2-2... Can't believe it!

[Joe_TRFC]

Too pissed off to really say about what i listened too. We absoultely battered them 1st half by the sounds of it. Shuker was playing well. Goals from Zola and Greenacre. Greenacre goal disallowed at end of 1st half was maybe were it started to turn against us.

2nd half... They had a bit of pressure then McCready had to go off which unsettled the backline. Shuker hit a post and then Ward dropped a catch and it was 2-1 and I started to feel it wasn't going to be our night. Shuker had another good chance saved and the keeper made a great double save from Zola. They went up the other end and Taylor-Fletcher's shot took a slight deflection and it was 2-2.

A bit gutted because although Forest only drew and we are still 2nd we could have gone top tonight if we'd won, seem to have a lot of little injurys to players and also we now have two very tough away games coming up now at free-scoring Bradford and Swansea (who won tonight). Meanwhile i'd imagine Forest have two home games. Just have to hope we somehow between 3 and 6 points from the two away games.

 

[championship_here_we_come]

if only shuker wasnt greedy and just squared one of his chances across the box to one of our players, we would have wrapped he game up and be top of the table now


he needs to stop thinking about getting his first goal and make the right choice just to square it across for an easy goal,

 

[Ian]

Not much reaction to the game, and it's understandable. Think everyone's still a bit shocked. Just goes to show, you always have to be alert and we aint invincible just yet! :whistle:

Yes Joe, Shuker was having an excellent first half. He was enjoying running at their defence, had some good moves come out of it. Zola's goal came from a Shuker cross, great header too! Second goal was another excellent move rounding off a neat series of passes before Greenacre dragged the ball into the bottom corner of the net. Plain sailing at 2-0.

Disagree with Joe about the turn though. I thought the game turned when Huddersfield made an early substitution. Even though it was only 1-0 at that stage, before the sub, Huddersfield looked disjointed. They couldnt keep the ball or create anything of note. However after the sub, they started to gain possession and pass it around more. That was noticable straight away.

With that said, we still managed another goal and everyone was happy at half time.

Then complacency set in and Huddersfield with nothing to lose, pushed forward and got their rewards.

I have to mention Shuker as well. For all the good things he did in the first half, there's one part of Shukers game that let's him down. And this was confirmed tonight. His finishing. It's bloody awful. He had some more chances tonight, one notably when we were 2-0 up. Early on in the second half, had a great chance to beat the keeper to make it 3-0 and hit a poor shot which was saved.

However, as I mentioned, Huddersfield then started to gain momentum and continued to push forward. Their first goal was a gift. Whether it was lack of concentration or whatever, Ward who has been excellent for us so far this season, fluffed a simple catch. Booth pounced on it. 2-1 and the game was wide open.

This was all Huddersfield needed. Their drive to get an equaliser made us look poor in the second half. We had no shape, passing was astray, there were high aimless balls, we kept giving the ball away and the defence even looked ropey. Frustrating really, especially with how we've played this season.

So... the inevitable happened and the game ended 2-2.
Certainly an eye opener for all of us. I'd say that was 2 points dropped (in fact, it feels like we've lost!) which now puts pressure on us to get a decent result next week away at Bradford. #-o

 

[white life]

thought first half we were completely in control and were looking good. think the turning point in the game was sherrif going on at centre back. after that we just didn't look comfortable at all. can't blame him every week but thought the ref was odd at the end giving a free kick against jennings when their guy slid into him. agree with ian, two points dropped and now we've got to go away and try and make something happen against teams who we don't have that good a record against

 

[SCooperSomersaults]

Why is it that we can't win when we could go top of the league? Was the same story at Rotherham and when Little lead us to the play offs that season, we had chances to go top early on and fluffed them too.

Forest may well have dropped pts last night too, but more importantly the chasing pack all won so it is very tight now, which is why us dropping 2 pts in the manner we did is so much more disappointing.

First half display was excellent and Shuker looked the play that the Golden Aldo Era was on about :wink:. 2 great goals and some very good play. Second half, did we turn up? Don't know what Ronnie told them at HT but certainly wasn't to expect an onslaught which we did face and thus we looked clueless of how to defend, which is very unlike us so far this season. The loss of McCready was big imo, not because he's such a great player (he's good don't get me wrong) but because of the reshuffle. Hudds took adv of this and once the momentum went there way there was only 1 outcome, unfortunately that came to fruition.

Gutted. Hope Ronnie dished out some harsh realities and we see a better 90 min performance on Saturday in another vital game.

 

[NeverBeatDaveHiggins]

What a great first half. They were scared witless of Shuker who totally had the beating of their full back and only once they doubled up on him did he look less threatening. The emphasis was then on the rest of our team to join Shuker at that high tempo and they didn't.

I don't like that so many of you are slating Shuker for shooting a couple of times having done mazy runs and creating the chance in the first place. The lad was sensational first half. Zola on the other hand I felt had a poor game, missing two complete free headers, not even on target, and a third he lost the marker that had been absent the other two chances and headed wide. And Zola also had two chances at point-blank range, perhaps three yards out, admittedly he was lying sideways on the floor, but he made good contact twice!! Both times the only place that wasn't a goal was straight at the keeper's body and that's where he put them both. Then his legs completely went and he just couldn't run anymore, and really Davies should have been brought on as fresh legs if nothing else.

Ward fluffing the catch was a one-in-a-million fudge up, perhaps karmic retribution for the goal he's scored, who knows. Perhaps he was caught in two minds to punch or to catch and did neither.

Yes this result hurts. It's a draw that feels like a loss. BUT isn't that ... good? We expect to win now, we play well enough and deserve to win, that's GOOD. We're all disappointed right now but there was more excitement in that Huddersfield game than we got all last season. I'd love it if we won every game, but I'm happy to pay my money to watch football like that every week whatever the result. That's how it's supposed to be.

 

[SCooperSomersaults]

Yes this result hurts. It's a draw that feels like a loss. BUT isn't that ... good? We expect to win now, we play well enough and deserve to win, that's GOOD. We're all disappointed right now but there was more excitement in that Huddersfield game than we got all last season. I'd love it if we won every game, but I'm happy to pay my money to watch football like that every week whatever the result. That's how it's supposed to be.

Yeah it goes to show how far we have come to be absolutely gutted we got a point. The entertainment (especially first half from a TRFC point of view) was great and like you say NBDH better than last season put together. 2nd half they played really well too which was good to see, my dad and I agreed they looked (2nd half) a better side than Brizzle City and Notts Forest.

So we're happy to have progressed but we should be top of the league. Ronnie knows that too and I'm sure he'll get a performance outta the lads on Saturday.

 

[Super_white_army]

I think that this was the real kick in the Bollocks that the lads needed. I think it will have hit home.I hope RM gets his arse out in woolworths! :lol:

 

[Steve]

Did anyone else notice how Hudds were out very early for the 2nd half, obviously ready to get at us. where as we we strolled out late thinking we had the game won with Ellison wearing the wrong shirt. We should have had the attitude of lets get out there and get them dead and buried before they even get a sight of our goal.

 

[Ian]

What I love particularly about Ronnie's post match reactions is that I find myself agreeing with everything he says. Nodding at the screen may not be healthy but it gives me the confidence that Ronnie knows where the team has weaknesses and has no hesitation is giving the players a bollocking or heaping praise on them should they deserve it.

I'd also just like to point out that my criticisms of Shuker aren't as bad as they read. He had a fantastic first half, all I'm saying is that he can't shoot for toffee! LOL

I think we also have to go easy on Zola a bit. Again, he scored a goal and had chances, but... i don't think his foot is 100% right. He tired in the second half, but his performance only reflected the teams. Wish people would give him more slack. I thought he was unlucky with the double chance he had in the second half, reflexes were excellent but the keeper made two good stops.

Scoops: Good observation about McCready, he's a solid defender and we definately lost grit at the back when he went off.

 

[Ian]

Just been watching the highlights on TW, and our second goal is a lot better than I remember. Greenacre's goal instinct is fantastic.

 

[Boz]

A couple of things from someone who wasn't there(and rarely makes midweek games)

The attendance: Given Huddersfield usually bring at least a couple of hundred and the good form and crowd v Forest, a little disappointing we didn't atr least break the 7000 mark.

The Jennings for Mullin substitution: Was this due to injury? Otherwise seems a bit odd replacing an attacking midfielder for a more defensive one, or were we really clinging on at the end? Would agree that worth giving Steve Davies a try in the circumstances of this game.