Two rather poor looking teams and yet the better team won.
We didn't look like scoring all evening and they didn't either after the first 20 minutes. But if anyone was going to score it was them. They looked more confident and physically stronger.
I thought the defence was much, much better tonight. Ronnie was excellent. TJ and Rhino got their heads to everything.
What we lacked all evening was any intelligence. The long hoof upfield was never going to get any rewards against their tall defence. We also needed the ball to just bounce favourably once in the final third - it didn't all evening.
I liked seeing the way that Lego marshalled the defence.
Debatable 'Pesch like' substitutions I thought.
Cleveland Taylor man of the match?
On the plus side, in my predictor featuring Bradford, Barnet, Dagenham, Wimbledon, Macclesfield, Plymouth, Bristol Rovers and Hereford - I got all of the results right. The only one I got wrong was ours.
Brewers 0 Cobblers 1
posted on 20/3/12
I thought we were a shade unlucky tonight to not at least get a 0-0 .Its hard to take when you have battled all night ,but i thought Northampton looked a revitalised team ,its amazing what a change of manager does .Nice to see Lego back and Greg might have got on the end of one or two crosses and become an instant hero .We need to pick ourselves up and go again against Wimbledon and believe in ourselves . I couldnt quite understand the two substitutions it seemed we were drawing them on to us instead of taking the game to them .We are eight points from safety lets hope the Herefords ,Maacclesfields and the Dagenhams all keep losing too !
posted on 20/3/12
All good stuff as ever, my only disagreement would be with your assessment of Ronnie. Got skinned repeatedly in the first half. Quite surprised wnen they switched the lad Jacobs over to the right for the second half.
Clark Carlise was the difference. Class act. We never got a look in with hoof ball.
Greg missed a couple when any sort of contact would surely have ended up in the net, but apart from one flicked header I don't remember Dukey making a save. (It says a lot about our season when we get excited by Greg returning from exile to save us!)
Very odd subs. Richards off had echoes of 4-5-1, then Greg coming off as well? Even Pesch used to finish with one striker on the pitch and I can't help think that it cost us dear.
I thought the last five minutes was almost as bad as the Cheltenham debacle from 2010. Just about earned a point then we sit back, give the ball away, put it into touch in our own half, concede a needless free kick and and fail to clear our lines. The fear was tangible, like watching rabbits in the sudden glare of car headlights.
Of course it feels cruel to lose it so late, more so when you see '90+2' on the scorecard.
But to hang on would have been one less point to get and would have kept the Cobblers six behind.
On such moments can so much depend. Like whether we go to Chesterfield next year, or Tamworth & Alfreton.
Great to see Legzdins back (though I have to learn how tro spell it all over again!). Let's not forget, he made two great saves just before the goal. But did you see how he was constantly on at his defenders. He deserved a clean sheet for that, really.
Macca & Bolder back for Saturday? Or perm any one with Jack Dyer, who I thought did ok again.
Mags didn't do a lot in the middle so push him back out wide, though that would mean keaving out our 'Man of the Match' I'm with you on that one, Otep. I think we'll cope.
Post elsewhere says Martin Allen was at the game. Well I saw some posh wheels in the car park with 'AVB*' on the plate!! Maybe Ben's got a plan B after all?
Well done on the predictions - you did say that we would be safe didn't you? Sticking with that?
I'm losing faith.
p.s. *Could have been AWB on second glance, well it was dark!!)
posted on 20/3/12
I forgot to mention Maghoma. Fairly ineffective all evening.
'I'm returning to Burton because I have unfinished business here' the Congolese one said prior to game 1. I will happily be corrected if I forgot one but has he actually got to work on that 'unfinished business' in the 37 games since?
Jimmy looks more and more lightweight with each game. I sneezed near the end and he fell over.
posted on 20/3/12
Sorry gentlemen but we are in a right mess.As ive been saying for some time now the playing staff are just not good enough.Midfield were none existent and strike force well not at the races.The defence to be fair did well but i think it was because we had a decent keeper.I do fear the worst my friends looking at the next three fixtures and i hate to say it we will be dragged in to a relegation battle.When Ben sacked Pesc on Saturday he should have had a manager lined up not left the side kicks to take the flack.Pesc has left a bomb site of a football club and its going to take a decent manager to put it right.
posted on 21/3/12
Agree Emnez my friend.
Youve known my thoughts for months about where we were going.
The good start we had only papered over the cracks that were there for all to see in pre season at the likes of Tamworth.
A lot of people who saw that match were convinced we would struggle including myself.
Sadly we are now being proved right.
The problem is Ben should have got rid of Pesch earlier to allow a new guy to at least get a few loanees in of his choice.
We have a real battle on our hands and on the showing the last few weeks we havent got the players for a battle.
Dreading the next few weeks.
In my mind no points from at least the next 3 games.