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League Two Grimsby (1) v Rovers (1)

Second half when they got in the final third they seemed happy to give the ball away cheaply . I guess the subs where made to hold on to a lead but they pretty much rendered Rovers impotent. Couldnt fault the effort , Hawkes seemed to work hard enough for me, hard to explain his time on the bench. Well done to all those who made the journey - true supporters. The next couple of games will be tough . Palios late intervention has given Crosby a mountain to climb.
 
One positive is that the ten game losing streak on our travels has come to an end. Think the club record was 12
 
It sounded like a game we could have won against a below par Grimsby side, so disappointing that Turnbull concedes a needless penalty.

As bigmart points out the bottom three are getting cut adrift, Accrington 6 points clear and a game in hand. Wins required but Bromley up next are an awkward opponent and on the fringes of the play-offs, so they'll have plenty to play for.
 
mellow submarine said:
Palios late intervention has given Crosby a mountain to climb.
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Absolutely and the two performances have been good but then as RLC points out, we still have a lot of baggage. I think Crosby has made positive changes but there is only so much he can do this late on. It's touch and go sadly.
 
Crosby seems to have restored some belief in the team. We have taken a first half lead in both games but as often under Atkins we failed to build on it or to see the game out. Disappointed as I am about this, I think a week ago we'd all have taken two points against Port Vale (h) and Grimsby (a).

Now we have to kick on and start winning a few games. It will be difficult with so many injuries and suspensions to key players, but that is how managers make their reputations. So far, Andy has earned our support and the team is certainly putting in a shift every game. If only we could get a two-goal cushion!
 
Ian said:
Absolutely and the two performances have been good but then as RLC points out, we still have a lot of baggage. I think Crosby has made positive changes but there is only so much he can do this late on. It's touch and go sadly.
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We have burned through our 'easy' fixtures with Adkins in charge and now have to win games against form teams.

It is asking a lot to be honest.

The fact remains we have not won any of our last twelve matches, whereas Carlisle and Morecambe have both recently demonstrated they know how to win.
 
Sounded like a much better first half perfomance but poor second one - is it partly a fitness issue? I suspect so.
As others say we need wins however - only 2 defeats in 6 sounds better but still only 4 points whereas Carlisle who have a game in hand have taken 6 points from them and Morecambe 6 also now.
 
Rockford's Love Child said:
Good performance overall but the attacking threat petered out when we had to bring the two donkeys on upfront due to Dennis and Jennings tiring.

We have to win on Saturday now.
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How much were Dennis and Jennings tiring last night? It did seem the former was running out of energy around the hour mark on Saturday but kept on for the full ninety. Given the limited bench options, it would have been preferable for one or both to play on if that were possible.

Wonder if there’s any chance of Crosby rehabilitating Sam Taylor. For the home games he might provide more of an option than Davison or Saunders.
 
Boz said:
How much were Dennis and Jennings tiring last night? It did seem the former was running out of energy around the hour mark on Saturday but kept on for the full ninety. Given the limited bench options, it would have been preferable for one or both to play on if that were possible.

Wonder if there’s any chance of Crosby rehabilitating Sam Taylor. For the home games he might provide more of an option than Davison or Saunders.
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Re fitness I just watched Mark Hughes post match interview and he specifically talked about how the Carlisle players are now getting to the fitness levels that he would have expected so clearly thought they weren't fit enough when he arrived. He also mentioned how strong they have been now late in games which sadly is definitely not us...
Re Taylor I doubt it TBH - if it had been just Adkins not playing him he surely would have made the bench already though Crosby did mention post match that both he and Josh Williams had travelled to Grimsby.
 
Thanks ADD, hadn’t seen the post match interview yet. I can why understand a lack of physicality might mean Sam wouldn’t be the best sub option for an away game, but he’s a more likely scorer than Saunders/Davison and arguably worth having on the bench at home.
 
Boz said:
How much were Dennis and Jennings tiring last night? It did seem the former was running out of energy around the hour mark on Saturday but kept on for the full ninety.
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I don’t think the pitch helped last night, it didn’t look great.
 
To me that was two points dropped and not a point gained, due to our lack of finishing, I can never see this team scoring twice and that's the problem we can never go two up to give us a cushion for when the usual defensive callamity happens. We just don't have enough goals in this team.
 
Odd match last night, dreadful pitch may have caused an awkward bounce that took the ball away from Turnbull hard to see on TV, something unusual happened ? However the same angle clearly showed about a yard of turf between the ball and the line, thank god Sam should never play again for no tangible reason Finley buried it.
Otherwise we became completely toothless as the game went on, the dreadful brothers coming on didn't harm us as Dennis and Jenno were long past their potency.
The main theme was how timid they were and hopeless in front when they occasionally got there. Also to Crosby's credit, a second team with no physicality allowing him to play as he did. Memory suggests Bromley are the other side of the spectrum and corners may be fatal?
Merrie continues to grow in activity as actually playing the game can do! I doubt he is EFL level, Garratt maybe in time and Williams has time yet. Finley and Hendry are competent and more at this level, they are vital.
Patrick was found out, the right back attacked him before he had to time to get it under his spell and he was disarmed. Hawkes is less a defender and may have been terrified by his duties which he fulfilled well, but offensively he was non-existent. Bar, off course the long range miss by yards of the near post so about eight yards wide of the real target! Morris must come on for him Saturday, maybe switching Josh to the left, a ploy ignored last night due to defensive worries I guess.
We are fielding decent Div Two players with maybe decent National league ones, this will be tight and probably rests on how availability pans out far more than managerial systems which are unchanged.
Anyone moaning about a draw is defying their own thoughts 24 hours ago. progress with a small p.
 
Davies injured his knee in training on Sunday, currently waiting for results of the scan
 
Sounds like we might need to be scouting around for an out of contract defender, given Bradshaw’s apparent personal issues and Jackson being little more than window dressing.
 
Boz said:
Sounds like we might need to be scouting around for an out of contract defender, given Bradshaw’s apparent personal issues and Jackson being little more than window dressing.
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Agreed Boz,
I appreciate we have bigger fish to fry right now but were Man U really expecting their 2 players would get so little game time and would simply be make up palyers in training? If so, I really fail to see why they agreed to let them go and if they were expecting them to feature I wonder why they have not been recalled. If we stay up one has to wonder whether EPL teams will be more reluctant to let us have their youth players.
 
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