Swindon v Stevenage pre match chat and matchday thread

[Batch]

Sorry Wellens but it was a very dull first half. You aren't going to get people jumping up and down with that. That's not to say they should get stick, far from it.

We got better as the game went on, Stevenage ARE a difficult team to play against. We won and that's all that matters.

[Panda Paws]

I think he's being a bit liberal with the truth there we were better but there was some really odd decision making on that pitch, even I got frustrated by the fact our defenders didn't seem to realise you can't be offside from a goal kick as the ball sailed over their heads.

Agreed. He was over egging the performance to drill home his point re the fans I think.

[Red Frog]

I will also mention that I watched the game, with HD image and live commentary, on my phone in a small restaurant in Rome. (I know, I'm a terrible person.) This may sound like casual name-dropping to some, but for me, I still can't quite get over the distance the world has travelled since I first moved abroad in 1983, and I'd have to wait until Thursday lunchtime to go down to the station kiosk to sneak a look at a Wednesday UK paper to find out the result of a Tuesday night match.

I only dreamt I'd be able to do this one day, without actually ever thinking it would be viable. Kids take so much for granted.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

I will also mention that I watched the game, with HD image and live commentary, on my phone in a small restaurant in Rome. (I know, I'm a terrible person.) This may sound like casual name-dropping to some, but for me, I still can't quite get over the distance the world has travelled since I first moved abroad in 1983, and I'd have to wait until Thursday lunchtime to go down to the station kiosk to sneak a look at a Wednesday UK paper to find out the result of a Tuesday night match.

I only dreamt I'd be able to do this one day, without actually ever thinking it would be viable. Kids take so much for granted.

Couldn't agree more - I am totally in awe of the everyday technology we have at our fingertips

[theakston2k]

Oh and Benda should have been man of the match, him being quick off his line saved the defenders from complete fuck ups a number of times.

[mexico red]

I used to have to update my abacus. Silly pair of old cunts 😀

[Pax Romana]

Great result.  Big relief, we needed that.

Get where Wellens is coming from but it's not always that easy. 

[Benzel]

We had a 10 minute spell in the first half when Doyle and Yates had their chances, other than that it was was a poor half. Second half though we were deserved winners and despite how long it took, we held our nerve and worked a good opening and scored an excellent goal.

Sent from my CLT-L09

[Red Frog]

Att (burger flippers)?

[wiggy]

I have finally seen a goal and a win on a Tuesday night!

Doughty sits way too deep and has forgotten how to shoot. I seem to recall him scoring some screamers when he first came to us and I thought he could have had a couple of goes tonight.

Our forwards really work hard - no doubting their fitness. Grant also gets everywhere. I also thought Donohue looks a good addition.

Wellens sounded a bit petulant - it is easy to have 70% possession just going sideways in your own half.

[theakston2k]

Number 15 for them, biggest twat I've seen in years. 30 minutes of him going down with cramp ever 5 minutes!

[adje]

Off to Crawley sat. First game since Orient. Can we break our recent bad run there? I think yes

[4D]

Wellens mentions 70% possession but doesn't mention only 8 shots against the bottom side in the division, at home. They managed the same number of shots with the remaining 30%. Scraping a result in the last minute. We have not been great at home, and that can be said over many seasons. Perhaps understandable that the crowd is edgy. Some more shooting to capitalise on the possession required.

[theakston2k]

Wellens mentions 70% possession but doesn't mention only 8 shots against the bottom side in the division, at home. They managed the same number of shots with the remaining 30%. Scraping a result in the last minute. We have not been great at home, and that can be said over many seasons. Perhaps understandable that the crowd is edgy. Some more shooting to capitalise on the possession required.

Let's be honest, if we played like them none of us would bother going to a game they made a Flitcroft side look like Barcelona. We gifted them some chances by fucking up at the back or letting high balls bounce, they didn't really 'create' anything in the true sense of the word. They were more intent on time wasting and disrupting the game and it almost got them a point, a horrible team to watch and play against I'd imagine. I do hope they are the team that goes down.

[NotHarryAgombar]

 I agree to some extent with RW - Stevenage (and their brand of anti-football) deserved nothing from that game, they set up to try to protect the point they began with (0-0), with 9 men in two banks just outside their penalty area. Every time we built up bit of momentum, somebody feigned an injury and the ref was complicit in their time wasting. Their main attacking threat was the keeper booting it to the edge of our area - mind you, some of the “forward” brigade behind us in the Arkells seemed to admire it.
This type of game is tough if we don’t score early - and we need to accept that sometimes we need to grind out a 1-0 win. How many times in recent years have we lost that type of game (or got in front late on, only to concede soon afterwards - as we did v Yeovil last season)?
The pleasing things tonight were - in no particular order
1. A win and a clean sheet.
2. Some players coming back after time out got some decent game time - Fryers, Doughty.
3. Benda looks a good keeper.
4. DJ is fit and looks quick.
5. We kept our shape and passing game throughout, and sought to use the width of the pitch to get behind Stevenage  - rather than reverting to planting long hopeful balls on the heads of Cuthbert and their other 2 centre backs which is generally futile. Also some good croisés at times, but an area we need to improve on.
6. Another well taken goal from Doyle.
7. Grant was immense again.

Things to improve on
1. Passing was a bit predictable and laboured at times - too many square passes - partly necessary because there was a big gap between Doughty, Grant (who both were quite deep) and our attacking players.
2. There were times when Doughty could have run with the ball but he seems reluctant to do so.
3. Quality of crosses was poor at times - Hunt, Woolery, Isgrove and Donoghue all guilty at some point in the game.

Finally, I thought the referee had a mixed game - first half in particular he seemed to want to let the game flow. Second he got taken in by the time wasting, and how neither he nor the linesman couldn’t see that Isgrove’s cross from the right (70 odd minutes in ) was blocked by an outstretched arm remains a mystery. Stonewall penalty from our seats in the Arkells.

Three points at Crawley on Saturday and we will be looking upwards again. As RW says, we are 7th, only 4 points off the automatic promotion spots after a difficult run of games and some key injuries. It’s a long season and there are 31 games to go.