orient v rovers

[bring back the cowshed!]

It was good while it lasted.

 

[Sparky]

So frustrating listening to that. Hit he woodwork a few times and Norwood again missing great chances including one at the death.

We are top for a short time but now 4 points behind Macc

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Some comfort in that Wrexham and Bromley drew at home, but a few teams below us have games in hand and could catch us. Next two games are "must win" if we are to keep up the pressure on the top spot.

 

[Sparky]

Assuming Tollit has no knocks and trains all week he needs to be starting now

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

We should have won it with the chances we had in the second half but orient are the best team we have played and really stretched us at times. It was a good point overall. We won't have a harder game all season.

 

[drwhoman]

Thanks RLC. I was disappointed particularly as most other results did not go our way. I feel a bit better now. It is all getting very tight and let us hope that we return to winning next week and that Orient give the other top teams a hard time.

 

[Ian]

Yeah decent point on reflection. Couple of wins on the trot would be nice now.

 

[Mal]

Rather have the points than games in hand. Many a time that Tranmere had games in hand and wasted them. Our point is 'better' than Wrexham's, who I understand had a player sent off. I am still optimistic. The Macclesfield game is now a real 6 pointer.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Aldershot win as expected. The home games against macc and Aldershot will be pivotal. Win both games and we won't be far away.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

It was a strange game today. For long periods of the match I thought we were second best in terms of possession and passing, but we had by far the better chances and should really have won it. However, as I said previously, Orient were the best team we have played in the way they moved the ball and the pace and width they had, albeit lacking any really punch up front, and a draw was a fair result.

Orient edged the first half but created few chances prior to Sutton's opener, a header from a Ginnelly corner. Shortly afterwards Norwood blazed over a one-on-one which could have made life a lot more comfortable. After half time, the O's really put us under pressure for a spell of fifteen minutes and forced a deserved equaliser. However, we brought Tollitt off the bench in response and from that point onwards we created a succession of chances, Norwood again smashing one over from fifteen yards and Cook forcing a couple of great saves from their keeper, one of which he palmed on to the post. In this spell Cook again hit the woodwork and Jennings smashed an effort from six yards on to the crossbar.

In general, I thought our midfield play was poor today, with too many misplaced passes, probably not helped by a pitch that was unplayable in some areas. Norburn was below par and there was a sloppiness to our play at times. However, Cook and Norwood were a constant threat when balls were played long or in behind, and individually Connor Jennings was excellent. We were under pressure for long periods and I thought the defence held up well, with McNulty and Ridehalgh in particular outstanding. Eddie Clarke had his hands full with the impressive Jake Caprice and could not get forward much and on the other wing Ginnelly did show that he is willing to track back and defend. When he came on, Tollitt was excellent and caused them a lot of problems.

It is difficult to know what to make of the season, as it is still so tight at the top. I think whoever finishes above Aldershot will win the league, as they seem the most consistent side at this stage. Six points now required from the next two games.

 

[Boz]

A point at Orient is a decent result. It's unfortunate that their other games against our promotion rivals are near to the end of the season,by which time their NL status should be secure. The other results around the top, save Halifax nicking a point at Wrexham didn't really go our way.

Sounds like Tollitt had another encouraging cameo, how did the returning Scott Davies fare?

Very impressive 740 SWA in east London today. Any idea why the turnout was so good?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Sounds like Tollitt had another encouraging cameo, how did the returning Scott Davies fare?

Very impressive 740 SWA in east London today. Any idea why the turnout was so good?

Davies was very commanding I thought. He has been questioned regarding the goal we conceded, but he seemed to be unlucky with a couple of ricochets after a good cross from Caprice.

We have got a big fan base in the South East now and I would guess that, plus people sensing the title is within reach, explains the following. I can't remember us ever taking that many fans to a regular league game in London before, other than West Ham perhaps.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

As I said earlier, Bromley's home draw was a good result for us. However, we are not yet in control of the title race. We are relying on Macc, Shots, Wrexham and Sutton all to slip up. Even if we beat Macc and Shots at home, they still have enough margin. However, if we can keep up the pressure, I think they will all crack.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

At this stage I would not be too disappointed with a place in the top three. The title is still there to be won but with so many teams involved it will be tough to finish first. Under the new format, I think we would have a very good chance of promotion if we finished second or third.

 

[aldoes mustache]

well first things first wat a turn out bye the fans superb. are away form is so not good enough . we had enough chances to win and even cookie is missing 1 on 1s now . great to see scottie back and ben t was a breath of fresh air . oh ya the show in london last night was great

 

[Boz]

If Rovers don’t finish top, which I agree is by no means a given, then because of good home form, if we were 2nd or 3rd, there is a good chance of winning our home tie and making the final. However, that’s a one off game, with no certainty of the right outcome for us. In the Forest Green final, we lacked mental toughness and some of the more experienced players who we’d relied on to get us there had off days.

 

[Sparky]

Agree with Boz about any potential play off final. I really don’t want to go through that again so we should be going all out to win the league.

Anything can happen in one off games. I think they key could be Tollit return. Although our goal difference is excellent, we need more goals from midfield when Nors and Cook are missing chances. Jennings had a purple patch in December but Norburn doesn’t have many so we need Tollit for his goals and assists

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

In the Forest Green final, we lacked mental toughness and some of the more experienced players who we’d relied on to get us there had off days.

I am not sure we lacked character in that final. We had a whole raft of injuries which finally caught up with us in that game and FGR were very good on the day. We had shown character to deal with the injuries for as long as we did.

All I am saying is that if you consider our poor start to the season and the games in hand our rivals have, it is still unlikely we will finish first. In that situation, a top three finish still gives us a very good chance of promotion given our home form, the backing we would have at Wembley and our big match experience.

I agree with Sparky that Tollitt's return could be key. Orient could not handle him when he came on yesterday and he created several chances. I think he will start against Bromley, hopefully in place of Ginnelly, although I don't know whether we are obliged to play him under the terms of his loan deal.

 

[Boz]

I am not sure we lacked character in that final. We had a whole raft of injuries which finally caught up with us in that game and FGR were very good on the day. We had shown character to deal with the injuries for as long as we did.

All I am saying is that if you consider our poor start to the season and the games in hand our rivals have, it is still unlikely we will finish first. In that situation, a top three finish still gives us a very good chance of promotion given our home form, the backing we would have at Wembley and our big match experience.

I agree with Sparky that Tollitt's return could be key. Orient could not handle him when he came on yesterday and he created several chances. I think he will start against Bromley, hopefully in place of Ginnelly, although I don't know whether we are obliged to play him under the terms of his loan deal.

Undoubtedly the injuries played their part in our Wembley demise, but I felt that Davies and McNulty were both below par in the game for whatever reason.

If we were to reach another play-off final, our opponent would almost certainly bring more than Forest Green managed last season, but our bigger support counted for nothing then. Is our big match expertise any greater than the other likely opponents and how influential will it be, given the subdued showings from more experienced players last May?

Ginnelly was on the bench v Woking, so doesn't look like we're obliged to start him. Think given his lack of recent matches, I might favour keeping Tollitt on the bench v Bromley, with an appearance as sub and start him v Macc.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Is our big match expertise any greater than the other likely opponents and how influential will it be, given the subdued showings from more experienced players last May?

Greater than Macclesfield's, Sutton's, Aldershot's and Boreham Wood's for a start, all of whom have relatively few players who have played at higher levels, or been involved in promotion / title winning teams in the National League.

Do you think we will win the League then ? Because I don't. In which case we should simply raise the white flag, as promotion via the play-offs is clearly beyond us.

I am emphasising that under the new format finishing third gives us a much greater chance of promotion than finishing fourth, and that should be our initial and more realistic target. Finish fourth, and with our away record we probably won't go up; finish sixth and we almost certainly won't.

A more realistic ambition would probably reduce some of the hysteria that follows every point we drop and would take some pressure off the players.