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Let’s start the ball rolling then.
Thoroughly enjoyable 90 minutes yesterday, both sides trying to play progressive football but both defences proving just good enough - although there were some close scrapes for both. A much stiffer test than Morecambe and, I suspect, just as good a result given the standard of the opposition. That’s a match we would have lost by 3 or 4 last season I think.
Not quite sure what Nicky Hunt’s uncle was doing selecting the MotM but that was really a minor quibble after an entertaining couple of hours. If we can repeat our home form for the rest of the season, and transfer it away from home, then we should have a decent season.
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Have to agree - as DA said despite 0-0 it was an entertaining match. Both tried to win till the end (or in Franchise's case till the sub #5 went mad 7 minutes after coming on and tried to kick Pixie into the stand.) Too late to make the man advantage tell but we still tried to. I think I regard it as a good test passed not 2 home points dropped. good that Shaun Miller got a few minutes, now for an u23 game to get back to pre season levels.
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I thought Hunt was excellent, same for Pickering.
The only downsides for me were a lack of creativity up front , sometimes it’s better to keep it and work our way in than just swing a cross in, and 10 mins in the first half when the high press seemed to pen us in.
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Agreed re hunt and Pickering. But Nolan MoM for me.
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Nolan for me too.
I couldn't understand why we just kept swinging the ball in (without much accuracy) instead of taking it into the box. Charlie needs to run at them more and invite the foul in the box. The other major difficulty with crosses/dead ball kicks was that either didn't beat the first defender or the cross overshot everybody. Please, DA get them to take the ball to the dead ball line more often and then keep it low!!
Despite the moan, it was generally a good game except for about 20 mins in the second half where both teams went a bit flat.
Hopefully, Harry is fit despite attempts to forcefully remove his legs (one attempt of which wasn't even penalised!)
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In fairness, Franchise's crossing was their weak point too, frequently overshooting the box. Eddie Nolan was indeed again "steady Eddie" personified, always making the covering tackle or recovering to make it if turned first time. Nicky Hunt is an accomplished player, though, if a little slow now. Good first touch and well directed headers/crosses.
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Yep, Nolan or Wintle MotM for me with Bernie just shading it.
As for crosses, as soon as Porter came on the punt or cross became inevitable and, as has been said, Kirk seemed unwilling to get past his last man - not as often as as Ainley did at any rate.
The other thing that struck me was that the game was played in the right spirit with minimal contesting of the referee’s decisions by players and managers from both sides, at least until the red card when things livened up a tad. No more than one would expect from us but Tisdale seems to have got rid of the ‘professionalism’ that Karl Robinson instilled in the club. A half decent referee helped, of course.
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Agree with all the above comments on the match but there is one area I feel the team can improve on. When we were attacking and spraying the ball across the field the players had no trouble in controlling the ball at a difficult height.
When the opposition had us under pressure the ball was just wacked out of defence up field and with little chance of the forward being able to beat the defenders. End result the ball came back at us quickly again so the pressure was maintained on us . I noticed several times this happening when our players had no opposition player within several yards of them . Get them to bring the ball down and play it out that way we can counter attack and hopefully keep control of the ball .
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Improvements.
How about throw ins?
First half, Hunt takes a quick throw (can tell he's a new player just from that comment) back to Ng on the halfway line.
Does he throw it to feet, no. It's top half of chest.
Result, ball goes upwards first, then drops to feet, another touch needed, MKD player closes down, so rushed pass/lump forward.
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We’ve been making that complaint for the best part of 30 years, Jimmy!
It would help if someone other than the FB was allowed to take them, but how often does the wide man/CB/Forward pick up the ball and wait for the FB to trundle forward to take it, allowing the opposition time to get ready and wait for the single player (!) that seems to move for the thrower. We’ve always been hopeless at throws and a throw deep in our defence is a good attacking position for the others. Drives me up the wall.
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