Away Match Day Thread 09/03/2021 L1 Swindon Town v OUFC

GET IN!!!

Jack Stevens is a LEGEND!!

Agyei was brilliant, as soon as he came on we started looking dangerous every time we went forward, and he took his goal brilliantly, absolutely MUST have a run of games from the start now.

Barker had his best game for us. Can't really give him the goal, as it took at least TWO deflections, but he did well to get the shot off. Still needs to improve in certain areas, but looked more dangerous, tracked back a number of times as well, and looked more up for it.

Forde is a quality player, assured and composed on the ball, defended well, and always performs, wherever he plays.

Brannagan put in an all action display, much more like his old self, thank god he ended up not going off injured, it actually seemed to get him going even more!

Atkinson was very good, solid defensively, and got forward well to put in a good cross in the first half, looking better with each game now.

Ruffels had a tough first half, and struggled at times one on one, but much better 2nd half, solid defensively, and would have gained hero status if that overhead effort had dropped in.

Moore was solid and composed, again.

Gorrin was a little terrier, getting stuck in everywhere, with some important cleaning up, and a couple of big tackles when were under pressure on the break, lucky not to get booked simply for totting up a lot of fouls, but a combative display.

Kelly did some neat and tidy work in spells, but was also invisible for periods as well, but one of his better displays.

Hanson is getting better and better, and proving to be a very useful utility player, hopefully he can stay fit, and continue improving.

Shodipo did absolutely nothing, again.

Sykes put in a lot of effort, and was good in the first half, but struggled to have any real impact in the 2nd, and was rightly subbed.

I'm a big fan of Taylor, but he's struggling, and missed some golden opportunities, needs to make way for Agyei now.


A great win, not a great technical performance, but a real battling, committed performance, and we had our moments, but looked so much more dangerous when Agyei came on, his speed and power is such a weapon, and he's looked really up for it since coming back into the squad.

Feels good to avenge the defeat earlier in the season, and regain the upper hand over the scum!

3 points on Saturday, and it's a great week of results, and we're back in the mix!

Bring on Hull!
 
More random thoughts:

Some of our team grew up tonight. The centre backs were tremendous. Both now worth a lot of money.

Stevens less assured tonight but he’s great at the key moments. Looked at fault for their goal.

Gary Bloom has done a good job with Dan. ( He should have started tonight . ( Dan, that is.)

The whole scum experience smelt of decay. Useless pitch, useless tactics, slow defenders, little technical ability. Relegation fodder all the way.

Young Chambers has a good engine.

Hanson stepped up again.

Good to see us getting stuck in, thought Sykes’s tackle was malicious though.

Barker was arsed for at least a half. Getting the best out of him is key to our play off prospects.

We still lack numbers on the box when we attack. But will excuse them this week as pitch was such a pudding.

Lastly we actually went Plan B in the last 20, ie the old long ball routine. It worked. Well done Robbo et al.

COYY, we can do this .
 
The other thing about the County Ground tonight was the poor floodlighting.

It was so dark and murky in my view and the pitch was incredibly poor with sand flying around when the ball was struck.

They are the poorest team I’ve seen in L1 this season. We should have won more comfortably.
 
Everything else aside, we needed that win tonight to keep pace with the playoff pack. It's been a really tough few games, and there's a a tough few coming as well, so we needed three points tonight. On a purely rational level, it was so important to get a win here.

But fuuckinngg yeeeesssss. What a massive win that is. I think, now it's happened, that a demon I didn't even really realise was hanging over us has been exorcised. Since November, I think we've all subconsciously had one eye on this fixture, because we knew we had to get our own back, we knew we had to right what, apart from the playoff final, is probably one of the lowest moments the club has had since Leyon Orient in 2006. And now we have. That monkey is off our back. Just feels like such a massive release of tension.

I honestly don't think anyone had a bad game. Ruffels got a bit of an examination first half but pocketed the right winger second; Kelly I thought, again, made our midfield trio really solid; Sykes I actually thought was just the sort of player you wanted for a derby, he got under their skin and played some good stuff (without, admittedly, being brilliant); Taylor, apart from some shockingly blunt finishing play, was otherwise back to his best, a really good lone striker performance. In fact, I actually thought Stevens was having his weakest game for us until THAT save, he made some uncharacteristic lapses of judgment and some (less uncharacteristic) bad kicks. But fuuuuckkkingg heelllll WHAT A SAVE. TWO IN TWO GAMES. He saved us a point last week and has probably saved us at least two tonight. Quickly becoming our best player, probably our POTS so far given Long's injuries.

On top of them, there were a lot of really, really good performances. Moore is just brilliant. I think we need to start having the conversation as to whether he's better than Dickie. He oozes authority, and his crossfield balls are becoming a real weapon - obviously, here, it got Barker in space for the first goal. Speaking of Barker, his best performance for us. Easily. Seized us the initiative with that opening goal (which I suspect might get taken off him, but either way he was instrumental in its being scored) and hauled us up by the scruff of the neck at times in that scrappy second half. Hopefully this is a result of his improving match fitness rather than his raising himself for a big game, because he'll be a massive asset in the run in if so. Forde I thought had a great game at right back. And Agyei - wow. Rapidly making me eat my words about him. He's looked a different player since being called back into the side. Massive fair play to him. What a goal that was.

Swindon were s**t and they were a team full of C***s. Obviously realised the only way they would get anything is if they were playing 10 men so were trying to get yellows players sent off from minute one. Fair play to the referee for giving it short shrift right off the bat. And that pitch was disgraceful. We do struggle to play on these poorer pitches, because it just isn't our game, and I thought we managed it well today.

Just so happy tonight. We've needed this. These penalty saves feel like sliding doors moments - I get the feeling we'll be looking back on them at the end of the season with even more gratitude than we are right now. Onto Hull. LEt's f*****g go boys. COYY
 
WestOxon U’s said:
The other thing about the County Ground tonight was the poor floodlighting.
Click to expand...
That's what happens when you stick a couple of candles in a turnip and call it "floodlighting"

You have to remember Pighill is the place where people see planes in the sky and point and wonder what it is
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Ox4Eva
  • Locked
  • Poll
Away Match Build Up 09/03/2021 L1 Swindon Town v OUFC
2 3 4
Replies
65
Views
7K
dabigfella
dabigfella
Malc
  • Locked
  • Sticky
Away Match Day Thread 21/5/2021 Playoff L1 Blackpool FC V OUFC
55 56 57
Replies
1K
Views
70K
SteMerritt
SteMerritt
Sarge
  • Locked
  • Sticky
Away Match Build Up 21/5/2021 Playoff L1 Blackpool FC V OUFC
3 4 5
Replies
91
Views
14K
werthersoriginal
W
Malc
  • Locked
Home Match Day Thread 18/5/2021 Play Off L1 OUFC v Blackpool
41 42 43
Replies
848
Views
57K
sonofivan
sonofivan
Y
  • Locked
  • Poll
Home Match Build Up 18/5/2021 Play Off L1 OUFC v Blackpool
40 41 42
Replies
832
Views
76K
makv
makv
Back
Top Bottom