Newest article: Fund our Future plea by johnnybaker26/4 16:10Fri Apr 26 16:10:49 2024view thread
Oldest article: "Hither & Thither"? by alan ainsworth24/11/2013 12:59Sun Nov 24 12:59:08 2013view thread
Next thread: Kezie Ibe by rwakeley16/4/2017 02:43Sun Apr 16 02:43:37 2017view thread
Met Police
Views: 2884
Finally we've reached the day we've all been looking forward to. A home match against the Policemen with them needing a point and a massive game for us needing the full three. They arrive at SJP on 53 points knowing that a point from one of their last 3 games will probably be enough to keep them up if they are not up already that is for I feel that 53 is already pretty safe.
Their recent form is mixed. They either win or lose. The Policemen don't do draws it seems. From the last 13 league games played, they've won 8 and lost 5. Fair form when you think about it. From the last 7 however they've won 3 and lost 4. So they are an unpredictable team but it's their win column that has resulted in them escaping relegation this year. And it's our draw column that has resulted in our relegation battle. So something has to give for either side today. With our current belief in the team and decent form we go into this one with confidence fairly high.
However we've all witnessed so many false dawns this season that we can never ever count our chickens with the Greens. Met Police will try hard for the single point they need to stay up but since they don't seem to draw much they'll probably come to SJP and go for the win. Hopefully that can play in to our hands and we'll be able to open their defence on the counter attack. There also seems to be not much rhyme or reason or pattern to their form. They can beat the best on their day and lose heavily to the worst, it all depends which MP turns up on the day. They are in all an unpredictable and dangerous side to dismiss.
As for us we need to continue the battling qualities from last week. From all the games I've seen at SJP this season the thing I notice most is that our form is completely inconsistent and unpredictable. Plus we tend to only play in patches and can go through a half without any meaningful or worthwhile attacks. We seem to have far less of this problem away from home for some reason. Maybe it's the pitch or not sure quite what it is but we seem to really struggle to use our pace well on the 3G surface and our passing often turns to complete dross when things go to plan. We really need to step up today and get them under pressure early from the whistle.
I am not expecting a free flowing encounter and at usual at SJP chances will be at a premium. The last game with Tonbridge the chances went begging when they came after the penalty and we really cannot afford to miss them again v the Police. Predicting a Hendon win is a difficult thing to do and I don't want to jinx the lads by saying we'll win but I think we can scrape over the line today. The Police tend to score a goal away from home at least more or less, so keeping them out is gonna be very difficult indeed. I think we're therefore gonna need two and possibly even three. I doubt 1-0 will do it today. However if we were to draw it might not quite be the death knell either but heaps a whole load of pressure on Monday.
However on balance I'd say this is perhaps the most winnable game of the three we have left and we really must get the 3 points and we could be out of the bottom three come 5pm today. Let's hope the cops forget to bring their handcuffs! :-)
Re:first half
Views: 2819
Playing ok, even good. Looking confident especially on the left. Khale on fire and only a finger tip save by the goalie keeps it all square. 1-0 might do it after all. They huff and puff but but not that dangerous. Still need to be careful. When the chance comes - bury it lads!
Edited by PF at 15:55:12 on 15th April 2017
Re: Re:first half
Views: 2853
Keeper pulls off a worldy save from Khale. Just not Khale's day!
Re: painful
Views: 2842
How is it not 1-0? All over them. Ball across the box and no one to bury it! Bloody hell!
Re: joyful
Views: 2884
What a fluke! Well deserved! Thought he'd blown it but it's in!
Re: dreamland!
Views: 2853
5th from bottom. 2 more games. 6 points up for grabs. The theme from The Great Escape is playing very faintly in my head. See you all on Monday. Come on you greens!
Re: dreamland!
Views: 2819
Yep! Just back home and toasting the Greens with a brew. I don't think MP can have any complaints really. They battled very hard give them their due but we persevered until the death and got our just deserts. It wasn't pretty to watch by any means but we got a bit of luck and voila - victory is ours. We had so many good opportunities second half that I was fearing that it just wasn't gonna be our day. Some of our passing from the back was awful today but we showed courage in continuing to pepper the Police goal until they finally wilted.
But someone somewhere was wearing Green tinted glasses and we got over the line. This is a massive boost but the bottom of the table is now impossibly tight and needs a lot of close inspection. The ball however, is in our court. We're no longer reliant on others. 2 wins and we're safe though a win and a draw will probably do it as well.
All systems go for Harrow now. The team goes there with full confidence and they lost again today so they're gonna be up for it big time. A draw might not be a disaster but of course it will put a lot of pressure on our final home game which we'll probably have to win. But I've been saying it for a long time and my reckoning is that a win in the final game will keep us up pure and simple. Have a few beers tonight but Monday is gonna be mental again. It was great to see the joy with which the players celebrated the goals at the end. Real camaraderie being built in the side. We're so close now that it's just a little too much to even bare. Damn - relegation battles are bad for your health! Still better live life on the edge than in boring mid table. Save that for next season!
Re: dreamland!
Views: 2810
I couldn't make it today but well done to the team.
But for Leatherhead and Kingstonian's achievements we'd be sitting even prettier, but now at least our destiny is in our hands with everything to play for.
I'll do my best to get to Earlsmead on Monday. Come on you greens!
Re: dreamland!
Views: 2729
I was so impressed with the way we just kept going for the full 90 minutes - which resulted in us getting the win our performance deserved. Another team performance to which everyone contributed.
Two more performances like those over the past few weeks (Leatherhead excepted) and I think we'll stay up. As others have said - it's in our hands now.
Previous thread: Three Games Left by HendonJohn12/4/2017 20:57Wed Apr 12 20:57:21 2017view thread