League Two Rovers v Harrogate

[Sparky]

Hewlet looking a bit shaky flapping at a corner

 

[Boz]

Pretty dire from Rovers, did wonder if there was a Harrogate foul in the build-up to their goal.

 

[bigmart]

Absolutely awful, this could easily be 2 or 3 they want it more we look like we want the season to end

 

[Sparky]

Luke Armstrong the Harrogate scorer showing the type of striker we need

 

[bigmart]

Luke Armstrong the Harrogate scorer showing the type of striker we need

Hes quality, I'm sure he will go to a much better team than them next season.

 

[Sparky]

A cracking free kick from hughes draws us level.

 

[bigmart]

A cracking free kick from hughes draws us level.

Cracking free kick but it's snow own goal

 

[bigmart]

Level at the break, the goal has given us a boost ended the half on top need to carry it on second half

 

[Ian]

Good free kick probably masking a pretty poor first half. Not sure the diamond is working here.

 

[Boz]

Good free-kick from Hughes even if it got help going into the back of the net. Mumbongo the better of the forwards, both Hendry and Hughes have the right idea but passes often going astray. Hard to predict how the second half will go.

 

[ADD]

Poor start but we grew into the game and an excellent goal even if it was an OG. We can win this if we just improve our passing a bit. Not slick enough and yes too many going astray as Boz said. Personally thought Mumbongo was awful first half though Saunders was almost invisible as well.

 

[bigmart]

Hughes gives the ball away nearly leading to a goal, Mumbongo has shot saved

 

[bigmart]

Hemmings on for Mumbongo

 

[Boz]

We’re giving a lot of the ball away and conceding some daft free kicks

 

[Sparky]

No end product once again

 

[bigmart]

Not a bad game, we played some decent football at times though the quality is lacking on the final third

 

[Boz]

Mumbongo scuffed his shot when in a good position and Hendry having an effort blocked probably our best efforts of the second half. There was some quite sloppy play conceding possession from Rovers throughout and we should be grateful for poor finishing and a good double save from the much criticised Hewelt for coming away with a point.

 

[Ian]

The second half was an improvement but it was certainly not without it's problems. Dawes wants them passing from the back but I do not think we have the quality for that. It will create hairy moments in defence, I don't feel confident with it and plenty of times when Davies got the ball he had no options to pass too. As Boz mentioned above, the play was sloppy at times and conceding possesion was frustrating but Rovers did have some chances themselves and as we all know we do not have the quality to convert them into goals sadly.

Hewelt had a good game and made a great double save. Mumbongo cannot make it at this level and Saunders is the classic headless chicken but they worked hard and that has to be applauded. Let's just limp by to the end of the season and hope we can bring some much needed quality into the team.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I thought it was another mixed performance but an improved second half display. We created enough to get the three points in the end, but familiar failings in the eighteen yard box let us down.

I thought the first half display showed the dangers of trying to overplay at this level when you have limited players. We tried to play out from the back on every occasion but could not beat Harrogate's press and kept turning the ball over in midfield. The goal resulted from one such turnover, a brilliant finish by Armstrong who is exactly what we are lacking up front. We had not really created anything from open play, other than a couple of great bursts and crosses by Bristow, but it was a great free kick by Hughes to equalise.

The first twenty minutes of the second half were much better. We played higher up the pitch, with a greater tempo and intensity, and some of the football was very good to watch. The possession stats must have been off the scale in our favour in that period. However, a number of chances were spurned, notably by Turnbull and Mumbongo, and as at Colchester last Saturday we looked quite porous defensively on the counter attack, with Hewelt forced to make a couple of excellent saves.

Individually, I thought Bristow, Hawkes and Saunders had decent games and I actually liked the look of Hemmings playing in the number ten role in the closing stages.

However, the problems up front remain and, as unpopular or popular as it may be, I preferred Mellon's disciplined, pragmatic approach, to the 'you play a bit, we play a bit' style under Dawes. Two games against poor opposition and we have not won either of them.

 

[Sparky]

A decent performance and a fairly entertaining game but once again our attacking shortcomings cost us three points. There was no lack of effort on show but a real lack of quality in the final third. Mumbongo once again never looking scoring. Burton did nothing and Saunders for all his running is the same. Hemings came on and played as a number ten but apart from a few half chances we never looked like scoring in the second half. Mumongo firing our best chance straight at their keeper.

Harrogate also had a few half chances but a draw was probably fair.

I think the crowd appreciated the effort and gave the players a good reception at the end. I keep thinking we’re only a decent striker or two from being a play off contesting side. However if we can’t beat the likes of colchester or Harrogate then we don’t deserve to be