When a penalty is given that both teams looked puzzled by then that tells you everything about the decision.

Thought first 15/20 was hopeless. Looked nervous and couldn’t pass/receive the ball. After that, I wouldn’t go as far to say that we were better but it was very even and i don’t remember many chances for them.  We had all the momentum until the penalty - which I found baffling. Have I missed something?

Thought a few looked tired and have to say Owen Windsor looks a shadow of last season. Unsure why he came on for McClure after his goal although unsure what McClure had done before that goal.

What I woo make a point it is how good Mal was when he came on and Dan Ellison. The amount of competitive players we are producing is staggering.  I would like to see other teams at this level
Complete with 5 senior players missing.

Agree that a much changed defence did ok.Shame our wide players had a off day,but why are we afraid to shoot on or about the penalty area, trying to walk the ball into the goal doesn’t work.Also our new goal kick routine didn’t work, why Will Henry doesn’t just launch the ball upfield is a mystery to me.Still two wins and two defeats is about par for the course 

Funny old game wrote:

Holloway injured, Johnson suspended, Owen-Evans injured, Haines only fit for the bench. Eddie Jones nowhere to be seen?

Johnson was playing Fella.
Need another striker and Centre back ASAP.
Ok to play it out from the back and at times to just lump it. May have got them mixed up a few times today.
Still a good start to the season.

Last edited by Wellard (20/8/2023 6:49 AM)

A ragged and scratchy performance. From the start I had real worries about the teamsheet ( enforced by injury/suspension) and the set-up, which looked risky to say the least.  This unease was borne out in the opening 20 minutes when were cut to bits by their front 3 particularly their number 10  who ran into acres of space.  We did well to only concede the one goal. Tyreke and Alex B were more often on defensive duties than offensive ones... as the midfield battle was being comprehensively lost, (although Luke S did try to inject some bite and intensity into it)  Thereafter things evened up a bit and we negated a lot of their threat. Our two full-game debutants Dan and George did a  fine job considering their lack of experience at this level.
The second half was a ragged affair,  with multiple errrors from both sides  .. contributing to a sense of frustration, not helped by a blizzard of yellow cards.. in what was in fact a pretty clean, good-spirited  game.  Our goal was deserved, on balance.  I was too far away to see the apparent  foul that drew their penalty... but I don't think we could complain about the overall result.  Too many blue shirts had under-par games and either went missing on occasions or made basic, uncharacteristic technical mistakes.  Given that we had a rookie back line,  I think we made life unnecessarily difficult for ourselves on several occasions by overdoing the playing out from the back... a development that I generally welcome, fully..  Sometimes it just needed a Will Henry hoof just to give young Dan and George "composure" space. Whatever the new FA rules that Gary alluded to post-match at Havant,  this overkill on yellows and the constant Rugby-like stopping of the game makes for a poor spectacle.  We were still playing at 5 o'clock and there were 11 extra minutes on Tuesday at Torquay.  Yellow "Overkill"  halts momentum, tension and fluency. This spectator, for one, was unimpressed. 
Given that we put out a compromised side yesterday, we nearly managed to scrabble a draw against a pretty capable side. There'll be many better days!