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Feels like another decent team performance with no clear standout, but let's see what the wider view is.

Still can't quite believe that game finished.

Maybe Bycroft for that late save.

Kilkenny

Feel I’m saying this every week. Everyone was good. No one really stood out as either be excellent or rubbish.

Bycroft dealt with what he had to.
Defence was solid.
Midfield was industrious.
Striker put a shift in.

Only thing the team didn’t do was put one in the net.

We've sort of become the opposite of Flynn's side - pretty solid but no individual inspiration or flair.

I'll take that if it means staying up.

Smith

I think you could pick most of the players today apart from Drinan who was poor and Sobowale who was brilliant at times and awful at others.

Bycroft made a superb stop to stop us from throwing the game away
Wright and Delaney have both been very good of late
Kirkman bounced back well after a torrid time in the last match
Ofoborh was superb in the second half
Smith did OK (although he wouldn't get my vote)
Kilkenny and Clarke did all the dirty stuff in midfield well
Nicholls had a good debut. Added something to the team

Might surprise some, but I think I might go for Delaney

Kirkman had a really good game after the Notts County disaster.

Offy was good until he tired.

Smith was Smith.

Was a good save from bycroft, really good, but didn't have a lot to do really.

I went with Kirkman but there isn't much to split most of them there.

Ofoborh by a long way for me.

Quick word for the ref, got the game back on, and when it was on didn’t notice him at all. Let it flow, don’t even remember a booking but may be wrong.
Best one we’ve had all season by a long way.

Yeah, ref was good

Yep, he could have easily just called the game off and gone home but showed a duty to teams and supporters.

It was a bit cricket match rain delay like when they said resume at 4:00 and then immediately it got more foggy.

Didn’t manage to watch today but heard lots of good things about Kirkman, certainly would try and get him tied down on a 2/3 year deal. Solid versatile player and still only 20 years old.

Kirkman looks at home at left wing back - gets my vote.

Kilkenny energetic and tidy.

Ofoborh - remember when Kennedy wanted to get rid?! Getting better all the time with a run in the side.

Best performance I have seen from Delaney so far so I went for him. He made quite a few key headers, blocks and tackles.

I voted Delaney in the end.

Solid at the back (…and has been for a while) fair play. It was only a few weeks ago I’d have happily never seen him play for Swindon again.

The team in general has looked more solid since Holloway took over but also think we look better without Grant Hall.

…and whilst MotM has to be a player & one for the Town - I thought the Ref got absolutely everything spot on. On the pitch as well as off it. Arguably one of the most logical, consistent, letting the game flow, don’t notice he’s there refereeing performance I’ve ever seen (…or at least remember)

Wondered if due to weather / games being off / FA Cup weekend whether he’d dropped down or something but mostly L2 with a few L1 games thrown in as far as I can tell…

We were discussing this on the way back to the car, and apart from the subs (aside from Ameen) who had little impact, there was a case for everyone of them today, definitely note a none of them above.

You could see how important Harry Smith is to the way we play, gave their defence a really hard time.
Ollie Clarke seems to have a good game, regardless of where Holloway plays him.
Kirkman in the second half was really impressive (tbf we couldn’t see much of him in the first half from the DRS).
I know many don’t like Drinan, but his running & harrying of the opposition is great, his use of the ball however very hit & miss.

But in the end I’ve gone for Delaney, was winning headers & getting his body in the way all game

But a clea

I know there’s always a clamour for ‘one of our own’ to be given more minutes, but I honestly think Ameen is going to be a right gem.

He definitely is and I think we'll struggle to fend off interest this month. Technically he probably isn't really one of our own (i guess that's why you used ' ') as he was picked up after QPR released him i think?

Wasn't that similar with Sean Morrison back in the day, released by Plymouth and we took him as 'one of our own'

Either way, it's a golden era for our youths, we seem to have a raft of them coming through, which is tremendous to see.

I went for Ofoborh for his energy but could easily have been Kirkman or Smith.

7.0 Bycroft did all that was asked of him, made a couple of claims and the block at the end saved us
7.0 Delaney very solid and was not beaten in the air all game
6.5 Wright pretty solid at the back but his set pieces were poor all game
7.5 Clarke never stopped running all game, some passes were off but he has an engine
8.0 Kirkman very solid game going forwards and in defence
8.5 Ofoborh ran and harried them all game made a few good passes, he is the new general in midfield
7.5 Kilkenny again ran all game and made some great passes the 3 midfielders controlled the middle all game
7.0 Sobowale good pace and created a few good chances, a couple of mistakes at the back as he tired
6.5 Nichols solid if unspectacular, won balls in the air and could have won the game if he was more aware
8.0 Smith gets better every game, don't think he lost an aerial challenge all game and so near to getting a winner
5.5 Drinan after last week when he was excellent he fell back into his old game, runs himself ragged but has little quality when on the ball

Subs (time came on in brackets)
7 Ameen (66) came on and pressed them and has some pace, still raw and makes bad choices at times but has a lot of potential for 17
5.5 Cotterill (85) a bit harsh but he had 2 touches early and gave the ball away both times
0.0 Butterworth (90) not sure he even got a chance to get near the ball so unrated

I’m no fan of the Aussie plumber & his gang of crooks, but wasn’t a top class academy one of their aims?
Is it a coincidence or have they invested in it which has helped make it happen?
Or is it more down to the Academy lead (the one that’s went to Brentford)

Obviously they’ve already sold Harley Hunt, and you’d imagine they will cash in on at least one of the others, especially once they’ve got some first team experience

Agreed, it is the only way clubs at this level can survive and I think most of us fully understand we are nothing more than a puppy farm creating an income with sales of the littleuns.

Hunt, Ameen, McGregor and Brown all showing that we can compete with other regional teams in spotting talent and nurturing it, previously Reading, Chelsea and Southampton have stolen our best talent, that seems to have changed recently.

The academy is the shining light for Clem and Co. Unsure how much is actually down to them, but of course they get the credit, and reluctantly, maybe rightly so. For me, it's a legacy of Alan Mac's hard work.

Yeah, credit where it's due.

Anyone know if we actually invested more under clem?

Ameen (and Brown) is a little bit different to a McGregor (and Minturn) in that we brought him in at 16 out of an elite academy. Certainly Sean Wood needs a bit of credit but he's not truly a product of the whole system.

There was talk of Adam Hart having been instrumental in bringing in some of the London based lads but I have no idea how true that is.

Well his son was one of them.

Ofoborh for me.  A great disrupter and with solid passing throughout.  Including the one which Nicholl should have buried.  Many rivals for MOM and, as above, pleasing to see the youngsters input, eg Kirkman and Ameen.  Former youngster/loanee Harry Smith was an absolute unit and a pain to Crewe all afternoon.

Maybe we should have an "All of the above" option for next season?
Just as a postive reflection of a good solid team performance like yesterday.
No standout out performers but maybe 4 or 5 who impressed overall.
Also a counterpoint to "None of the above".
Both options are likely to apply across a long season, even a good one.

Went for Ofoborh, with an element of sympathy vote, as the season hasn't been without its challenges for him, but great to see him in the process of hopefully nailing down a place as a regular starter.