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Tonbridge
Views: 4201
Is today really do or die? I can't quite make up my mind on this one. We have 5 games left. 3 wins ought to do it. 2 wins and a draw could possibly do it too but with our bad goal difference it's probably unlikely to be enough. So therefore I can envisage 2 possible defeats out of the 5 games and still surviving if we win the rest.
Basically I'm trying to think of ways that I can take the pressure off today's match. Sure it's hellishly important we don't lose but we are playing a stronger team than ourselves who happen to be in the doldrums form wise. This always makes for dangerous opponents that you have to be wary of.
Tonbridge have just recently dropped out of the play off zone. They'll see today as a must win match otherwise their play off hopes will take another battering. Dulwich have 2 games in hand on them and are 2 points ahead. Tonbridge's form has nose dived spectacularly. They haven't won any of their last 7 games. Oddly, they had won their previous three before that!
Funny how form works in this league. You can never take any thing for granted. They probably thought they were in for a great shot at the top a couple of months ago and now they can't buy a win for love nor money. The last 7 games as I said earlier, make sorry reading for them. Not scoring and letting in too easy is not a good combo as we all know too well following the Greens this season!
However we still have to be fearful of their forwards who can turn it on to great affect at times. I don't know if they've lost players or been out injured but they've stopped scoring the goals and hence the team has stopped winning. Today will be a harder game for them than us I believe. And I really mean that. I think our newly found battling qualities might be a little too much for the Angels.
By all accounts we deserved much more from the game at their ground and I expect today's game to be a much more balanced affair with the Greens having more possession. It's what we do with it that counts of course. I've seen plenty of home games in this my first season following the Greens, and the performances have been mixed to say the least. I don't feel that the team fully feels at HOME playing at SJP yet but it's getting there. I do hope that that feeling doesn't come in a lower division though.
As we all know things have improved tremendously over the last few weeks. I still have a nagging fear that the Leatherhead disaster might yet haunt us but we have to focus on each match as it comes and I'm sure the management have told the players to each concentrate on their jobs throughout the 90 and that's all they can ask for.
I hope our more skillful players can shine today and try to play a more expansive style of football. Matches at SJP especially when it's been windy have been a bit of a nightmare for both sides really with no one able to really let their footballing talent show. Not expecting a glut of goals today somehow but I think a battling win would be great but even a draw won't be a complete disaster and keeps us in the hunt. A 2-1 (great) or 2-2 (acceptable) scoreline looks ok from my point of view. We'll see. It's exciting anyway. Come on you Greens!
Re: Tonbridge
Views: 3999
I must admit I've seen those pens not given. But well tucked away by Matt. They've huffed and puffed a bit around our box but nit done too much.Our keeper's made his usual one good save.
Matt Should've made it two after a great run and cross but his finish lacked bite. We look quite pacy and dangerous going forward at times as they're pushing on. We need a bit more cutting edge. We could've even had another pen but I don't think the ref was gonna give us another gift. Thankful to be ahead at HT but big 45 ahead. We've messed up bigger leads so heads down and scrap. We're probably gonna need the second before we can put this one to bed.
Re: Tonbridge
Views: 3960
We've got to make one of these raids pay otherwise our nerves will be shredded by the end. We're moving well and quick but lacking a little quality. Tonbridge doing the same as before, just fighting for balls but not getting quality balls in. We still need another to be safe. This is Hendon - we don't do easy!
Re: 1-1
Views: 3977
Gone in through the keeper's legs I think. Last 20 now to battle through. One was never gonna be enough.
Re: 1-1
Views: 3961
Reis misses a great chance though he had work to do but what a chance. He's got to keep that down. This is pretty end to end now. Either team can win.
Edited by PF at 16:35:07 on 1st April 2017
Re: squeaky bum time
Views: 4160
Disaster. Was it offside? We've paid for missed chances. Hard to take.
Re: Sadly we've been here before...
Views: 3976
...once again we've blown a lead this season. The matches that we've been ahead in and not won are going to be our undoing. Unfortunately I slightly missed the winner but I saw Murphy gesticulating at the Lino so I'm thinking maybe something was up but the ref wasn't having it. I'll wait for the report and to people here to fill us in. Alas our old failings have come to haunt us YET again.
Initially I said that we must take our chances when they present themselves. We hadn't really played that well but we were Ok but were 1 up and we should have gone 2 or 3 up but dilly dallying has cost us and alck of quality or composure call it what you like has kicked us in the teeth again.
We've had chances to score that will cost us relegation if we're not careful. Beforehand I said a draw wouldn't be a disaster and we'd have all taken a draw but I think Tonbridge wanted it that bit more than us. Their situation was sadly even more desperate than ours. They want a shot at going up. They didn't play that well but what they did do was battle and they had a little bit of luck when needed too.
However I don't want to say we were unlucky today. I think it was an even game and quite frantic at times with not much time on the ball. We were actually OK in our build up play but the usual failing of finishing cost us dearly as it has all season apart from recent times of course.
This defeat leaves us in a fairly similar position than before the game but with one less game. It's still doable and we'll have easier teams than Tonbridge that we really have to beat. No ifs or buts really. There were a few resigned faces around at the end though sadly. It's getting harder now but we have to win at Folkestone - simples!
Re: Sadly we've been here before...
Views: 3933
I have seen a photo from a Tonbridge fan behind the goal.
The instant of the shot suggests that all of the ball was not all of the way over the line, but I admit it looked as if Tom Lovelock had not quite reached the ball yet.
The assistant referee was three-four yards from the goal-line, so not ideally placed to make the decision.
Tom and Sam Murphy, also on the line, were absolutely certain the whole ball was not over the line, and Sam was still angry when I spoke with him an hour later.
Steve McKimm was sure it was a goal, but others on the Tonbridge bench were less certain. One person said to me his instinct was it was not a goal, and that was before he saw Lovelock’s reaction, which made him even more sure.
We have had gut-wrenching losses before this season and bounced back. Now we have to go and do it again at Cheriton Road next week.
This wild ride is not yet over, but it just got wilder and tougher.
Re: Sadly we've been here before...
Views: 3859
Here's a video of the Tonbridge "goal". Never a goal to my eyes. But ... Spilt milk and all that ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uApraEtmUe0
Re: Sadly we've been here before...
Views: 3863
The ref/lino gave it 'cause they celebrated so hard. They probably thought it must be a goal. Surely you only give a goal is you are 100% sure it's crossed the line otherwise no goal. Look, whichever team gets that goal given against them is gonna have the hump for sure. Just happened to be us. When you're down you get the worst of the decisions and all that. Have to move - on 4 games left 2 wins and a draw needed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmF5PSGpLA8 - our pen.
Re: Now this is interesting
Views: 3933
Football Web Pages predicted final table has Hendon staying up on 50 pts! That'll give everyone hope but I think they are being very optimistic if they think 50 will be enough to keep us up.
20 Hendon 12 14 20 64 89 -25 50
R Kingstonian 14 7 25 61 75 -14 49
R Burgess Hill Town 12 12 22 55 78 -23 48
R AFC Sudbury 12 9 25 55 82 -27 45
R Grays Athletic 9 7 30 46 101 -55 34
Re: Now this is interesting
Views: 3789
ALWAYS get dodgy decisions against us for Tonbridge, going back to Mark Nicholls being sent off for apparently spitting at the referee (later appealed on video evidence) through to the draw at their place where their bloke punched the ball out of Ben McNamara's hands and got given the goal. Just one of those bogey teams. Decent record at Folkestone though so all not lost, I'll be up the road in Gillingham but keeping an eye out.
Re: Now this is interesting
Views: 3760
The goal at their place a couple of years ago in the 3-3 draw, Ben tried to push their striker out of the way whilst holding the ball and effectively ended up bouncing it off his head into the net. That was a goalkeeping error, pure and simple.
Re: Now this is interesting
Views: 3744
Ben was crap that day, but their striker lifted his arms towards him and struck the ball. Definite foul.
Re: Now this is interesting
Views: 4287
Ignore that. It predicts us beating Sudbury in a yet to be arranged match. We all know they've been given the win already.
Re: Now this is interesting
Views: 3952
I've contacted FWP about the missing AFC Sudbury result to get that corrected.
As for today, I thought we deserved a point, but probably not all three. But it wasn't to be, and we have to put it behind us and focus on the next game at Folkestone on Saturday.
Re: Now this is interesting
Views: 3913
FWP now updated, and the predicted final table now has us picking up just three more points and finishing 23rd.
Monitoring FWP
Views: 3924
For the month of April I jotted down all the forecast results from their site for the bottom six sides or so. The forecasts for yesterday correctly calculated Merstham and Folkestone as home wins. The outcomes for Canvey, BHT, Hendon, Kingstonian and AFC Sudbury were all incorrect. I also note that as of yet all the forecasts prior to April 1st remain the same - as if of yet no alterations.
I'm not being remotely critical - I really enjoy the site, there's a deluge of decent data, it's a footballing witchcraft, a kind of voodoo playing with all our minds!
Re: Ok so table is revised...
Views: 3957
...but they've got Kingstonian staying up with 49 pts. By that reckoning we'll still only need two wins to stay up. They're not even giving us one win out of the 4 games left. 3 draws and 1 loss to be precise. I'm taking their predicting skills with a huge pinch of salt haha! If we get to 50 it might be enough and 51 would defo be enough by that reckoning.
K's are playing Burgess on Monday in a massive relegation battle. A draw probably best for us but if K's win they'll both be on 47. If Burgess win they'll move to 50 so we don't really want that. Dulwich have to beat Leatherhead on Tuesday though to keep them in the mix. Leathers keep winning lately but surely Dulwich will beat them. They better or else!
Re: K's won 2-0
Views: 3790
Hopefully Leatherhead will lose tonight to stop them getting to 50. We HAVE to beat Folkestone now. There's no other option. If we don't win we'll probably have to win 2 of the last 3 and draw the other. All out to win. Don't and it's curtains more or less.
Re: Leatherhead drew 1-1
Views: 3753
..but they nearly won. That would've been bad for us. All teams up to Folkestone are still in the mix. From the looks of things though we're basically trying to finish top of a mini group with Sudbury, Burgess and K's. Do that and we stay up. I just hope the team is not down and out come the last game of the season v Staines. If we win that to stay up that would be a phenomenal end to the season.
Re: Now this is interesting - no it isn't
Views: 4111
Tonbridge were a far more solid, competent outfit. Let's keep a sense of perspective. They were far stronger physically and played a more resounding game. To debate a contentious decision is frankly disguising events, which is also detrimental to our own efforts. We were simply beaten by a better side.
One could equally argue that Billers could have had a handball related penalty post our home victory stoppage time effort - I've seen them given. I personally believe we may have got away with one. You generally get what you deserve. As Robert Falcon Scott proclaimed facing his fate on the artic - "No complaints" - they knew the risks they were undertaking.
We still have a shout, and the lads have demonstrated they have a fighting chance.
The lads gave everything. Arthur was a stand-out amongst what must be one of the most challenging front-lines we would face. Don't go looking for excuses.
I personally would advocate it's two from four - forget today, it's gone, concentrate on what lies ahead.
Edited by rwakeley at 00:16:43 on 2nd April 2017
Re: Now this is interesting - no it isn't
Views: 3966
Form result yesterday, and I don't mean recent form.
That was Tonbridge's 13th win against us in 18 league matches - we've won 2 and drawn 3, and our first win was from 2-0 down after 89 minutes!
Tonbridge are one of the few sides who can look at the league make-up each season, see we're in the same divison, and reckon they can effectively start the season on 6 points. Enfield Town are in the same position.
Previous thread: AFC Sudbury get the points by rwakeley30/3/2017 15:33Thu Mar 30 15:33:49 2017view thread