Braintree v Rovers

[Rockford's Love Child]

It is struggling Braintree up next for Rovers. The Iron have had a torrid time this season, after losing most of their excellent promotion chasing side. However, the dangerous Simeon Akinola remains and they have picked up a bit in their last two games, thrashing Eastbourne in the FA Cup and winning at Wrexham. I had this match down as our first postponement of the season, but the Essex monsoons seem to have held off sufficiently for the game to go ahead. Braintree's pitch still resembled a ploughed field when I saw it on TV last week, however.

Selection-wise, MM will once again be forced into changes, with Tollitt suspended, and Norwood and the two Jennings still out. It is difficult to predict the team and formation, but I would guess we might start in a 4-4-2 with Mangan partnering Cook up front and Dawson and Kirby out wide.

With an absolutely huge game on the horizon on Tuesday night it is vital that Rovers pick up three points here, and it will be interesting to see how we react to our first real setback under MM after the disappointment of the second half against Chester. FGR and Lincoln play each other on Saturday morning, so we have a great opportunity to steal a march on at least one of them by winning this game.

Prediction: Rovers victory watched by about 300 SWA.

 

[Boz]

We really need the rain to hold off for this one, so that Norwood and Tollit are available for the midweek trip to the New Lawn. The hosts made a poor start to the season denuded of both players and the talented management team of the Cowleys. However after the recent management change, Hakan Hayrettin, who worked under Still at Luton seems to have steadied the ship. They're probably strongest up front, Akinola who RLC mentions was my pick for best opponent at PP and they can also call on the experienced Lee Barnard and Michael Cheek. They have strengthened elsewhere with loanees from league clubs and I'm sure MM will have warned against any complacency.

My inclination would be a recall for Maynard, most likely as a midfield three, in a 433/4312 formation as this will increase the protection for our pace-lite central defensive pairing. Who would play up front with Cook in such a line-up is a tough call, as Mangan seemed a little rusty against Chester, but is most likely, though can see arguments for Kirby and Stephenson.

Prediction: score draw.

 

[bigmart]

Think we will win this 2 1 cook and mangan

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

The forum's gone surprisingly quiet for this match. After a two-week mini-break, I'd have expected everyone would be more excited.

While not a "must win" game, anything but a win would certainly be a setback. But if we and Lincoln can both win, it would set things up nicely for Tuesday's match at FGR.

If the pitch is half decent, I'd expect our pace to win the day and win 3-1. But that's probably more heart than head.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Poor so far from rovers, not helped by a useless homer of a ref. Need a major improvement to win this.

 

[Boz]

Not to mention a missed penalty from Cook. Sounds from the commentary we're in danger of getting someone sent off and Braintree having the better of the 2nd half.

 

[bigmart]

Leading with what sounds like a good goal from Cook With Forest Green losing we badly need hold on to the lead

 

[Ian]

Get in!

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Better second half from rovers and a deserved win in the end. An absolute beauty from cook to win it.

 

[Boz]

Great result. From the radio commentary it sounded like Cook's goal atoned for the penalty miss and then some. However Braintree had a good penalty shout declined and an effort cleared off the line.

It sounded as though Adam Dawson wasn't in the game much and kept cutting inside. Mangan had benefitted from playing last week and sharper. The commentator was having kittens when Ihiekwe came on at right-back late on and MM pushed Vaughan forward, then Ikhy failed to challenge for a set-piece into the area.

As well as Mangan, Cook, Kirby and Mekki when he came on seemed to attract most praise from the Wirral Radio commentary team. RLC may have a different perspective though.

 

[Mal]

Well, Norwood and Tollit available for Tuesday, so good results meaning if we win at FGR then almost top if outstanding game is won. Just need to start scoring more goals to improve goal difference.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Great result. From the radio commentary it sounded like Cook's goal atoned for the penalty miss and then some. However Braintree had a good penalty shout declined and an effort cleared off the line.

It sounded as though Adam Dawson wasn't in the game much and kept cutting inside. Mangan had benefitted from playing last week and sharper. The commentator was having kittens when Ihiekwe came on at right-back late on and MM pushed Vaughan forward, then Ikhy failed to challenge for a set-piece into the area.

As well as Mangan, Cook, Kirby and Mekki when he came on seemed to attract most praise from the Wirral Radio commentary team. RLC may have a different perspective though.

I agree with most of that. More later

 

[Cowshed Kid]

Pheeew.
Listened to Wirral Radio.
Given the results around us, a vital win.
Cookie comes up trumps and it sounded like a beaut.
Heart in mouth time when Harris, on a yellow, involved in some skirmish (for which he got a shiner?) and ref reached for his cards.
Similar later when Hughes, on a yellow, transgressed but ref satisfied with a little chat with him.
A couple of potential penno decisions in our box apparently went our way. They say, over a season, decisions iron themselves out!
Looking forward to hearing from any attendees.
And copious amounts of humble pie for me if Kirby played as well as radio suggested

 

[Cowshed Kid]

Fixtures are kinder to the teams around us on Tuesday.
Thanks to results today I would say Tuesday is now a no lose game rather than a must win.
If we could get the win, that must surely play on the mind of FGR given the lead they blew last season.
To avoid criticism for effectively starting a new post, Wirral Radio were particularly critical of Dawson. Was he that poor? There again, they said Mangs looked far sharper than last week so will Dawson improve for an extra week?

 

[Boz]

Wirral Radio seemed uncharacteristically critical of a few things today.

In general terms, you'd expect a wide midfielder to cover more ground than a striker, so it might take longer for Dawson to attain a suitable level, assuming that they were at similar levels of fitness when they rejoined.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Sounded like a real battling performance. A few players off the pace but grinding out a result. Just the sort of game you need to survive to get promoted.

You have to like Cooky. He misses badly at the death costing us the win at Dagenham, but is soon back on the scoresheet. Then today he misses a penalty but keeps going and makes up for it with a screamer.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

An incredibly hard fought victory against stubborn opposition, with our superior quality eventually shining through. I thought our play was disjointed for long periods of the game today and I could not really see us winning until the last twenty minutes, which makes the victory all the sweeter.

In the first half a lot of the sloppiness of the second period of the Chester game seemed to carry over. We caused most of our own problems by overplaying at the back and gifting Braintree opportunities which a better team would have taken. However, I thought the centre of midfield was the real problem for us. Jeff Hughes had an unusually poor game and kept the giving the ball away which, allied to the absence of Maynard and his physical presence, resulted in us having no real control in this area. As a result the game was stretched, we failed to keep the ball for long periods and the back four was left too exposed. However, all of that said the best football of the half was played by Rovers, and on the four or five occasions that we did get our game going we put slick moves together and might well have taken the lead in open play. However, we were harshly penalised by another useless group of officials with a succession of dubious decisions for offside and supposed fouls.

Individually, I thought a number of players were below par. In addition to Hughes, Harris was not at his best, while Adam Dawson contributed absolutely nothing, to the extent that we were almost playing with ten men for sixty minutes of the game. His lack of match sharpness is understandable, but he also seemed completely devoid of confidence and looked a shadow of the player we had last season: hopefully his performances will improve in the weeks ahead. On the positive side, the front two were a constant threat despite the poor service they received for much of the half.

I would personally have made changes in personnel sooner than we did, but the turning point in the game was Mellon's decision to replace Dawson with Mekki on the hour mark. The substitution gave us greater balance and shape, and both Mekki and Kirby played extremely well for the remainder of the match, helped also I think by some tiredness in the Braintree ranks as the game became more open. We had already created several good chances prior to the goal, which was a fantastic individual effort by Cook from twenty yards after a long punt from Sutton.

While several Rovers players were below par, Andy Mangan was back to his effervescent best, winning us the first half penalty and unlucky not to score on several occasions. However, we were once again indebted to Andy Cook for winning us the game with a brilliant finish: I think he is our best player and could be the difference for us this season. I am really beginning to love the guy, and his goal celebration with the SWA was fantastic !

A vital victory to close the gap on first place, and whatever shortcomings there were in the performance, they say the sign of a good team is one that can win when it is not at its best. We will need to be much better to get anything on Tuesday night, but that will be a completely different game, with far more football played.

On to The New Lawn.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Thanks, RLC. The win will maintain morale and hopefully Adam Dawson is one game closer to full match fitness. With Norwood and Tollitt both available again, it will be interesting to see who plays on Tuesday and how they line up.

 

[Brightonian]

Appreciate the report RLC at the end of what must have been a very long day: hope the journey back was not too difficult in the very stormy weather. See you were almost spot on with your estimate of the away support!

It was always going to be a battle on their notoriously poor pitch but job done and well great credit to the boys for toughing it out and to the SWA for their undoubted part in the success on the road. Very pleased to hear that Jake Kirby had a good game and hopefully he will continue to blossom.

 

[drwhoman]

FGR were 2-0 up and lost 2 goals in the last couple of minutes which will hopefully effect their morale. Waterfall scored the equaliser!