League Two Rovers v Sutton

[bigmart]

A total howler from Doohan gifts them a goal.

 

[Boz]

Time to give Hewelt a game? It sounds like the game boiling over a little.

 

[bigmart]

The equaliser has nocked the stuffing out of us, getting very niggle now. Would be nice to try another sub now but we know Micky unlikely to do it.

 

[Boz]

No obvious sub to bring on today, as Sutton a physical side as expected. Maybe McAlear best equipped with this type of game.

 

[bigmart]

No obvious sub to bring on today, as Sutton a physical side as expected. Maybe McAlear best equipped with this type of game.

Mcaleer or Hughes worth a go for more creativity

 

[bigmart]

Mcaleer on for Hawkes

 

[Sparky]

Mcalear on for hawkes but too late on 86 mins??

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Sounds like a well-earned and hard-fought-for point. I await the reports.

An unpleasant thought struck me as I looked at the bench. Every senior player who was not injured or suspended was in the matchday squad, except for Joe Murphy. We are literally down to the bare bones. MP said recently we need to move players out before we can bring anyone in - and three have gone. Now we have a situation where we will have to bring players in before we can afford to move any more out.

 

[bigmart]

They nearly won it in stoppage time with Doohan at fault again and we cleared it off the line. Doohan looks like he did last season when dropped, confidence is well shot.

A game we could have won but I'm not sure we really deserved too.
We really need to see some incomings this week and can't afford to leave it till the last minute yet again.
It's clear that Micky doesn't really fancy Burton and Hughes so would be best to loan them out if we can get a few in.

 

[Boz]

BBTC, that is the reason for the underlying concern, the squad is thin enough already. Have to think that we’ll sell one or two more perhaps bring in a forward and be reliant on loans to make up the numbers.

It was hard to gauge how things were going from the commentary. Doohan seemed to make a few errors after the clanger for Sutton’s equaliser and it sounded like the visitors were more likely to grab a winner. Neither Mumbongo in the first half or Nevitt in the second posed much of a goal threat. Gareth Roberts gave Merrie MoM, it sounded like he and the central defensive pair were the pick today, with Turnbull clearing off the line late on.

 

[dollar'sbloke]

I doubt any will leave now, mainly silly rumours. Tranmere obviously haven't got anything solid lined up either. Be a quick sweep of the car boot sales next couple of weeks.
Today was a game to be won. Cogley gifted them with an uncharacteristic lapse. Hawkes did what we know he can do , step inside and strike. Never seen anything impressive in Doohan just the same old mistakes, seems fanciful Hewelt is any better brought out of non-league and cannot displace another poor Scot in nets.
Some good games as well the outstanding Merrie, who must have been taken down ten times some yellows and others surely on totting up as there must have been repeat offenders.
Suspect Mumbungo was injured which is poor as Nevitt looked a bit more effective coming into a match.
Still decent effort against a form side. Although currently given a few absences and there is nothing to hold the team together- threadbare.
Palios has to come up with a plan to retain the useful players and aim for success a season ahead. If they lose O'Connor, Merrie, Davies etc as well as Cogley as free agents, it will just be back to square one.
Clarke and Foley would have launched the season far better and by now be on the bench. MacDonald would have significantly improved the left flank. Bristow's speed comes to little and his admirable fighting qualities are mainly spent on problems he helped create.
I thought this squad was relegation material, I overestimated the others! However being five off the play offs will just end up 10 in the end , which is where Tranmere are mid-table. there has to be some longer term building.

 

[Sparky]

Another frustrating game but if I’m being honest I don’t think we deserved anything more than a point.

in the early stages we were just going through the motions. A good move saw Sutton take the lead and our lack of protests made me think it was onside. We rallied after about half an hour and hawkes showed his class again with a great finish from a tight angle. God help us if he leaves as we don’t have many goals in us

second half both teams were huffing and puffing but an excellent shot from Kane put us in front. with Sutton rarely threatening I thought it would be enough to win but then came another error from doohan., Sutton broke the lines and their lad had far too much time to set himself and hit a shot from 20 yards out. He got power and it moved a bit but doohan got a hand to it and should have stopped it. He knew it and the players did. We created very little after that and Hemings saved us a point heading off the goaline from a Sutton corner. The boos at the end said it all and although I felt for Ross who was clearly affected, it’s almost deja vu as this happened last season when he was dropped. A few more thoughts:

Subs: Nevitt totally ineffective and looks devoid of confidence. Not much service though.
what was the point of brining Mcalear on after 86 mins? Surely not enough time to make any impact and he hardly touched the ball. Either bring him on earlier or not at all.

Midfield. Their was a case to try something different, maybe take oconnor or Morris off but as we know micky has no faith in the bench. I would have kept hawkes on and maybe brought McAlear on for O’Connor. Hawkes was tiring but he can score from nothing and is our second top scorer. We’ve flogged the same players game after game over Xmas and it felt like it showed today.

as for doohan, I was always surprised we signed him after he was dropped last season. He just doesn't look like he has any confidence or personality to be a keeper at this level. I feel for the lad but I suspect the defence have no faith in him at all

The season feels like it’s drifting and we’re not going anywhere.....

 

[drwhoman]

I have not seen the game but from the comments it sound like more of the same from most weeks. You wonder where Rovers are going with no money and a Manager who is struggling, seemingly in consequence. As has been said before, a nothing season looms. I suppose we should be grateful that we do not have the financial and other problems experienced by fans of some other clubs!

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

A very frustrating game.

At 2-1 up I thought we were we well in control and would go on to win the game relatively comfortably, with Sutton having offered nothing going forward since the first twenty minutes. However, an awful mistake by Doohan effectively cost us two points.

As commented above, we started really sluggishly and allowed Sutton to gain control of the match, particularly in midfield, and their opening goal was very poor defensively. However, we gradually worked our way into the game and for the following forty minutes were the better side and played some decent football. The equaliser was deserved and was another good finish by Hawkes, and I actually thought we also started the second half in the ascendancy. It was a good move and a great finish by Hemmings to put us in front, with Kane now showing he is the very good striker at this level that some of us suspected he was all along. However, Doohan's howler completely stalled our momentum and the game became bitty and disjointed from that point onwards.

I have defended Doohan previously, but you really have to doubt whether he will make it in the long term after the performance today. He got a good hand on the shot for their second goal but simply palmed it into his own net and, while accepting that all keeper's make mistakes, I think that is an error that a professional standard keeper simply should not be making. As noted above, he almost cost us a point right at the end, when he came out flailing for a cross that he was never going to get to.

It was also noticeable today that both of Sutton's goals resulted from them walking through the centre of our midfield. We were overpowered physically in there at times, and I was amazed the sponsor gave Merrie man of the match. Another area of the squad that requires improvement.

I thought Morris and Cogley were our best players and Mumbongo had a decent game alongside Hemmings in the first half, and linked well with Kane. Both centre halves did pretty well, despite the concession of the two goals.

The gap to the play off places has narrowed to four points, but it does not feel like we are equipped as a squad for a promotion challenge.

 

[Sparky]

It is all the more frustrating that more points from the Crewe and sutton games and we’d be up in the mix. And we’re still not far away mathematically.

Totally agree with RLC about merrie. I couldn’t think of anyone who stood out but was surprised merrie got it. We badly need some competition in the middle of the park. But also out wide too and up front….the squad looks very thin at the moment

 

[bigmart]

It is all the more frustrating that more points from the Crewe and sutton games and we’d be up in the mix. And we’re still not far away mathematically.

Totally agree with RLC about merrie. I couldn’t think of anyone who stood out but was surprised merrie got it. We badly need some competition in the middle of the park. But also out wide too and up front….the squad looks very thin at the moment

7 points from the last 4 games is pretty good but it really should have been 10 or 12 which us the really frustrating thing.

 

[Sparky]

Micky with some philosophical views at the end of his post match about all he can do is try is best - which is true of course.

Talking about Simeu going I had to chuckle as he said we’re not worried as we’ve got two good centre backs. Made me wonder if Jameson was watching (unless he classes him as a full back)!

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Micky with some philosophical views at the end of his post match about all he can do is try is best - which is true of course.

Talking about Simeu going I had to chuckle as he said we’re not worried as we’ve got two good centre backs. Made me wonder if Jameson was watching (unless he classes him as a full back)!

He confirmed that there is interest in certain players, but other rumours are way off the mark.

I would guess that Bristow is attracting interest, but the Hawkes rumours might just have been put about by his agent.

 

[overthewater]

I doubt any will leave now, mainly silly rumours. Tranmere obviously haven't got anything solid lined up either. Be a quick sweep of the car boot sales next couple of weeks.
Today was a game to be won. Cogley gifted them with an uncharacteristic lapse. Hawkes did what we know he can do , step inside and strike. Never seen anything impressive in Doohan just the same old mistakes, seems fanciful Hewelt is any better brought out of non-league and cannot displace another poor Scot in nets.
Some good games as well the outstanding Merrie, who must have been taken down ten times some yellows and others surely on totting up as there must have been repeat offenders.
Suspect Mumbungo was injured which is poor as Nevitt looked a bit more effective coming into a match.
Still decent effort against a form side. Although currently given a few absences and there is nothing to hold the team together- threadbare.
Palios has to come up with a plan to retain the useful players and aim for success a season ahead. If they lose O'Connor, Merrie, Davies etc as well as Cogley as free agents, it will just be back to square one.
Clarke and Foley would have launched the season far better and by now be on the bench. MacDonald would have significantly improved the left flank. Bristow's speed comes to little and his admirable fighting qualities are mainly spent on problems he helped create.
I thought this squad was relegation material, I overestimated the others! However being five off the play offs will just end up 10 in the end , which is where Tranmere are mid-table. there has to be some longer term building.

"another poor Scot in nets" - care to expand on that ? I don't recall any previous Scottish keepers we've had. Howler by Ross today but I'm not sure how his nationality is relevant