Progression...

By John Rogers21/9/2019 19:00Sat Sep 21 19:00:04 2019

Views: 2591

but.

My goodness me. I realise this is the third match running I've written something critical and I bloody hate myself for it.

Yes, we got through. Yes, we progressed. Yes, we overcame a banana skin. Yes, we beat 'plucky' (hate that patronising adjective) underdogs.

A few things tiddled me off this afternoon.

Last week I was called out by a member of the coaching staff for bemoaning our second half. If any one of them wants to stand up and defend that first half then they are a braver person than me. Pathetic doesn't begin to cover it.

Credit to Deeping, they were compact, organised and punished us but flip me sideways, there was no intesnity, no tempo, everything was slower than pedestrian and we created a single chance.

Players were ambling around and one in particular, who should know who he is, has the gall to start imploring supporters at the start of the second half to make more noise - this a player who put in such a lamentable effort (not performance, effort) against Cockfosters so as to be un-noticed. Sorry, not having that. He's put in a couple of good 20 minutes off the bench and all of a sudden a 45-minutes today out of nowhere. Put in a full 90 with that intensity, movement and desire and I'll back you to the hilt.

The full-backs, for all their defensive deficiencies, at least put everything into it.

Absolutely seething at the break. Seething.

Yes, credit where it's due for changing things at the break. Dan Williams made a difference but we still needed Chris Grace to come to our rescue with two big saves and some opportune goal-line clearances to keep us ahead at the death.

Pleased to have come through the game, but frustrated as heck by this side - one or two exceptions - given the level of experience available to us.

We'll probably get Wealdstone away next up and beat them 1-0 just to shut me up.

I truly hope so.