Thetownend.com

Probably give this a miss....

Town 0-3 Wombles att: 6,311 (895 away)

Have a feeling we are going to recieve a hiding tonight

On the plus side it might push Vale down  :)

I'm going for a 0-2 loss.

Everything about this says "meh" to me.

Much rather Wimbledon go up instead of Walsall + Vale.

Agree.

Missed the Accies game thankfully as sunning my arse in the Canaries.

Im showing up tonight. Hope the players do!

Sounds like we have reverted to type with a few on the beach etc etc.

Seasons gone but the nightmare of MK sending us down has been avoided. A very poor return for the support we have.

Probably give the ST a miss for next season.

If anyone has a freebie ticket for tonight, hit me up ;-)

Wimbledon Manager's Preview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujVoC_FHuC8

Haven’t lost a league game at home in 11 games (23/11/2024 last defeat). Be nice to continue this run into next season… probably jinxed it now though.

I think we'll lose tonight. Won 1 in last 6, looked poor last few games.

Relegation form
Champions form
Relegation form

Our season if we lose ^^^^^^

Be great to keep the "Fortress County Ground" going by avoiding defeats but I cant see where the goals will come from to get us a win today.

Which result would do neither team any good?   So, I am going for a draw, asuming that major bollockings since Saturday have sunk in.

Exactly. Almost forgot we had a game tonight which I will attend being a ST holder and it marginally beats watching a non-event Premiership match, but certainly not expecting a great deal.

No goals scored in our last 2 games.
Noticeable lack of shits given.
Opponents going for play offs.

Only 1 result really.

I live in hope 2-1 Town, Smith to break his scoring drought

Other than the Merlin, where else shows the EFL games?

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GndwfjoW4AA9HwJ?format=jpg&name=large)

Thats an unusual line up for sure, no right back int he team and only 2 centre backs and 1 left back.

So are we playing a 3-3-4 formation?

                            Ripley
                       Wright  Kirkman
          Cotterill          Ofoborh           Cox
Tshimanga           Butterworth               Glatzel
                       Smith      Westley

The old 235 WM formation from Arsenal of the 1930s.

2-3-5 new one on me but makes sense looking at the players picked.

The original football formation from many years ago, it was partly in jest but it could be.

(https://i.redd.it/uqt9bw54kvma1.jpg)

Or is this an April Fools joke?

That is inarguably a team of footballers.

Blimey!

Meanwhile, the Wimbledon coaching staff are trying to figure out their marking assignments.  This is while Harry Smith is being instructed on how to play center-half.

This could be either Ollie genius or we will get ripped to fucking shreds!

Harry Smith at CB.

Hiding behind the sofa, I think I know how this is going to go.  Ollie is playing in his sandbox.

Well you cant fault him for trying to change things!

Can't argue with that, but Crewe, Grimsby, etc. may not see it that way.

 2-0 win I reckon . Cox brace .

I wonder if he will try Ofoborh in the Clarke role as roaming 3rd CB today.

That was my guess, but Ofoborh hasn't got height, but he has got width.

He's literally the only midfielder in the team, not playing him in midfield would be fun...

Yes but saying that Clarke is only 5 foot 11 and doesnt actually head too many balls he relies on his positioning to defend.

We will find out soon enough though!

Its going to be interesting isnt it!

BBC website has put it down as a back 4 of Butterworth, Wright, Kirkman and Cox. Makes as much sense as anything else I can think of.

That’s how we set up when I was at school. Retro to the extreme.

It’ll never work!

It may be, it may not be, he could be playing Ripley at right back with Smith in goal....

Gotta love Holloways willingness to try something different though I guess.

Similar to how we started VS Cheltenham, every fan spent the first 60 mins waiting for a more balanced team. Fear it may be similar tonight - Wimbledon setting up 3-5-2 with the two wing backs being natural wingers/wide midfielders. Could be very open…

What a pathetic turn out for a team going for the autos

Looks like about 800 or so, we always sell out there no matter where we are in the league at the time.

Very wierd with Smith at CB, our best attcking option.

Smith playing CB hahah

This is all so mad that I'm sure we'll win 8-0

Glatzel crosses to Kirkman who shoots just wide from 15 yards.

Theres no doubt Smith will win a lot of headers at the back, but it does depend if he can move up to play them offside when needed. Could need a big effort from Smith to get up and down the pitch all game.

Great tackle by Ofoborh there tracking back.

Tshimanga breaks but his shot is weak and easily saved.

Butterworth turns a cross behind for a corner to them.

Glatzel fouled 40 yards out. Quick FK wasted by Butterworth.

Matt Stevens had chubbed up a bit since he left FGR.

Glatzel looking tons better without Smith hogging all the high balls.

Westley nearly gets the ball in front of the keeper but he just gets a 2nd hand to it.

Wimbledon look nervous, which I suppose makes sense.

Butterworth in defence doing that scares me a bit.

Good defending by Smith.

This isnt as bad as Saturday but its not much better than watching paint dry at times.

How can we play with so many attackers and be not very attacking.

Wright low FK to Glatzel but his shot is saved. Corner to Town.

Corner to them.

It's an odd one, both teams look like they could concede at any time and yet neither side look like scoring...

Ripley makes a great save from a 1 on 1.

Yes its almost an oxymoron.

Evening chaps!

That’s why it would be good to sign Ripley. Commanding in the area from crosses even when fouled

Westley and Glatzel are being kicked all over the pitch by them and the ref giving us very little.

Lovely red sky!! More interesting than the game!

I really hope Ripley will join us next season, I like him, we could do a lot lot worse but georgraphy plays a large part in that.

How the hell did we miss that.

red sky at night...shepherds barn on fire.

Good tackle by Kirkman there.

I'm finding this entertaining.

Yeah I'd agree with that - it's not high quality but there's a lot of incident and effort, and the team selection has at least provided some interest. A big improvement on the last two games at least.

Westley is being pulled about everywhere by the Tool.

The first 30 mins I thought was awful but its picked up the last 15,

Another chance for Glatzel that he isnt too close to.

HT 0-0

Glatzel could have had a hat-trick. Strange half, but fun enough.

Watched the last 20 or so minutes

I mean that wasn’t too bad considering it’s a very unorthodox line up & 2/3rds of our defence is our top goal scorer & a young player who hasn’t played in months due to injury.

Had the better chances too.

Loving the willingness of Glatzel, Tshimanga and Westley . Wright's deliveries are on tack and Kirkman very impressive. We should be in front. Great fun for a dead game(as far as we're concerned)

So, what happens at H.T.?  A more attacking line-up?

Forget the reported figure. For actual humans in the ground, that looks like the lowest for some time…. Seems like many (me included) have checked out.

I’m frustrated by the lack of quality up front. There are so many chances that ‘should’ have gone in. Glatzel’s finishing worries me. Westley seems to have caught the bug too.

I’m interested in hearing what Holloway says after the game about the selection

Front three have looked lively, Smith has looked comfortable at the back. Nice to see Kirkman back who has looked good...

Smith up front second half?

I like Glatz but for me he just isnt up to it, a better striker would have got a hattrick today already, for me its time for him to move on.

Even if he scores 3 in the 2nd half that wont change my mind I am afraid.

I had the misfortune to be at Morecambe on Saturday and this is so much better.

Oh yeah, the finishing's crap(Inc Smith!) but I'm loving the effort!

One thing I do hope for in the 2nd half...the ref gives gets control of the fouls commited on Westley and Glatzel almost every time they get the ball. I would say the same about Tshimanga but hes not been too close to the play so far.

Both their CBs have been booked, he's not given them all but he's hardly let them get away with murder either.

I reckon a front two of him & Smith in a 442 would yield results.

If we are in the experimental stage of the season - I’d like to see it.

Same for Westley.

…on the subject of people who started off good and dipped (well in this case injured) but as there been any news anywhere about Tom Clayton since he left us in the summer?

OToole was booked pretty much for totting up fouls rather than 1 bad foul, hopefully he isnt so quick to foul Glatzel this half.

Nope hes not got a club yet.

Att: 6,500 (694 Wombles)

Probably been discussed so apologies, but was that Lewis Ward I just seen sat on their bench?

I would like to see Smith and Westley up front as a pairing for sure.

It is.

Yes, he's on the bench.

It’s not just that he hasn’t got a club but I don’t recall seeing anything about him being on trial anywhere or even training anywhere just for fitness

…or even a piece of media about how he’s recovered him his injury & is right & ready to go (unless he is still injured)

Not even a short term deal at a local non league club to get match sharp etc

it does make me wonder if he has a career threatening injury.

Good effort from Wimbledon fans on a Tues night for some relatively garbage footy.

I note that AFC are wearing their commemorative ''Club FC Milton Dons'' third kit. I only assume it's in honour of the plastic dons continued demise :soapy tit wank:

Boo

0-1

Three bites at the cherry there.

We’re working hard but that quality is missing. Often a bad touch or pass and as shown by our misses in the first half and they have a similar scrabble and put it in!

Can’t say they didn’t deserve that.

Three chances on the trot and they score one - unlike us.

It had been coming, but it droped kindly.

Undeserved

I think this half they have probably deserved the lead, we have been poor this half. If Glatz had managed to take one or more of his chances 1st half it might be different.

:D

Not sure it had…

…that was one of their first shots on target (followed by 2 more!)

get Sobo on at RB, Freckleton on at CB push Smith up front and get Ameen on for some pace.

Take off Tshimanga, Butterworth and Glatzel.

Also Kilkenny on for Cotterill.

I wonder what game people are watching sometimes.

Wimbledon have been better this half & had more of the play but wouldn’t say they’ve been that much better for that long that them scoring was inevitable & fully deserved

Has it though? I thought we started this half well and that's the first time they've been in our area. Maybe wrong

They have been easily the better side this half on the play. We have been poor.

FK to Town in the middle 35 yards out.

Yeah, I said that but have they been that much better that their goal was obviously coming & fully deserved?

Poor FK by Wright, goes out for a corner.

Not sure its fully deserved or obviously coming but we cant complain about it as we have been so poor this half and they seem to want it more than us TBH.

Must have my red tinted glasses on bcoz I think up to the goal we were the better side this half 🤷‍♂️

Kilkenny on for Butterworth
Freckleton on for Westley
Nichols on for Kirkman

Need to put the big centre defender up front

Normally I would agree mate but I just dont see it this half, 1st half in the end we edged it but this half I thought its been poor.

I dont like being negative unless I feel its deserved.

I'm not really sure either side are the "better" side. It's end to end, scrappy, messy and they've got a bit luckier with one of their shots going in. On another day this game could be about 5-5.

This easily finishes a score draw or AFC go on to win two or three zip.

Sounds like a training match in the stadium at times but to be expected when there is probably less than the 5k-ish Town fans. Might be a bit more if Town could hit a feckin barn door tbh

I wouldn't say that AFC's goal was coming but the combo of Town not taking any chances, another somewhat bum ref and AFC's would likely get an opportunity {or three} at some point. It's all pretty gash tbf; even if is alarmingly an improvement on the last couple of matches

Seemingly players and fans alike #HolidayMode #OutOfOffice

Kirkman was the best player on the pitch for Town until he went off

Have we had a lower than 6000 home attendance in the league recently? (officially, it looks less than that in reality from reports)

He was probably my MotM.

Very good save by Ripley.

Another decent save from Ripley. xG on this game could be anything really.

Another great save from Ripley

I have no idea what xG is!

Has Sobowale pissed in Holloway’s Cornflakes?

"We should have scored six today" but with maths.

I used to have an Austin 1100. Think that was an XG.

Ameen on for Cotterill
Cain on for Ofoborh

It would seem so.

Agreed

Ameen luckily wins a corner for Town.

They've certainly not shown any more quality than us

Pen for foul on Smith

1-1 Tshimanga

Deserved.

Tshimanga take a bloody good penalty.

Undeserved.

Can't believe that wasn't a second yellow but there you go.

Since their goal we have looked the side most likely to score.

Surely we can all say that's deserved?😁

To deserve, or not to deserve, that is the question.

5 mins added.

I really wish Glatzels header went in just for him, he could have had 4 today.

Penalty to Town.

Red for the defender too for handball.

Absolute cinema.

Scenes.

2-1 Tshimanga

Deserved

Undeserved

Fair fucking play Town.

Crikey! 😮

That was a terrible foul by the number 18 on Glatzel.

Tshimanga should go with England to the WC as pressure penalty coach.

FT 2-1

Fair play Town great comeback.

He genuinely does take one of the best penalties I have ever seen from any Town player.

Well, it wasn't dull.

Tshimanga took exception to it!

Surely they can't argue about either of those decisions. Absolute nailers

Nope, but the result glossed over our shortcomings

Forgot we were even playing.....

Have to say Kirkman was superb but Kilkenny turned that game for us

I really want to like Tshimanga. Takes a good penalty, but, didn’t do much else all game.

He’s not a lot better than Adeloye

 pleased to see someone picked up a brace

Not like (m)any of them have been dead rubber penalties either.
Feels like a lot have been result deciding

I know stats aren't everything but we equalled or bettered them in every one

Come on let's not go too far.

I’d stick to post match interview summations

Football opinions clearly aren’t for you.

You're welcome  ;D

I thought it was a great reaction to the Morecambe performance. Deserved with 18 shots to the Wombles 10. Ollie will be chuffed and we can win without Clarke!!

That was great. Thoroughly deserved win and just what you want to see for the rest of the season. Finish strong and take the good form into next season.

Yes,shame. His efforts deserved a goal tonight

Well, the players certainly woke up for the last five or ten mins and couldn't fault effort in that final tenth.

Still papers over many cracks but no one can not enjoy coming from behind to win at the death with a bit of drama. When was the last time Town got two penalties in a league game and scored them both?

Tishmanga {in the words of Sir Bodin} certainly can take a peno. Ironically, we all wish he could stay on his feet a bit more  :)

Exciting at the end - Yes. But I don't want to have to watch such low quality football next year! The best bit of football was their build up to their goal. All of a sudden there was quality all over the pitch which resulted in 3 changes and a goal!

At the moment, he doesn't fall over that much, but doesn't keep up with the play!

Tuesday night footy hasn't been too regular an occurrence for Town fans this season  :D

"cracks"😁. It's L2, which side doesn't have cracks?

Indeed, he has got a bit better at staying on his feet. Has Hollowhead fashioned him some stabilisers?  :hmmm:

Holloway:
- It was worth the risk of putting Smith as CB. Their manager couldn't believe it. They put 2 lumps at the back to handle Smith and had to change their plan
- Thinking was that Smith was tired and worn out. We didnt win any headers in the Morecombe game and Holloway wanted a presence in defence.
- Smith is one of those that looks rubbish in training but does it on the day. He was poor in training at CB, and Holloway was having second thoughts about it
- Holloway took a risk, which could have backfired
- Wanted to get over to the team what he didnt like at the weekend. Passive, rather than semi aggressive defending
- They were obviously fouling our smaller strikers, but we wouldn't have been given fouls against Smith
- Could definitely do that again (Smith at CB)
- Spirit was excellent and crowd were excellent
- Wombles are disappointed. Their manager is fuming with the ref
- But we put great balls into the box
- All the subs got a game
- We are definitely safe. Sure the bottom teams won't get 51 points
- We now try to get another 18
- Tshimanga was cool as a cucumber. Great man. Proper professional. When not picked, he tries even harder to get back in. Its what Holloway wants
- Fans were fantastic
- Holloway feels warn out
- We have played better and got nothing
- Home results are down to togetherness.
- Biggest cheer was when Tshimanga chased down a defender and gave away a throw. The crowd went wild
- Westley and Glatzel battle and fought. Thats all Holloway wans
- Today was more of what Holloway wanted. Fighting every minute

Admittedly, several likely do but we do know Town has a lot of work to be where they should be. Both on and definitely off the pitch. It's not acceptable to accept this level of footy. As many have stated, the bare minimum for this club should always be challenging at the top end of League Two and even having a bloody good crack {lolzy} at League One - once there again.

So yup. A fuck ton of cracks at this club. Although several fans would think it's a perfectly rendered club {not necessarily mean on here btw}. The only thing perfectly rendered at Town currently is services rendered  :D

Despite that, as mentioned...still going to enjoy the win; purely for the matter in which it evolved and was executed - namely by Tshimanga's penalty taking exploits  :pint:

Er, frustrating, weird and brilliant all in one game.

A win is a win and to be celebrated

Thanks Ollie, best laugh I've had for a long time.

Yeah, dunno what some of our fans are expecting tbh.

Is the squad good enough to get out of this league - probably not.
Has the improvement / form under Holloway given us enough to at the very least be looking encouragingly at next season, imo yes.

Even top of the league Walsall have more cracks on display than a construction site. Won’t even finish top 3.

Still a good chance Walsall go up automatically, 2 wins in 15 games yet still top of the league. No one putting the pressure on.

Their last minute equaliser tonight against Donny could be massively pivotal.
Otherwise Walsall would be top on 71pts & Donny 4th on 69pts with a game in hand.

Even now it’s 72 - 67. So 5pts difference & Donny have a game in hand.
Obviously the two teams between them are on 70pts.

Considering their form - it’s very possible they drop out of the top 3.
I swear they were like 18 points clear at one point weren’t they?

Doncaster go to Cheltenham on Saturday.
Walsall host 3rd place Port Vale.
Bradford home to Crewe.

Wasn't expecting that.
Always a treat to win a game in that manner, home or away.

Hopefully any reps of interested parties will have picked up on the latent energy from the stands in the last 5 minutes, even from a relatively sparse home attendance.
It's very powerful stuff if invested in & harnessed correctly.

Managed to survive an afternoon & evening in the company of the ferocious Tooting Beer Monster, but that's yet to be confirmed.

It was also very gratifying to find out that there are AFC Wimbledon equivalents who share the same overriding philosophy when following their team on the road.

I guess we don't have a huge amount of midfield options but without Kilkenny, not a lot of stuff happens in that part of the pitch anymore. It was telling that after he came on we started to get a bit of control and the last 5 minutes plus injury time we looked like a dominant side, whilst Wimbledon seemed to fade.

First half, pretty 'meh'. Butterworth causing some palpitations with his rotations in his own box. Lovely stuff but not too much there son, please! We could actually have gone in at half time ahead but sadly Glatzel was a bit of a jigsaw in the box. A shame as some of his play up to that point was decent. Him and Westley certainly let the Wimbledon defenders know they were in a game.

Second half the inevitable 'softish' goal by the ex-Oxford player coming off the bench. Nice finish I suppose but it was their third bite of the cherry. Putting Smith up front seemed to cause more problems, at times his touch is heavy but he's an absolute menace of a player to defend! As mentioned before with Kilkenny (and to a lesser extent Cain) coming on, gave us a little bit of control in midfield and we really went for it. The first penalty well deserved, 3 defenders all over Smith, his ripped shirt being pulled all over the place. Tshimanga doing the business from 12. The second penalty, I'm not totally convinced. Only saw 1 quick replay but looked like it was more shoulder than arm? Either way, irrelevant as the decision was another spot kick and Tshimanga popped it into the same place as the first.

As Rich Pullen would say, lovely stuff!

Holloway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5vva-vDR4M

I think it hits his arm.
He falling over and think it’s more a case of he’s planting his arm to break his fall than a deliberate movement towards the ball but it’s stopped it going past him & towards the net.

I *think* the player on the line had a good chance of getting it.

So, to the letter of the law it’s a penalty because it hit his hand - not sure it was deliberate and / or prevented a goal being scored…done now either way.

Yeah,but not dissimilar to the move leading up to our first penalty,surely?

I've watched it a few times and I think he knew what he was doing. He had already fallen and steadied himself - his hand was on the ground. When the ball is shot towards goal he moves his arm to stop it. Definite penalty and sending off in my view.

I thought it was a pretty even first half and there wasn't a lot of difference up to their goal in the second.

Harry Smith had a very good half as a defender. Reassuring to know that the sefcret option exists.

Glatzel- I so want to see him score. I think once he bags one, his confidence will start to return and mroe will come, akin to a goaless Jan Age Fjortoft up until he got his first (penalty at Ipswich wasn't it?).

Either way, we have now got a very confident penalty taker.

We need to be more accurate with our distribution. Ofoborh and Tshimanga were both very generous with their passing to opposition players but everyone had their issues at times.

I thought it was good that after the first pen they didn’t celebrate too much, picked the ball up and ran straight back to the centre circle to go again then put the pressure straight back on them.

Small thing in the context of the season but it annoyed me against Cheltenham when we grabbed the equaliser then went off celebrating when there was time to grab the ball and get a winner against 10 men.

There are 2 questions I have to ask after that.

1. What has Sobowale done to not even deserve to come off the bench when we had no right sided defender in the team.

2. How the fuck can he pick Cotterill in front of Kilkenny...ever?

Sobowale was a bit shite when he last started, Kilkenny maybe needed a rest.

Kilkenny is literally our midfield, (i suppose Cotterill is also tbf) agree he probably needed a rest.

Coterill ours? Eh.

I think I'm misinterpreting your post Bob?

Ours as the players that make up our midfield, not our players per se. ( Ofoborh as well of course)

Find it quite amusing we have scored the most penalties in League 2 (7 out of 9). Despite how bad we was at pens for the first half of the season.

All competitions, including shootouts it's 8 from 15 I think. Tshimanga showing everyone else up significantly.

Tshimanga 5 from 5
Wright 2 from 4 (1 shootout)
Smith 0 from 2
Cox 1 from 1
Glatzel 0 from 1
Drinan  0 from 1 (shootout)
Cotterill 0 from 1 (shootout)

I was joking when I posted this when the team was announced, couldn't believe it when Harry showed up in the back three.