mark Marshall were particularly impressive, and even the loss of top scorer Izale McLeod to injury did not halt their progress.
The first goal was a shambles from our point of view. Whether it was a free kick is open to debate, but Keith Lowe was penalised.
However the wall we set up was pathetic and Marshall drove his free kick through the rabble of rubble and Scott Brown had no chance.
The second came from a long ball and substitute Charlie Taylor controlled it well and beat Scott Brown with a low shot, but Hooman may feel he could have defended it better.
We never remotely looked like getting back into the game. Barnet's defence and goalkeeper will never have an easier night.
It was as limp and disappointing a display, especially from an attacking point of view, as we have seen all season, and let's hope it was a one-off, and was down mainly to the changes we made.
Player-by-player
Scott Brown - Mixed bag. No chance with either goal, but suspect on some crosses although he made two or three very good saves.
Sido Jombati - Best of a ropey bunch, although he got booked at the end and could even had had a second one quickly after. Pace got him out of trouble once or twice.
Danny Andrew - Very poor. Looked totally off the pace. Mistake to gift Marshall possession and nearly a third goal summed up his evening. One to forget.
Keith Lowe - Looked very shaky. Defensive headers looked uncertain and again looked short of match sharpness. Maybe slightly unlucky with decision for free kick before first goal.
Harry Hooman - Poorest game in the competition. At times looked like a rabbit in the headlights. Struggled against McLeod and then Taylor.
Junior Smikle - Bright in the first half with some good runs and decent crosses, but vanished from the game completely in the second half.
Russ Penn - Seemed to struggle with being back in a more orthodox midfield role, and tried to get forward too much, leaving us over-exposed.
Luke Summerfield - Poor game. His role in the midfield three suits him but looked lost without Marlon Pack alongside him.
Bags Graham - Had beating of Danny Senda early on, but threat negated when they doubled up on him. Also vanished from game after the break as we could not get supply to him.
Jeff Goulding - Very poor. Touch seemed weak and almost complacent, and seemed lost in the 'in-between' role. Would have been better in orthodox 4-4-2.
Jimmy Spencer - Willing running and decent touch as usual, but was isolated and having to come deep too often due to lack of service and support.
Substitutes
Darryl Duffy (for Jimmy Spencer, 59) - Not able to get into the game. No shots as he got no service, and no support.
Marlon Pack (for Russ Penn, 60) - Couple of decent passes but then fell into the malaise of those around him.
Theo Lewis (for Luke Summerfield, 60) - Out of the icebox for a rare appearance but never got into the game and hardly had a touch.
Cancel the red and white hat with bells on, stop the order for the big hand things with CTFC on them.
The Wembley dream is over for another year - if it was ever really there in the first place.
The bottom line from tonight's defeat is that we did not deserve anything from the game.
We were poor, as poor as we have been since the heady days of last season, when we struggled to out three passes together, and all credit to Barnet, they deserved their win.
Unbelievably, I heard some boos at the end of the game. If you were one of those booing, take a look at yourself for Christ's sake. What a joke.
We are third in the table. Six wins out of seven. Playing some great stuff, albeit mainly away from home.
And even if the boos were for the referee, he didn't cost us the match.
Those players for whom it was their big opportunity can take the rap for this one.
After the game at Bradford on Saturday, one of the most comfortable 1-0 wins you will ever see, Mark Yates said that he had those players who were outside the 16 beating his door down asking for a chance.
Tonight, he gave them that chance, and they blew it. Spectacularly.
To his credit, Yatesy came out and took the rap, saying he picked the wrong team, and made too many changes.
Magnanimous yes, but also letting the shirkers off the hook. I suspect his team selection for Tranmere has been made a lot easier after that display.
Danny Andrew was considered unlucky to be dropped from the side when he was left out at Bristol Rovers, but the run of form since then and his display tonight vindicates that decision.
The same can be said for Keith Lowe, and you can't see Junior Smikle (despite a bright first half) or Jeff Goulding earning a regular spot any time soon on their displays.
Goulding looked totally lost in that deeper role behind first Jimmy Spencer and then Darryl Duffy. He had the most to gain from tonight, but looked bereft of confidence and summed that up with our only effort on target, a weak header from a decent cross.
As it stands, he has probably lost the most, with Spencer and Duffy free to keep their places in the pecking order ahead of him.
Harry Hooman clearly still has a lot to do to make inroads on Alan Bennett and Steve Elliott's partnership with the poorest by far of his three starts in the competition.
In central midfield, Russ Penn and Luke Summerfield looked lost as a pairing, and we have also seen the Pack-Summerfield duo struggle my feeling is that if we don't play them as a trio, Pack-Penn is the only pair that works.
Barnet, in contrast, made only two changes from the side which drew at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, and they were enforced by injuries, so therein probably lies the reason for their greater cohesion.
Sam Deering and Mark Marshall were particularly impressive, and even the loss of top scorer Izale McLeod to injury did not halt their progress.
The first goal was a shambles from our point of view. Whether it was a free kick is open to debate, but Keith Lowe was penalised.
However the wall we set up was pathetic and Marshall drove his free kick through the rabble of rubble and Scott Brown had no chance.
The second came from a long ball and substitute Charlie Taylor controlled it well and beat Scott Brown with a low shot, but Hooman may feel he could have defended it better.
We never remotely looked like getting back into the game. Barnet's defence and goalkeeper will never have an easier night.
It was as limp and disappointing a display, especially from an attacking point of view, as we have seen all season, and let's hope it was a one-off, and was down mainly to the changes we made.
Player-by-player
Scott Brown - Mixed bag. No chance with either goal, but suspect on some crosses although he made two or three very good saves.
Sido Jombati - Best of a ropey bunch, although he got booked at the end and could even had had a second one quickly after. Pace got him out of trouble once or twice.
Danny Andrew - Very poor. Looked totally off the pace. Mistake to gift Marshall possession and nearly a third goal summed up his evening. One to forget.
Keith Lowe - Looked very shaky. Defensive headers looked uncertain and again looked short of match sharpness. Maybe slightly unlucky with decision for free kick before first goal.
Harry Hooman - Poorest game in the competition. At times looked like a rabbit in the headlights. Struggled against McLeod and then Taylor.
Junior Smikle - Bright in the first half with some good runs and decent crosses, but vanished from the game completely in the second half.
Russ Penn - Seemed to struggle with being back in a more orthodox midfield role, and tried to get forward too much, leaving us over-exposed.
Luke Summerfield - Poor game. His role in the midfield three suits him but looked lost without Marlon Pack alongside him.
Bags Graham - Had beating of Danny Senda early on, but threat negated when they doubled up on him. Also vanished from game after the break as we could not get supply to him.
Jeff Goulding - Very poor. Touch seemed weak and almost complacent, and seemed lost in the 'in-between' role. Would have been better in orthodox 4-4-2.
Jimmy Spencer - Willing running and decent touch as usual, but was isolated and having to come deep too often due to lack of service and support.
Substitutes
Darryl Duffy (for Jimmy Spencer, 59) - Not able to get into the game. No shots as he got no service, and no support.
Marlon Pack (for Russ Penn, 60) - Couple of decent passes but then fell into the malaise of those around him.
Theo Lewis (for Luke Summerfield, 60) - Out of the icebox for a rare appearance but never got into the game and hardly had a touch.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Remember, remember...
I desperately wanted to avoid all the cliches about November 5th, but I am afraid it was just too hard to resist.
Make no mistake, this display at Valley Parade was a sparkler, has started the month off with a bang and sent us up the League Two table like a rocket, into third place.
Sorry. I will stop now. Promise.
I could now go on about how Bradford were not very good, didn't make Jack Butland make a save until the 70th minute, and were being booed by their own fans after about 20 minutes.
But that would just detract from an away performance which manager Mark Yates quite rightly described as the best of the season.
We should have won the game by about four or five, as we were utterly dominant in all areas from Butland's secure handling, through Bennett and Elliott's winning of every header, via Penn, Pack and Summerfield winning tackles they had no right to, up to Spencer and Duffy's non-stop running.
It was scarily reminiscent of away wins in the Conference title-winning season, when we went to places like Hereford and Morecambe, dominated, kept a clean sheet, won the game and went home.
No fuss, just got the job done, and that's what happened here.
Just like last year, we rolled up and started well, with Kaid's goal after eight minutes putting us in front, as Josh Low's early strike had done last season.
But unlike last season, we didn't cave in, we didn't sit back and I am even starting to get less nervous now about us closing these games out...
A look back at the game at Valley Parade a year (and three weeks) ago shows only two survivors in the starting line-up, Elliott and Pack.
Lowe, Low, Smikle and Goulding were on the bench, Gallinagh is on loan at Bath, Brown, Andrew and Lewis are out of the 16, and the 11th member of the starting side, Michael Pook, has just joined Brackley Town ...
Of the bench that day - Shroot, Jeffers, Artus, Melligan, Lee, Haynes, Lloyd-Weston - only Haynes, nominally, remains at the club.
And it is that bench which starkly tells you just why things have improved so much in a year.
After the 4-4-2 experiment against Plymouth last week, it seemed inevitable Mark Yates would go back to the 4-5-1/4-3-3 which works so well away from home.
But when the team sheet arrived with no Josh Low, but Jimmy Spencer and Darryl Duffy included, it wasn't easy to work out, but it turned out to be Duffy in the central role, and Spencer on the right.
Hence it was more 4-3-3 that 4-5-1 and, as we are becoming strangely accustomed to away from home these days, it worked perfectly.
From the moment Marlon Pack had acres of space in the second minute to shoot over from 30 yards, the pattern was set and I got the feeling we would get something from the game.
Mo scored his goal five minutes later, not the greatest connection or the best bit of goalkeeping by Matt Duke, who was then barracked by his own fans for the rest of the game.
Pack shot wide, Spencer had a shot saved, Pack had a shot brilliantly tipped round, then on the half-hour Spencer had a double chance.
Duffy did what he does best, chasing lost causes and creating something with a cross which Jimmy just failed to connect with, then when the ball came back in, he sliced wide on the stretch.
The reaction of the home fans was amazing. A very loud chorus of boos and whistles came from the 9500 so-called Bantams 'fans'. It was music to our ears.
After that they had a bit of pressure and won some corners, but Jack Butland was never called into action.
The second half was one-way traffic. Duffy had a shot saved, then Marlon Pack nearly wrote himself into folklore.
We won a free-kick about 30 yards from OUR goal. Marlon grabbed the ball and tried a shot, which Duke had to tip round for a corner. It was incredible and if it had gone in they would have been showing it for years.
Then Mo had a shot cleared off the line, Sido shot into the side netting and Russ Penn was fouled on the edge of the box, or just inside it, after winning about four successive 30-70 tackles, but the referee waved play on.
Kyel Reid had a shot in the 64th minute for Bradford and was roundly booed for it, and bar a save for Butland after 70 minutes from Ross Hannah, that was that.
There was no gung-ho home pressure for the last 20 minutes, no desperate defending, no sitting back on our own 18 yard line as the home side swing cross after cross and corner after corner into the box waiting for us to buckle.
It was comfortable, even quite relaxing, and dare I say it, enjoyable to watch rather than anxious and nervous.
So that's four successive away league wins, three clean sheets in a row on the road, and a 10th league win of the season - only 3 less than the whole of last year. We have 32 points, only 15 less than Lincoln went down with last year, and only 20 less than we got in the whole of last season...
Yes, I know people are still going to wary about what happened after Christmas last season, but this squad of players is made of sterner stuff and I think we have the depth of squad to cope.
However, we have not been hit yet - touch wood - by any sort of serious injury, and there would have to be a worry as to how we would cope without players like Bennett, Pack or Penn for a period of time.
Then there is the problem of whether we will lose Jack Butland, Jimmy Spencer and Luke Garbutt at some point when their loans run out - but they are all playing regularly and while the team is doing well there is more chance of their clubs leaving them with us, and, perhaps more importantly, the players wanting to stay.
But let's cross those bridges when they come and just enjoy what we have at the moment, a committed group of players giving their all for the club and getting the results.
The next few weeks are very important with the two Cup games followed by some big league games against teams around us - between now and January 7, we play Port Vale (10th) twice, Oxford (7th), Southend (top), Shrewsbury (4th) and Crawley (2nd), as well as Rotherham and Barnet.
We think we have a good squad here. By January maybe, we will know just how good.
Finally, on the drive back, I listened to 6-0-6 and all I heard were fans moaning about their teams 'not getting any credit' from pundits about playing well this season - Newcastle, Southampton, Charlton and Southend fans mainly.
That drives me mad. Getting credit from pundits, most of whom talk nonsense anyway, does not win matches. I would rather stay under the radar and just prove people wrong in a quiet, under-stated way.
Mark Chapman did mention us and asked for CTFC fans to ring in, and none did. I am glad about that.
If we are still up there in May and if we do achieve something, that's the time when we will deserve credit.
Player by player
Jack Butland - After last week's mistake, he was faultless. Caught everything, stayed alert when he had nothing to do. One take from a corner through about five players was fantastic.
Sido Jombati - Another good game. His ball forward started the move for the winning goal and he kept Kyel Reid quiet.
Luke Garbutt - Dealt superbly with a tricky customer in Michael Bryan very well and also got forward well to give us width on the left.
Steve Elliott - Is now the player we thought we signed last season. Won everything in the air and on the ground.
Alan Bennett - What a signing, and what a leader this guy is. No fuss, no nonsense. Leads from the back and always gives his all. Has brought the best out of Elliott.
Marlon Pack - Ran the game for the first 20-25 minutes, and helped us dominate in midfield from then on. Nearly scored an incredible goal which would have been the best CTFC goal ever.
Russ Penn - My man of the match. Epitomises the 'new' CTFC with his non-stop energy and commitment. Won tackles he had no right to win all over the field.
Luke Summerfield - Ran Penn close as he too was throwing himself into tackles and was just working non-stop all game.
Kaid Mohamed - Took his goal well and unlucky to have one cleared off the line. Better than in previous games.
Jimmy Spencer - Also a man of the match candidate with his non-stop running until he could give no more. Unlucky not to score and more than justified his recall.
Darryl Duffy - Worked very hard and gave the Bradford defence plenty to think about in that central role.
Substitutes
Josh Low (for Darryl Duffy 73): Rightly left out in my opinion, but did well when he came on, offering an outlet as we closed out the game.
Junior Smikle (for Kaid Mohamed, 83): Usual Junior cameo. Effort and energy, and also had time to get caught offside...!
Jeff Goulding (for Jimmy Spencer, 88): Came on to close the game out and did the job perfectly. Seems to be third choice now of our three strikers...
Make no mistake, this display at Valley Parade was a sparkler, has started the month off with a bang and sent us up the League Two table like a rocket, into third place.
Sorry. I will stop now. Promise.
I could now go on about how Bradford were not very good, didn't make Jack Butland make a save until the 70th minute, and were being booed by their own fans after about 20 minutes.
But that would just detract from an away performance which manager Mark Yates quite rightly described as the best of the season.
We should have won the game by about four or five, as we were utterly dominant in all areas from Butland's secure handling, through Bennett and Elliott's winning of every header, via Penn, Pack and Summerfield winning tackles they had no right to, up to Spencer and Duffy's non-stop running.
It was scarily reminiscent of away wins in the Conference title-winning season, when we went to places like Hereford and Morecambe, dominated, kept a clean sheet, won the game and went home.
No fuss, just got the job done, and that's what happened here.
Just like last year, we rolled up and started well, with Kaid's goal after eight minutes putting us in front, as Josh Low's early strike had done last season.
But unlike last season, we didn't cave in, we didn't sit back and I am even starting to get less nervous now about us closing these games out...
A look back at the game at Valley Parade a year (and three weeks) ago shows only two survivors in the starting line-up, Elliott and Pack.
Lowe, Low, Smikle and Goulding were on the bench, Gallinagh is on loan at Bath, Brown, Andrew and Lewis are out of the 16, and the 11th member of the starting side, Michael Pook, has just joined Brackley Town ...
Of the bench that day - Shroot, Jeffers, Artus, Melligan, Lee, Haynes, Lloyd-Weston - only Haynes, nominally, remains at the club.
And it is that bench which starkly tells you just why things have improved so much in a year.
After the 4-4-2 experiment against Plymouth last week, it seemed inevitable Mark Yates would go back to the 4-5-1/4-3-3 which works so well away from home.
But when the team sheet arrived with no Josh Low, but Jimmy Spencer and Darryl Duffy included, it wasn't easy to work out, but it turned out to be Duffy in the central role, and Spencer on the right.
Hence it was more 4-3-3 that 4-5-1 and, as we are becoming strangely accustomed to away from home these days, it worked perfectly.
From the moment Marlon Pack had acres of space in the second minute to shoot over from 30 yards, the pattern was set and I got the feeling we would get something from the game.
Mo scored his goal five minutes later, not the greatest connection or the best bit of goalkeeping by Matt Duke, who was then barracked by his own fans for the rest of the game.
Pack shot wide, Spencer had a shot saved, Pack had a shot brilliantly tipped round, then on the half-hour Spencer had a double chance.
Duffy did what he does best, chasing lost causes and creating something with a cross which Jimmy just failed to connect with, then when the ball came back in, he sliced wide on the stretch.
The reaction of the home fans was amazing. A very loud chorus of boos and whistles came from the 9500 so-called Bantams 'fans'. It was music to our ears.
After that they had a bit of pressure and won some corners, but Jack Butland was never called into action.
The second half was one-way traffic. Duffy had a shot saved, then Marlon Pack nearly wrote himself into folklore.
We won a free-kick about 30 yards from OUR goal. Marlon grabbed the ball and tried a shot, which Duke had to tip round for a corner. It was incredible and if it had gone in they would have been showing it for years.
Then Mo had a shot cleared off the line, Sido shot into the side netting and Russ Penn was fouled on the edge of the box, or just inside it, after winning about four successive 30-70 tackles, but the referee waved play on.
Kyel Reid had a shot in the 64th minute for Bradford and was roundly booed for it, and bar a save for Butland after 70 minutes from Ross Hannah, that was that.
There was no gung-ho home pressure for the last 20 minutes, no desperate defending, no sitting back on our own 18 yard line as the home side swing cross after cross and corner after corner into the box waiting for us to buckle.
It was comfortable, even quite relaxing, and dare I say it, enjoyable to watch rather than anxious and nervous.
So that's four successive away league wins, three clean sheets in a row on the road, and a 10th league win of the season - only 3 less than the whole of last year. We have 32 points, only 15 less than Lincoln went down with last year, and only 20 less than we got in the whole of last season...
Yes, I know people are still going to wary about what happened after Christmas last season, but this squad of players is made of sterner stuff and I think we have the depth of squad to cope.
However, we have not been hit yet - touch wood - by any sort of serious injury, and there would have to be a worry as to how we would cope without players like Bennett, Pack or Penn for a period of time.
Then there is the problem of whether we will lose Jack Butland, Jimmy Spencer and Luke Garbutt at some point when their loans run out - but they are all playing regularly and while the team is doing well there is more chance of their clubs leaving them with us, and, perhaps more importantly, the players wanting to stay.
But let's cross those bridges when they come and just enjoy what we have at the moment, a committed group of players giving their all for the club and getting the results.
The next few weeks are very important with the two Cup games followed by some big league games against teams around us - between now and January 7, we play Port Vale (10th) twice, Oxford (7th), Southend (top), Shrewsbury (4th) and Crawley (2nd), as well as Rotherham and Barnet.
We think we have a good squad here. By January maybe, we will know just how good.
Finally, on the drive back, I listened to 6-0-6 and all I heard were fans moaning about their teams 'not getting any credit' from pundits about playing well this season - Newcastle, Southampton, Charlton and Southend fans mainly.
That drives me mad. Getting credit from pundits, most of whom talk nonsense anyway, does not win matches. I would rather stay under the radar and just prove people wrong in a quiet, under-stated way.
Mark Chapman did mention us and asked for CTFC fans to ring in, and none did. I am glad about that.
If we are still up there in May and if we do achieve something, that's the time when we will deserve credit.
Player by player
Jack Butland - After last week's mistake, he was faultless. Caught everything, stayed alert when he had nothing to do. One take from a corner through about five players was fantastic.
Sido Jombati - Another good game. His ball forward started the move for the winning goal and he kept Kyel Reid quiet.
Luke Garbutt - Dealt superbly with a tricky customer in Michael Bryan very well and also got forward well to give us width on the left.
Steve Elliott - Is now the player we thought we signed last season. Won everything in the air and on the ground.
Alan Bennett - What a signing, and what a leader this guy is. No fuss, no nonsense. Leads from the back and always gives his all. Has brought the best out of Elliott.
Marlon Pack - Ran the game for the first 20-25 minutes, and helped us dominate in midfield from then on. Nearly scored an incredible goal which would have been the best CTFC goal ever.
Russ Penn - My man of the match. Epitomises the 'new' CTFC with his non-stop energy and commitment. Won tackles he had no right to win all over the field.
Luke Summerfield - Ran Penn close as he too was throwing himself into tackles and was just working non-stop all game.
Kaid Mohamed - Took his goal well and unlucky to have one cleared off the line. Better than in previous games.
Jimmy Spencer - Also a man of the match candidate with his non-stop running until he could give no more. Unlucky not to score and more than justified his recall.
Darryl Duffy - Worked very hard and gave the Bradford defence plenty to think about in that central role.
Substitutes
Josh Low (for Darryl Duffy 73): Rightly left out in my opinion, but did well when he came on, offering an outlet as we closed out the game.
Junior Smikle (for Kaid Mohamed, 83): Usual Junior cameo. Effort and energy, and also had time to get caught offside...!
Jeff Goulding (for Jimmy Spencer, 88): Came on to close the game out and did the job perfectly. Seems to be third choice now of our three strikers...
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Halting the Pilgrims' progress - just
I don't quite know where to start after that, if I am totally honest.
I think the best way to sum it up is that we got the win.
That's the most important thing after Tuesday's loss, and with their takeover all but done, it may be one of the last times Plymouth have to field such a young side.
But all credit to them, especially their centre halves Ben Gibson and Curtis Nelson, for constantly putting their bodies on the line and almost keeping us out.
Much was made of Argyle's young side, but remember also we have an 18 year old goalkeeper, our left back is 19, we ended the game with an 18 year old left winger, and our starting midfield pair are 20 and 23, while our 19 year old striker was banned, so it evens itself out.
However thanks to Darryl Duffy's accuracy and composure, first from the spot then from the rebound after Romain Larrieu saved his first effort, we got out of jail.
Mark Yates opted to change the formation which has been the bedrock of our successful October, mainly, I suspect, due to Jimmy Spencer's ban for five bookings.
Whether that means he doesn't feel Jeff Goulding or Duffy can play that lone-striker role, I don't know, but it also meant Russ Penn was relegated to the bench.
That left Marlon Pack and Luke Summerfield in midfield, and we saw in some of the early games when they were paired together that they don't really work as a duo, and we do miss Penn's energy and bite. A dilemma for Yates if he wants to persist with 4-4-2 - he has to bite the bullet and find his best pairing.
But the key to 4-4-2 is, I feel, the wide men, and neither of them contributed much to the game and were both rightly taken off.
The only time Josh Low played as an orthodox winger, he got in the cross which led to Goulding's amazing under-the-bar header over. Whether Duffy's effort was going in I don't know (he said afterwards he felt it would have hit the post) but what a howler.
Kaid on the other flank was just as poor. Never took on his man, didn't get a decent cross in, and so didn't give us an option.
They have both also developed his irritating habit of drifting infield when the full-backs come forward.
I don't know if this is tactical or not, but if so it needs to be stopped as it leaves Sido Jombati and Luke Garbutt with no option other than to sling a ball hopefully into the box, or to run down a blind alley, losing possession and leaving us short of cover.
Then, with Low and Mo in the middle, it just crowds things on the edge of the box when the ball is played in, leaving to over complication, and probably contributed to us failing to create much in the way of clear cut chances.
Contrast that with when Bags Graham came on - practically every time he got the ball he ran at his man, and there was a cross of some sort at the end of it, or we won a corner or throw from his efforts.
Yes, we know what Kaid and Josh can do on their day - but we need that 'day' to be every week, not just once in five or six games. If we are to maintain our start and get better, they have to be consistent. If they can't do that, then Mark has to change things.
Despite our territorial domination, I cannot remember us forcing Jake Cole, and then Larrieu into many saves, with many of our shots going wide or hitting flying white bodies.
Seconds after Goulding's miss, we fell behind with Jared Sims' header looking simple for Jack Butland, but it slipped from his hands and went in off Steve Elliott's toe. Imagine if Scott Brown had done that....
We huffed and puffed until half time without looking remotely like equalising, but I thought we were better after the break and it was almost constant camping in their half and seemed to be a matter of time before we scored.
Again though, there were few direct shots to test Cole and then Larrieu, while Butland kept us in it with a fantastic save in a rare Argyle break.
We got our lifeline with the penalty decision; I saw it live and thought penalty - then saw the Football League show and wasn't so sure, but after some shenanigans, Duffy put it away confidently.
Relief, but could we go on and win it?
Jamie Griffiths' rash challenge on Garbutt - who was then saved by Elliott from doing something silly in retaliation - helped our cause but still it seemed Argyle would hold out.
But up popped Duffy again. His first shot was saved brilliantly, but when it came back to him his aim was unerring in a crowded box, and we had our win. Just.
Now we go to Bradford, followed by the FA Cup. But after that comes a run of games which, I feel, will make or break our season.
Port Vale, Oxford, Southend, Barnet, Shrewsbury, Rotherham, Vale again and Crawley. All bar Barnet are in the mix, so by January 7, we might have a clearer picture of where we are going.
Player-by-player
Jack Butland - Mixed bag, with one great save and one error which cost a goal. Not much else to do.
Sido Jombati - Man of the match. defended well, got forward well despite lack of support from his 'wide right' colleague.
Luke Garbutt - Steady game, again no support from his 'wide' colleague. Good free kicks and corners.
Steve Elliott - Mixed day for his 33rd birthday with an own goal, then winning the penalty and saved Luke Garbutt from trouble...
Alan Bennett - Usual consistent display. Nearly scored with a second half header and continues to impress me.
Josh Low - Another casual display. Kept drifting infield when we were looking for a wide option. Time for a 'rest'
Marlon Pack - Struggled I thought. Felt Carl Fletcher and Simon Walton won the battle with him and Summerfield.
Luke Summerfield - See above. Thought he was just trying too hard to impress against his former club.
Kaid Mohamed - See Josh Low. Little threat to his full back and offered little to the side.
Jeff Goulding - Disappointing display capped by his horrendous headed miss.
Darryl Duffy - Took his goals well and never stopped running and looking to give us a spark.
Substitutes
Russ Penn (for Josh Low 63) - Gave us much-needed bite and energy. Could have won another penalty late on and unlucky not to score but for a great save.
Bags Graham (for Kaid Mohamed 63) - Thought he was a breath of fresh air. Came on, stayed wide, and ran at players, looking to get crosses in. Not the finished article by any means, but why not give him a start??
Junior Smikle (for Luke Summerfield, 75) - Usual sub appearance, and usual effort and commitment. Also pushing for a start next week??
I think the best way to sum it up is that we got the win.
That's the most important thing after Tuesday's loss, and with their takeover all but done, it may be one of the last times Plymouth have to field such a young side.
But all credit to them, especially their centre halves Ben Gibson and Curtis Nelson, for constantly putting their bodies on the line and almost keeping us out.
Much was made of Argyle's young side, but remember also we have an 18 year old goalkeeper, our left back is 19, we ended the game with an 18 year old left winger, and our starting midfield pair are 20 and 23, while our 19 year old striker was banned, so it evens itself out.
However thanks to Darryl Duffy's accuracy and composure, first from the spot then from the rebound after Romain Larrieu saved his first effort, we got out of jail.
Mark Yates opted to change the formation which has been the bedrock of our successful October, mainly, I suspect, due to Jimmy Spencer's ban for five bookings.
Whether that means he doesn't feel Jeff Goulding or Duffy can play that lone-striker role, I don't know, but it also meant Russ Penn was relegated to the bench.
That left Marlon Pack and Luke Summerfield in midfield, and we saw in some of the early games when they were paired together that they don't really work as a duo, and we do miss Penn's energy and bite. A dilemma for Yates if he wants to persist with 4-4-2 - he has to bite the bullet and find his best pairing.
But the key to 4-4-2 is, I feel, the wide men, and neither of them contributed much to the game and were both rightly taken off.
The only time Josh Low played as an orthodox winger, he got in the cross which led to Goulding's amazing under-the-bar header over. Whether Duffy's effort was going in I don't know (he said afterwards he felt it would have hit the post) but what a howler.
Kaid on the other flank was just as poor. Never took on his man, didn't get a decent cross in, and so didn't give us an option.
They have both also developed his irritating habit of drifting infield when the full-backs come forward.
I don't know if this is tactical or not, but if so it needs to be stopped as it leaves Sido Jombati and Luke Garbutt with no option other than to sling a ball hopefully into the box, or to run down a blind alley, losing possession and leaving us short of cover.
Then, with Low and Mo in the middle, it just crowds things on the edge of the box when the ball is played in, leaving to over complication, and probably contributed to us failing to create much in the way of clear cut chances.
Contrast that with when Bags Graham came on - practically every time he got the ball he ran at his man, and there was a cross of some sort at the end of it, or we won a corner or throw from his efforts.
Yes, we know what Kaid and Josh can do on their day - but we need that 'day' to be every week, not just once in five or six games. If we are to maintain our start and get better, they have to be consistent. If they can't do that, then Mark has to change things.
Despite our territorial domination, I cannot remember us forcing Jake Cole, and then Larrieu into many saves, with many of our shots going wide or hitting flying white bodies.
Seconds after Goulding's miss, we fell behind with Jared Sims' header looking simple for Jack Butland, but it slipped from his hands and went in off Steve Elliott's toe. Imagine if Scott Brown had done that....
We huffed and puffed until half time without looking remotely like equalising, but I thought we were better after the break and it was almost constant camping in their half and seemed to be a matter of time before we scored.
Again though, there were few direct shots to test Cole and then Larrieu, while Butland kept us in it with a fantastic save in a rare Argyle break.
We got our lifeline with the penalty decision; I saw it live and thought penalty - then saw the Football League show and wasn't so sure, but after some shenanigans, Duffy put it away confidently.
Relief, but could we go on and win it?
Jamie Griffiths' rash challenge on Garbutt - who was then saved by Elliott from doing something silly in retaliation - helped our cause but still it seemed Argyle would hold out.
But up popped Duffy again. His first shot was saved brilliantly, but when it came back to him his aim was unerring in a crowded box, and we had our win. Just.
Now we go to Bradford, followed by the FA Cup. But after that comes a run of games which, I feel, will make or break our season.
Port Vale, Oxford, Southend, Barnet, Shrewsbury, Rotherham, Vale again and Crawley. All bar Barnet are in the mix, so by January 7, we might have a clearer picture of where we are going.
Player-by-player
Jack Butland - Mixed bag, with one great save and one error which cost a goal. Not much else to do.
Sido Jombati - Man of the match. defended well, got forward well despite lack of support from his 'wide right' colleague.
Luke Garbutt - Steady game, again no support from his 'wide' colleague. Good free kicks and corners.
Steve Elliott - Mixed day for his 33rd birthday with an own goal, then winning the penalty and saved Luke Garbutt from trouble...
Alan Bennett - Usual consistent display. Nearly scored with a second half header and continues to impress me.
Josh Low - Another casual display. Kept drifting infield when we were looking for a wide option. Time for a 'rest'
Marlon Pack - Struggled I thought. Felt Carl Fletcher and Simon Walton won the battle with him and Summerfield.
Luke Summerfield - See above. Thought he was just trying too hard to impress against his former club.
Kaid Mohamed - See Josh Low. Little threat to his full back and offered little to the side.
Jeff Goulding - Disappointing display capped by his horrendous headed miss.
Darryl Duffy - Took his goals well and never stopped running and looking to give us a spark.
Substitutes
Russ Penn (for Josh Low 63) - Gave us much-needed bite and energy. Could have won another penalty late on and unlucky not to score but for a great save.
Bags Graham (for Kaid Mohamed 63) - Thought he was a breath of fresh air. Came on, stayed wide, and ran at players, looking to get crosses in. Not the finished article by any means, but why not give him a start??
Junior Smikle (for Luke Summerfield, 75) - Usual sub appearance, and usual effort and commitment. Also pushing for a start next week??
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Derailed by the Railwaymen
Those of a certain vintage (like me) will remember the character from Monty Python's Flying Circus who would appear just as things were getting a bit too wacky.
It was played by Graham Chapman, dressed up a soldier, who would walk on randomly in the middle of a sketch, and announce 'Right, stop it now, it's getting a little bit silly.'
Tonight, that part was played by Dario Gradi, whose Crewe side decided that for Cheltenham to win six games in a row was just a plainly ridiculous thought, and that it should be stopped right away.
I felt after tonight that we did not deserve to win the game.
We were the better side in the first half, and but for Steve Phillips would have been ahead.
Then we gave the penalty away (more on that in a minute) and I felt Mark Yates got the substitution and subsequent formation and tactical decisions wrong, and we never looked like getting back into the game.
Apart from Scott Brown's enforced return, the rest of the 16-man squad was the same as Friday night's win at Accrington, and there could be no complaints about that decision.
That group of players had done the business in recent games, so vindicated Yates' decision to go with them again.
It started well, with Jimmy Spencer clearly wanting to prove a point after being hauled off at the Crown, and his early hold-up and link-up play was back to how it was at Bristol Rovers and Burton.
Russ Penn was making good runs and winning some decent tackles, with Luke Summerfield backing him up - but the wide men, Josh Low and Kaid Mohamed, did not come to the party at all.
They quickly developed the annoying habit of drifting infield, so when we had a promising position and a good tempo going, the move broke down as we had no-one offering a wide option.
When Low did get the ball, he was only able to cross from deep and that was meat and drink for Dugdale and Martin, or for Steve Phillips.
Phillips was the reason why we went in at 0-0, with great saves from Spencer and Summerfield and a good gather from Pack's shot through a ruck of players.
Once again, Crewe had done their homework. It is a sign of our progress that their system was set up to negate us, with Byron Moore sitting deep on Marlon Pack, while Antoni Sarcevic and Nick Powell set out to stop Garbutt and Jombati getting forward, and Low and Mohamed running from deep. It worked.
Pack had a very quiet night, Garbutt barely crossed the halfway line, and as I said earlier, Low and Mohamed were peripheral figures at best.
But after that bright first half, we never imposed ourselves on the second half in the same manner, and after the penalty we failed to react in a positive manner, as we did a few times last season, and in a way we thought was out of our system.
So to the penalty award. Firstly, we should have cleared the danger about three or four times before the ball came to Luke Murphy.
Then, when Murphy is facing out of the box, not posing too much danger, Jombati did not need to go through the back of him to get the ball, so it was a rash challenge, and gave the referee and his assistant the chance to give it.
Scott Brown had no chance - he did go the right way though - and from then on it was a test of our character, and we failed it.
We got involved in arguing about the penalty decision, then got wound up by the antics of some Crewe players trying to dive, especially Shaun Miller and Nick Powell, rather than just concentrating on getting back into a game we should have been winning comfortably by that stage.
Yates opted to throw Darryl Duffy and Jeff Goulding on, and decided to take off Mohamed and Penn. I think I would have left Mo on and taken off Low, and I thought Russ was slightly unlucky.
On performance, if you were taking a central midfielder off, then it would have had to be Pack, the most disappointing of the three on the night. Alternatively, he could have taken Spencer off and gone to a 4-4-2.
But we kept the same formation, with Duffy, our poacher, playing on the left wing, and Spencer, our hold up man, in central midfield, and we looked totally lost.
It was square pegs time, and it seemed like a panic change, which was a surprise as most things Yates has done recently have been decisive and well thought out. This change seemed a bit on the hoof - almost saying 'the fans will want strikers on, let's do that'.
Crewe had a few breaks, but we never tested Phillips and never created a clear cut chance. The ball didn't go wide and we started being too direct which was meat and drink for their back four.
Duffy was ineffective out wide, and was finally moved central, while Goulding never got going and then missed a glorious chance at the death. That summed up our night.
But let's put it in context. Our first defeat in seven games, and we still sit sixth in the table.
However, it was a shame that, when it seemed that the people of Cheltenham finally turned up, we were a bit flat again and dropped into some old habits, undone by wily Dario.
So Plymouth come to town on Saturday, and I wonder if the time will come to change personnel, and formation? We await with interest.
Player by player
Scott Brown: Back in the side, and secure on crossing and handling. Had few direct saves but beaten from the spot despite going the right way.
Sido Jombati: Rash challenge for the penalty. Still not totally convinced by him at right back as he looks to prone to mistakes.
Luke Garbutt: Unable to make great strides forward and had a few dicey defensive moments. Mixed free-kick and corner delivery.
Alan Bennett: Usual solid self at the back. Won most of his headers but got a booking for clash with Miller after he felt the forward dived.
Steve Elliott: Won headers and din't do much wrong at the back, but was done for pace a couple of times when caught upfield as we chased the game.
Josh Low: Very poor. Crosses disappointing, touch was casual and kept drifting inside off his wing. Place in doubt for the weekend I would think.
Marlon Pack: Closely marked in first half and subsequently unable to have an impact on the game. Quietest of the midfield trio.
Luke Summerfield: Probably our best player. Especially good in first half, and tried to provide a spark in the disappointing second half.
Russ Penn: Started well, looked to support Jimmy Spencer, but taken off after an hour, I felt slightly unluckily.
Kaid Mohamed: Frustrating performance. Never ran at defenders despite a few opportunities. Like Low, kept drifting inside, and kept cutting inside with ball rather than going at people.
Jimmy Spencer: Thought he was excellent in the first half and so unlucky not to score. Change of role on the hour then negated his influence on the game completely.
Substitutes
Darryl Duffy (for Kaid Mohamed 60): Started on the left wing, then moved central, but too late. Unable to impact on the game.
Jeff Goulding (for Russ Penn, 60): Thought he was poor. Touch was off, hold-up play weak and missed a golden chance at the end to get a draw.
Junior Smikle (for Josh Low, 87): Low should have come off earlier... but anyway Junior finally got his inevitable run-out, and came very close to scoring but for a last-ditch challenge.
It was played by Graham Chapman, dressed up a soldier, who would walk on randomly in the middle of a sketch, and announce 'Right, stop it now, it's getting a little bit silly.'
Tonight, that part was played by Dario Gradi, whose Crewe side decided that for Cheltenham to win six games in a row was just a plainly ridiculous thought, and that it should be stopped right away.
I felt after tonight that we did not deserve to win the game.
We were the better side in the first half, and but for Steve Phillips would have been ahead.
Then we gave the penalty away (more on that in a minute) and I felt Mark Yates got the substitution and subsequent formation and tactical decisions wrong, and we never looked like getting back into the game.
Apart from Scott Brown's enforced return, the rest of the 16-man squad was the same as Friday night's win at Accrington, and there could be no complaints about that decision.
That group of players had done the business in recent games, so vindicated Yates' decision to go with them again.
It started well, with Jimmy Spencer clearly wanting to prove a point after being hauled off at the Crown, and his early hold-up and link-up play was back to how it was at Bristol Rovers and Burton.
Russ Penn was making good runs and winning some decent tackles, with Luke Summerfield backing him up - but the wide men, Josh Low and Kaid Mohamed, did not come to the party at all.
They quickly developed the annoying habit of drifting infield, so when we had a promising position and a good tempo going, the move broke down as we had no-one offering a wide option.
When Low did get the ball, he was only able to cross from deep and that was meat and drink for Dugdale and Martin, or for Steve Phillips.
Phillips was the reason why we went in at 0-0, with great saves from Spencer and Summerfield and a good gather from Pack's shot through a ruck of players.
Once again, Crewe had done their homework. It is a sign of our progress that their system was set up to negate us, with Byron Moore sitting deep on Marlon Pack, while Antoni Sarcevic and Nick Powell set out to stop Garbutt and Jombati getting forward, and Low and Mohamed running from deep. It worked.
Pack had a very quiet night, Garbutt barely crossed the halfway line, and as I said earlier, Low and Mohamed were peripheral figures at best.
But after that bright first half, we never imposed ourselves on the second half in the same manner, and after the penalty we failed to react in a positive manner, as we did a few times last season, and in a way we thought was out of our system.
So to the penalty award. Firstly, we should have cleared the danger about three or four times before the ball came to Luke Murphy.
Then, when Murphy is facing out of the box, not posing too much danger, Jombati did not need to go through the back of him to get the ball, so it was a rash challenge, and gave the referee and his assistant the chance to give it.
Scott Brown had no chance - he did go the right way though - and from then on it was a test of our character, and we failed it.
We got involved in arguing about the penalty decision, then got wound up by the antics of some Crewe players trying to dive, especially Shaun Miller and Nick Powell, rather than just concentrating on getting back into a game we should have been winning comfortably by that stage.
Yates opted to throw Darryl Duffy and Jeff Goulding on, and decided to take off Mohamed and Penn. I think I would have left Mo on and taken off Low, and I thought Russ was slightly unlucky.
On performance, if you were taking a central midfielder off, then it would have had to be Pack, the most disappointing of the three on the night. Alternatively, he could have taken Spencer off and gone to a 4-4-2.
But we kept the same formation, with Duffy, our poacher, playing on the left wing, and Spencer, our hold up man, in central midfield, and we looked totally lost.
It was square pegs time, and it seemed like a panic change, which was a surprise as most things Yates has done recently have been decisive and well thought out. This change seemed a bit on the hoof - almost saying 'the fans will want strikers on, let's do that'.
Crewe had a few breaks, but we never tested Phillips and never created a clear cut chance. The ball didn't go wide and we started being too direct which was meat and drink for their back four.
Duffy was ineffective out wide, and was finally moved central, while Goulding never got going and then missed a glorious chance at the death. That summed up our night.
But let's put it in context. Our first defeat in seven games, and we still sit sixth in the table.
However, it was a shame that, when it seemed that the people of Cheltenham finally turned up, we were a bit flat again and dropped into some old habits, undone by wily Dario.
So Plymouth come to town on Saturday, and I wonder if the time will come to change personnel, and formation? We await with interest.
Player by player
Scott Brown: Back in the side, and secure on crossing and handling. Had few direct saves but beaten from the spot despite going the right way.
Sido Jombati: Rash challenge for the penalty. Still not totally convinced by him at right back as he looks to prone to mistakes.
Luke Garbutt: Unable to make great strides forward and had a few dicey defensive moments. Mixed free-kick and corner delivery.
Alan Bennett: Usual solid self at the back. Won most of his headers but got a booking for clash with Miller after he felt the forward dived.
Steve Elliott: Won headers and din't do much wrong at the back, but was done for pace a couple of times when caught upfield as we chased the game.
Josh Low: Very poor. Crosses disappointing, touch was casual and kept drifting inside off his wing. Place in doubt for the weekend I would think.
Marlon Pack: Closely marked in first half and subsequently unable to have an impact on the game. Quietest of the midfield trio.
Luke Summerfield: Probably our best player. Especially good in first half, and tried to provide a spark in the disappointing second half.
Russ Penn: Started well, looked to support Jimmy Spencer, but taken off after an hour, I felt slightly unluckily.
Kaid Mohamed: Frustrating performance. Never ran at defenders despite a few opportunities. Like Low, kept drifting inside, and kept cutting inside with ball rather than going at people.
Jimmy Spencer: Thought he was excellent in the first half and so unlucky not to score. Change of role on the hour then negated his influence on the game completely.
Substitutes
Darryl Duffy (for Kaid Mohamed 60): Started on the left wing, then moved central, but too late. Unable to impact on the game.
Jeff Goulding (for Russ Penn, 60): Thought he was poor. Touch was off, hold-up play weak and missed a golden chance at the end to get a draw.
Junior Smikle (for Josh Low, 87): Low should have come off earlier... but anyway Junior finally got his inevitable run-out, and came very close to scoring but for a last-ditch challenge.
Saturday, 22 October 2011
Leaving Stanley flat
The mark of a good side, so these pundits say, is to win ugly, and Friday's fare at the Crown Ground was about as ugly as you are going to get. With the exception of the pies anyway, more of which later.
I took the trip up on the supporters' bus, happily full and in good spirits as you would expect after a four-match winning run.
I didn't detect much in the way of complacency about this game, which was a good thing, as we endured a frustrating stop-start journey up the dear old M6, extending to four and half hours.
It meant there was no pint in the Crown for me, but my BBC Glos colleague Pete Matthews made it, and had the most expensive pint in there, for £2.40. Don't you love the North...
But I did arrive in time for some stereotypical Northern food (copyright Phil Ruck) and at £4.50 for meat and potato pie, chips and mushy peas, you couldn't go wrong.
The pie was the best of the season so far with good flaky pastry and decent filling, and the right temperature so my mouth was not like a blast furnace, perfect chips topped off with mushy peas.
In fact it was so good I went back for another helping, but the chips were cooking, so second time around it was just pie and peas. But just as excellent.
Unfortunately, then the football broke out to deny me the chance for thirds, and it was more like one of those soggy pre-packed pies with mushy pastry and artificial filling... not very appetising.
Accrington had done their homework and matched our formation with two sitting midfielders stopping Russ Penn getting forward and our wide men also being negated for much of the game.
They had the only decent chance of the first half with Jack Butland making a good save, but we hung in there and defended well without being able to get much going up front.
Jimmy Spencer was left isolated and without much of the ball to feet that he has had in previous games, and that may have led to the rash challenge on Kevin Long which ultimately changed the game.
It was right in front of our commentary position and was one of those where he caught the player just as he played the ball upfield.
The player stayed down and the Accy fans bayed for blood, but a yellow was right, even if the guy in front of us decided I was a 'knobhead' for saying so and had an animated conversation about it with Jon Palmer and James Brown afterwards. Chin up son.
Jimmy then commited another foul quickly after and had a chat with assistant about his decision to flag, and in an instant Jeff Goulding appeared on the touchline and Jimmy's evening was over.
It was another example of Mark Yates' more ruthless management style, and a very sensible decision. It was a tight game and a red card would have ended any hopes of us winning the game.
As it turned out, the substitution won us the game.
From our throw-in seconds later, the ball was lofted forward by Sido Jombati, and as Ian Dunbavin came out rashly, Jeff's first touch lobbed it over him and it bounced into the net.
44 minutes, perfect time to score, supersub, we had weathered the storm, grabbed a goal with sucker punch.... roll out the cliches...
We started better in the second half and as the game wore on, Luke Summerfield and Marlon Pack became more influential.
We should definitely have had a penalty when Kaid Mohamed was fouled, and Russ put a shot into the side netting after Jeff ran 70 yards and gave him a perfect pass - that was Russ's last act as Junior Smikle came on and I thought we looked more dangerous going forward with him on the field.
Accrington tried to go more direct but Steve Elliott and Alan Bennett won everything, with Elliott outstanding at the back as that partnership continues to go from strength to strength.
The biggest compliment I can pay is that it could easily have been Chris Banks and Mark Freeman back there - I think they are on the way to becoming the best central defensive pair we have had since those legends.
Bennett plays the Banks role, organising, reading the game, sweeping up and bringing composure and leadership, while Elliott is Freeman, not always pretty, going to win that first ball, 100 per cent effort to go in where it hurts.
Accrington had one chance, a daisycutter which Jack Butland dealt with, but it was fairly comfortable as we made it five wins in a row, four of them away from home, and now go into two home games with Crewe and Plymouth.
They won't be easy - Crewe could be anything given our games with them down the years, while Plymouth have picked up and if their takeover happens finally they will come up in good heart.
Six points would be brilliant, but four would be a good return and keep the momentum going.
As someone tweeted to me after the game last night, we are halfway to avoiding relegation - that may sound a bit negative to some, but it is only October and we are only building foundations.
Player by player
Jack Butland - One superb save in the first half, but little else to do despite Stanley's possession. Otherwise just crosses and coming out to kick away danger.
Sido Jombati - Usual mix of good defending and heart in the mouth stuff but played his part by setting the goal up with a long ball for Jeff.
Luke Garbutt - Did well against Charlie Barnett on the right who was Stanley's best player. Another steady game.
Steve Elliott - Outstanding. Won just about every header and denied Stanley's forwards any space or time with perfectly-timed tackles.
Alan Bennett - See above. Nearly scored in the second half with a shot cleared off the line.
Josh Low - Quiet game. Struggled to get space and time out wide and only had sporadic influence on the game.
Marlon Pack - Quiet first half but grew in influence as the game wore on as he got more space with Stanley chasing the game.
Luke Summerfield - As above. Had to defend more in the first half but was able to get forward more after the break.
Russ Penn - Ineffective game as Stanley's two central midfielders denied him space and time to get forward and support Jimmy. Missed a golden chance before coming off.
Kaid Mohamed - As with Josh, only sporadically managed to get into the game. Should have been given a penalty after being fouled in the second half.
Jimmy Spencer - Isolated and frustrated in the first half, got a booking and was walking a tightrope, so good management by Mark Yates to take him off.
Substitutes
Jeff Goulding (for Spencer 44) - Perfect arrival, scoring with his first touch. Was more effective in holding the ball up and nearly set up a second goal.
Junior Smikle (for Penn 67) - Thought Junior did well and brought a bit of a spark when he came on with good runs and movement.
Keith Lowe (for Mohamed 90) - First touch was to head the ball 20 yards backwards, so not as good as Jeff's, but helped see out the result.
I took the trip up on the supporters' bus, happily full and in good spirits as you would expect after a four-match winning run.
I didn't detect much in the way of complacency about this game, which was a good thing, as we endured a frustrating stop-start journey up the dear old M6, extending to four and half hours.
It meant there was no pint in the Crown for me, but my BBC Glos colleague Pete Matthews made it, and had the most expensive pint in there, for £2.40. Don't you love the North...
But I did arrive in time for some stereotypical Northern food (copyright Phil Ruck) and at £4.50 for meat and potato pie, chips and mushy peas, you couldn't go wrong.
The pie was the best of the season so far with good flaky pastry and decent filling, and the right temperature so my mouth was not like a blast furnace, perfect chips topped off with mushy peas.
In fact it was so good I went back for another helping, but the chips were cooking, so second time around it was just pie and peas. But just as excellent.
Unfortunately, then the football broke out to deny me the chance for thirds, and it was more like one of those soggy pre-packed pies with mushy pastry and artificial filling... not very appetising.
Accrington had done their homework and matched our formation with two sitting midfielders stopping Russ Penn getting forward and our wide men also being negated for much of the game.
They had the only decent chance of the first half with Jack Butland making a good save, but we hung in there and defended well without being able to get much going up front.
Jimmy Spencer was left isolated and without much of the ball to feet that he has had in previous games, and that may have led to the rash challenge on Kevin Long which ultimately changed the game.
It was right in front of our commentary position and was one of those where he caught the player just as he played the ball upfield.
The player stayed down and the Accy fans bayed for blood, but a yellow was right, even if the guy in front of us decided I was a 'knobhead' for saying so and had an animated conversation about it with Jon Palmer and James Brown afterwards. Chin up son.
Jimmy then commited another foul quickly after and had a chat with assistant about his decision to flag, and in an instant Jeff Goulding appeared on the touchline and Jimmy's evening was over.
It was another example of Mark Yates' more ruthless management style, and a very sensible decision. It was a tight game and a red card would have ended any hopes of us winning the game.
As it turned out, the substitution won us the game.
From our throw-in seconds later, the ball was lofted forward by Sido Jombati, and as Ian Dunbavin came out rashly, Jeff's first touch lobbed it over him and it bounced into the net.
44 minutes, perfect time to score, supersub, we had weathered the storm, grabbed a goal with sucker punch.... roll out the cliches...
We started better in the second half and as the game wore on, Luke Summerfield and Marlon Pack became more influential.
We should definitely have had a penalty when Kaid Mohamed was fouled, and Russ put a shot into the side netting after Jeff ran 70 yards and gave him a perfect pass - that was Russ's last act as Junior Smikle came on and I thought we looked more dangerous going forward with him on the field.
Accrington tried to go more direct but Steve Elliott and Alan Bennett won everything, with Elliott outstanding at the back as that partnership continues to go from strength to strength.
The biggest compliment I can pay is that it could easily have been Chris Banks and Mark Freeman back there - I think they are on the way to becoming the best central defensive pair we have had since those legends.
Bennett plays the Banks role, organising, reading the game, sweeping up and bringing composure and leadership, while Elliott is Freeman, not always pretty, going to win that first ball, 100 per cent effort to go in where it hurts.
Accrington had one chance, a daisycutter which Jack Butland dealt with, but it was fairly comfortable as we made it five wins in a row, four of them away from home, and now go into two home games with Crewe and Plymouth.
They won't be easy - Crewe could be anything given our games with them down the years, while Plymouth have picked up and if their takeover happens finally they will come up in good heart.
Six points would be brilliant, but four would be a good return and keep the momentum going.
As someone tweeted to me after the game last night, we are halfway to avoiding relegation - that may sound a bit negative to some, but it is only October and we are only building foundations.
Player by player
Jack Butland - One superb save in the first half, but little else to do despite Stanley's possession. Otherwise just crosses and coming out to kick away danger.
Sido Jombati - Usual mix of good defending and heart in the mouth stuff but played his part by setting the goal up with a long ball for Jeff.
Luke Garbutt - Did well against Charlie Barnett on the right who was Stanley's best player. Another steady game.
Steve Elliott - Outstanding. Won just about every header and denied Stanley's forwards any space or time with perfectly-timed tackles.
Alan Bennett - See above. Nearly scored in the second half with a shot cleared off the line.
Josh Low - Quiet game. Struggled to get space and time out wide and only had sporadic influence on the game.
Marlon Pack - Quiet first half but grew in influence as the game wore on as he got more space with Stanley chasing the game.
Luke Summerfield - As above. Had to defend more in the first half but was able to get forward more after the break.
Russ Penn - Ineffective game as Stanley's two central midfielders denied him space and time to get forward and support Jimmy. Missed a golden chance before coming off.
Kaid Mohamed - As with Josh, only sporadically managed to get into the game. Should have been given a penalty after being fouled in the second half.
Jimmy Spencer - Isolated and frustrated in the first half, got a booking and was walking a tightrope, so good management by Mark Yates to take him off.
Substitutes
Jeff Goulding (for Spencer 44) - Perfect arrival, scoring with his first touch. Was more effective in holding the ball up and nearly set up a second goal.
Junior Smikle (for Penn 67) - Thought Junior did well and brought a bit of a spark when he came on with good runs and movement.
Keith Lowe (for Mohamed 90) - First touch was to head the ball 20 yards backwards, so not as good as Jeff's, but helped see out the result.
Saturday, 15 October 2011
One in the eye...
October 14 is the 945th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings.
As any decent history book will tell you, it was poor old King Harold who got one in the eye that day on Senlac Hill at the hands of the marauding invaders - tonight it was Cleveland Taylor's turn.
Now, poor old Clevey had said a few things about Russ Penn in the run up to the game, basically alluding that Penn had made an error in swapping Burton for Cheltenham, how Burton didn't miss him, and how their side were better off without him, and so on.
Hmm.
Sorry Clevers, think you might be a bit wrong there, me old son.
Put quite simply, bar a spell of about 10 minutes in the first half, we were superb from number 6 to 25, with our second half reminiscent of some of the displays under the new Nottingham Forest manager in days of old.
Apart from Mr Taylor's words of wisdom, the other sub-plot was apparently going to see Justin Richards add to his nine-goal tally.
Wrong again. Alan Bennett let him out of his sight once all night, and even then Jack Butland's chest got in the way, and Mr Richards disappeared back into Mr Bennett's pocket, where I believe he still resides.
I must confess I was wary about this game as Burton had not lost at home all season, scored in every game and seemed to be a team in form.
In the past when we have come up against teams like this away from home, we have under performed on the whole, and seen the end of a decent run - but maybe we should stop thinking about what has happened in the past and think positively about our team and realise just what exciting times could be on the horizon.
We sit third in the table, before games tomorrow which will, more than likely, see us drop down a few places, and while it is important not to get carried away and start making wild predictions, the evidence is there to see that we could be going places.
That is now four wins in a row. We haven't done that since a run under Keith Downing - who incidentally was in the crowd at the Pirelli, one of 55 scouts from various clubs, also including his WBA colleague Dean Kiely, Nigel Spink and Luke Summerfield's dad Kevin.
Three of those wins have been away from home, all three of them by two clear goals, and all as comfortable as that victory margin would suggest.
Unsurprisingly, Mark Yates kept the same outfield 10 from Saturday's win over Dagenham but restored Butland between the sticks, and I would imagine it was Butland who the majority of those scouts came to see.
I watched the first half with the Cheltenham fans in the seats and we witnessed what I thought was quite an even half.
Sido Jombati was denied by a superb save from their goalkeeper and we had most of the pressure, but towards the end of the half they came back into it, culminating in Butland's save from Richards, and one superb defensive header by Bennett.
After giving up on the long refreshment queue, I saw Scott Brown (who had also given up) and we both felt it was an even half, and that the game could be decided on one goal, a la Gillingham and Aldershot.
Now, both of those games fell the wrong way for us, but from the moment we stepped out, there was only one winner.
I managed to make my way in to join the fans behind the goal for the second half, and there was a superb turnout and fantastic noise throughout.
That noise was ramped up within a minute of the restart as we went in front with a goal which saw the ball go from centre circle to goal in four touches.
Marlon Pack played a superb ball to Luke Garbutt on the left, he controlled it and crossed to the far post, where Josh Low headed home. Yes, Josh Low. A header. These are indeed strange times.
Jimmy Spencer went close, as did Kaid Mohamed with a 35-yard howitzer that just went over and the Rubies seemed to be cutting through them at will.
Butland tipped a shot from Jimmy Phillips over, and from the corner we made it 2-0. Yes, the Burton corner.
Marlon Pack volleyed the clearance to Mohamed on the left wing, and he went off on one of his Bristol Rovers-style mazy runs, weaved his way to the byline and squared for Jimmy Spencer to score.
That takes his goal tally to five, the same as Darryl Duffy, with Jeff Goulding on four - so the strikers between them have one less than Mr Richards managed in his season with us.
Makes a bit of a mockery of the conversation I had with one fan before the season who told me our strikers wouldn't score enough goals...
Add to that the fact that Kaid and Josh Low have three apiece, while Marlon Pack has one and Luke Summerfield two, and it leaves Russ Penn of our first-choice midfield-striking options as the only one without a goal.
On the subject of Mr Penn, he came in for some rough treatment from his former club, and stood up to it well with no sign of reprisals, which clearly was the idea - get him riled as sent off. Sorry Mr Peschisolido, backfired on you that one.
After the second goal, Burton barely troubled us bar one brilliant Bennett tackle on Billy Kee and a Calvin Zola header which went wide.
It was as comfortable and nerveless a second half as I can remember since those days under Stevie C when we used to go to places like Hereford and Morecambe in the Conference and take home routine 2-0 wins.
We could have had more, notably a Goulding overhead kick which hit the bar, but let's not be greedy, eh?
Player by player
Jack Butland: Fabulous first-half save from Richards which turned the game back our way. Also tipped over in the second and made a good late stop from a deflected shot.
Sido Jombati: Nearly scored with a header and effective coming forward. Got booked (after a terrible Marlon Pack pass put him in trouble) and maybe should have been taken off but had a good game.
Luke Garbutt: Very impressive in defence and attack. Dealt well with Cleveland Taylor and set up Josh Low's goal with a sumptuous cross.
Alan Bennett: Just immense at the back all game. Kept Richards quiet, bar one lapse, and won every header, notably one brilliant first-half clearance, driving the team on and leading by example.
Steve Elliott: Backed up Benno superbly as he kept Zola quiet, barely losing a header to the giant striker. Had a shot saved in the first half and headed wide in the second.
Josh Low: Scored with a header, which is a rarity in itself. But had a good game, always a problem for his full-back.
Russ Penn: Glorious return to his old club, with a few big mouths silenced. Had a superb game in the face of some heavy treatment and helped us get the right result.
Luke Summerfield: Again showed he is the perfect foil for Penn and Pack. His industry allows them to play and tackle, while he mops up and keeps us ticking over.
Marlon Pack: Superb pass for first goal, and clearance started move for second. But overall, so high was the standard of the team's display, he was probably the least effective of the midfield three.
Kaid Mohamed: Struggled early on to get the better of Kevin Amankwaah, but got there in the end, with his superb run to create the second goal. Did some good defensive work too, supporting Luke Garbutt.
Jimmy Spencer: Excellent again and seems to relish the lone role in this system. Deserved his goal and now has scored in our last three league wins.
Substitutes
Junior Smikle (for Mohamed, 79): Came on as Mo got a knock for his habitual appearance, and was his usual busy self, nearly getting on the end of a good move.
Jeff Goulding (for Penn, 82): Hit the bar with an overhead kick and made a good clearing header from a Burton corner as we closed out the game.
Darryl Duffy (for Spencer, 89): Not much time to make an impact, but did almost set Junior up for a chance.
As any decent history book will tell you, it was poor old King Harold who got one in the eye that day on Senlac Hill at the hands of the marauding invaders - tonight it was Cleveland Taylor's turn.
Now, poor old Clevey had said a few things about Russ Penn in the run up to the game, basically alluding that Penn had made an error in swapping Burton for Cheltenham, how Burton didn't miss him, and how their side were better off without him, and so on.
Hmm.
Sorry Clevers, think you might be a bit wrong there, me old son.
Put quite simply, bar a spell of about 10 minutes in the first half, we were superb from number 6 to 25, with our second half reminiscent of some of the displays under the new Nottingham Forest manager in days of old.
Apart from Mr Taylor's words of wisdom, the other sub-plot was apparently going to see Justin Richards add to his nine-goal tally.
Wrong again. Alan Bennett let him out of his sight once all night, and even then Jack Butland's chest got in the way, and Mr Richards disappeared back into Mr Bennett's pocket, where I believe he still resides.
I must confess I was wary about this game as Burton had not lost at home all season, scored in every game and seemed to be a team in form.
In the past when we have come up against teams like this away from home, we have under performed on the whole, and seen the end of a decent run - but maybe we should stop thinking about what has happened in the past and think positively about our team and realise just what exciting times could be on the horizon.
We sit third in the table, before games tomorrow which will, more than likely, see us drop down a few places, and while it is important not to get carried away and start making wild predictions, the evidence is there to see that we could be going places.
That is now four wins in a row. We haven't done that since a run under Keith Downing - who incidentally was in the crowd at the Pirelli, one of 55 scouts from various clubs, also including his WBA colleague Dean Kiely, Nigel Spink and Luke Summerfield's dad Kevin.
Three of those wins have been away from home, all three of them by two clear goals, and all as comfortable as that victory margin would suggest.
Unsurprisingly, Mark Yates kept the same outfield 10 from Saturday's win over Dagenham but restored Butland between the sticks, and I would imagine it was Butland who the majority of those scouts came to see.
I watched the first half with the Cheltenham fans in the seats and we witnessed what I thought was quite an even half.
Sido Jombati was denied by a superb save from their goalkeeper and we had most of the pressure, but towards the end of the half they came back into it, culminating in Butland's save from Richards, and one superb defensive header by Bennett.
After giving up on the long refreshment queue, I saw Scott Brown (who had also given up) and we both felt it was an even half, and that the game could be decided on one goal, a la Gillingham and Aldershot.
Now, both of those games fell the wrong way for us, but from the moment we stepped out, there was only one winner.
I managed to make my way in to join the fans behind the goal for the second half, and there was a superb turnout and fantastic noise throughout.
That noise was ramped up within a minute of the restart as we went in front with a goal which saw the ball go from centre circle to goal in four touches.
Marlon Pack played a superb ball to Luke Garbutt on the left, he controlled it and crossed to the far post, where Josh Low headed home. Yes, Josh Low. A header. These are indeed strange times.
Jimmy Spencer went close, as did Kaid Mohamed with a 35-yard howitzer that just went over and the Rubies seemed to be cutting through them at will.
Butland tipped a shot from Jimmy Phillips over, and from the corner we made it 2-0. Yes, the Burton corner.
Marlon Pack volleyed the clearance to Mohamed on the left wing, and he went off on one of his Bristol Rovers-style mazy runs, weaved his way to the byline and squared for Jimmy Spencer to score.
That takes his goal tally to five, the same as Darryl Duffy, with Jeff Goulding on four - so the strikers between them have one less than Mr Richards managed in his season with us.
Makes a bit of a mockery of the conversation I had with one fan before the season who told me our strikers wouldn't score enough goals...
Add to that the fact that Kaid and Josh Low have three apiece, while Marlon Pack has one and Luke Summerfield two, and it leaves Russ Penn of our first-choice midfield-striking options as the only one without a goal.
On the subject of Mr Penn, he came in for some rough treatment from his former club, and stood up to it well with no sign of reprisals, which clearly was the idea - get him riled as sent off. Sorry Mr Peschisolido, backfired on you that one.
After the second goal, Burton barely troubled us bar one brilliant Bennett tackle on Billy Kee and a Calvin Zola header which went wide.
It was as comfortable and nerveless a second half as I can remember since those days under Stevie C when we used to go to places like Hereford and Morecambe in the Conference and take home routine 2-0 wins.
We could have had more, notably a Goulding overhead kick which hit the bar, but let's not be greedy, eh?
Player by player
Jack Butland: Fabulous first-half save from Richards which turned the game back our way. Also tipped over in the second and made a good late stop from a deflected shot.
Sido Jombati: Nearly scored with a header and effective coming forward. Got booked (after a terrible Marlon Pack pass put him in trouble) and maybe should have been taken off but had a good game.
Luke Garbutt: Very impressive in defence and attack. Dealt well with Cleveland Taylor and set up Josh Low's goal with a sumptuous cross.
Alan Bennett: Just immense at the back all game. Kept Richards quiet, bar one lapse, and won every header, notably one brilliant first-half clearance, driving the team on and leading by example.
Steve Elliott: Backed up Benno superbly as he kept Zola quiet, barely losing a header to the giant striker. Had a shot saved in the first half and headed wide in the second.
Josh Low: Scored with a header, which is a rarity in itself. But had a good game, always a problem for his full-back.
Russ Penn: Glorious return to his old club, with a few big mouths silenced. Had a superb game in the face of some heavy treatment and helped us get the right result.
Luke Summerfield: Again showed he is the perfect foil for Penn and Pack. His industry allows them to play and tackle, while he mops up and keeps us ticking over.
Marlon Pack: Superb pass for first goal, and clearance started move for second. But overall, so high was the standard of the team's display, he was probably the least effective of the midfield three.
Kaid Mohamed: Struggled early on to get the better of Kevin Amankwaah, but got there in the end, with his superb run to create the second goal. Did some good defensive work too, supporting Luke Garbutt.
Jimmy Spencer: Excellent again and seems to relish the lone role in this system. Deserved his goal and now has scored in our last three league wins.
Substitutes
Junior Smikle (for Mohamed, 79): Came on as Mo got a knock for his habitual appearance, and was his usual busy self, nearly getting on the end of a good move.
Jeff Goulding (for Penn, 82): Hit the bar with an overhead kick and made a good clearing header from a Burton corner as we closed out the game.
Darryl Duffy (for Spencer, 89): Not much time to make an impact, but did almost set Junior up for a chance.
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