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Match Day Thread versus Hartlepool

Discussion in 'Plymouth' started by sensiblegreeny, Sep 22, 2016.

  1. sensiblegreeny

    sensiblegreeny Well-Known Member
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    There is something wrong with this fixture.........it isn't the end of the season although I'd take it if it was. I'll bet that nowhere near the numbers turn up this time from the far North and none of them will be in disguise either.

    Things aren't going well for the Monkey Hangers and are going extremely well for the Pilgrims. What could possibly go wrong....

    We have 6 in the league on the trot and alll the talk is about the best start to the season for thousands of years. Can we make it 7 which we last did during the Roman occupation. Fact is we should but I hate it when it seems that simple. We make such hard work of these games and trip up too often or at least we have for the past 2 seasons. Although I've not heard too much I'm guessing we might be without Garita for this one. The other forwards haven't exactly hit the net running but there have been goals from other positions to shore it up. Fingers crossed I think after last weeks euphoria.
     
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  2. notDistantGreen

    notDistantGreen Well-Known Member

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    Garita does not have a damaged hamstring although there was swelling around it. No, I don't know what that means either but he has a chance of playing. I suspect he'll be on the bench and might come on in the last 20 if we need a goal at that stage.

    Hartlepool have done better away than they have at home so it's not a foregone conclusion.

    Nathan Thomas, who, if many Argyle fans had had their way, wouldn't have left the club in the first place, has played in all 8 of their games this season and scored 3 times. Sod's Law Level 2 says that when something does go wrong, which it inevitably will, it will always go wrong in the worst possible way. I'll say no more.
     
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  3. sensiblegreeny

    sensiblegreeny Well-Known Member
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    I don't think any game is a foregone conclusion for any team in this horrible league. You only have to look at a couple of results we had last season to know that and Portsmouth had more shockers than most I think. We have so many Ex players around the leagues now after the wholesale clear out that we are bound to have one playing against us in a lot of games. I don't see this as a repeat of last season though.
     
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  4. lyndhurstgreen

    lyndhurstgreen Active Member

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    Good morning campers. Dark and dank in PL3 this morning, though surprisingly mild. Having been away on family duties this will be my first match for three weeks so really looking forward to it. With No2 son safely installed in reading Uni it will be a bit odd going up there on my own for the first time in about 10 years(too damp for Mrs Lindy's hair apparently)-will have to concentrate as I normally rely on him to tell me which player is which. Looking forward to seeing Thomas and Alessandra again, am sure they will both get a good hand from the home supporters. Hartlepool can be a decent side on their day so think it will be a fairly tight affair with us winning by the odd goal.
     
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  5. lyndhurstgreen

    lyndhurstgreen Active Member

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    Well, points shared between a very well drilled Hartlepool team and a lackluster Argyle was probably a fair result. The greens started well enough and for the first ten minutes it looked like it would be a routine home win...Not to be though as Hpool soon worked out how to nullify the Argyle threat and looked the better team for most of the half. For whatever reason Argyle's defence had a poor day, at least in terms of giving the ball away-if fairness to them, the Adams way is clearly to play the ball out from the back and I don't think there were more than a dozen long kicks from Luke today. The problem is that our back 4 are not the greatest passers of a pig's bladder and time and time again the Hartlepool players were first to the ball-with a very regimented 4 at the back and 5 across the midfield there was absolutely no room for Argyle to play pretty football. Argyle ended up playing far too many square passes across the back four (much to the annoyance of the crowd) and lacked much real penetration.
    Not seen any highlights yet but from where we sit in the Lyndhurst Nathan Thomas' cross/shot looked like it was drifting harmlessly wide but somehow Luke managed to palm it into the net-I hope to be proved wrong.
    DA didn't mess about and made two changes at half time-not a vast improvement but I always thought we might get something out of the match. Hpool were resorting to Wycombe like tactics and generally wound up the crowd, and increasing annoyed the ref. Argyle leveled from the spot - my initial thought was that it was a poor decision-again will have to wait for the highlights but tbh Argyle could easily have been awarded two earlier pens for an obvious handball and a push on Jervis(?). Whatever, 1-1 and there was only going to be one winner from there but Hartlepool just about hung on in a frenetic last 15 minutes.

    Hartlepool were lucky to only be reduced to 10 men -they could easily have had a couple of others sent off. It will be interesting to hear their managers view on events.

    No real MOTM , Fox did okay Goodwilly tried hard and Jervis made a difference when he came on at HT. Unusually for him, Carey's distribution from free kicks was poor apart from one in the first half when the keeper just managed to push it round the post.

    Ref was poor (again) , think he got the pen wrong and didnt really clamp down on 'the dark arts' until near the end. Shout out for Thomas who had a good game and applauded the home fans at the end. Allessandra should probably have scored from a breakout but wasted the opportunity (heard that somewhere else before).

    points a point-top of the league-onwards and upwards.
     
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  6. sensiblegreeny

    sensiblegreeny Well-Known Member
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    Agree with most of that lyndhurst but one or two added comments.

    Firstly the penalty decision. On a personal level I would not have given it and it was harsh. But have seen them given more than once also. Difficult one. Player goes to head it and defender does overhead without looking and could have taken his head off. Dangerous play???? your guess is as good as mine on that score.

    Secondly the pen decisions not given. Blatant handball and penalty all day long. My theory being the Ref realised he should have given it so hence the one he did give later. But not sure about the push on Jervis.

    Third point was the Referee. Now I thought he had a very good first half. Got important decisions pretty spot on. Tried to let play go but stopped it when it din't offer an advantage. Spoke to players etc etc. However, not sure who took over his body for part 2 because it looked like a completely different man. Example. Sub comes on for them. Kicks ball away and is rightly booked. Gobs off at Ref who gets card out again. Realises he just booked him so put it away and gave him a verbal. Should have been a red but he changed his mind. Or bottled it. Sends another one off for kicking ball away when it was there throw in. Stupid player. Gave a few kicks for fouls that weren't fouls and probably missed a few that were. He did allow some feining by Hartlepool who, if they had kept playing the way they started could have won rather than drawn.

    Fourth was the goal. It wasn't anything. Neither cross or shot. Luke helped it in but it was moving and spinning badly. Another 1000 efforts like that would never be a goal again. Own goal.

    Now down to the nitty gritty of Argyle. I didn't think they played at all in the first half. Poor. Hartlepool were by far the better side and deserved their halftime lead. We were lucky it was only one. You could be forgiven for thinking the league was upside down. They passed well, moved well and caused all kinds of threat. Second half started much the same for me and we didn't look like scoring from open play. Goodwillie is NOT a lone forward and we all knew that before kick off so why didn't Adams. However, I think Hartlepool ran out of steam and belief. They allowed Argyle back into this game and now you can see why they are where they are. They could have ended up losing this. The final 20 minutes was a seige with Hartlepool doing everything they could to waste time aided by the Ref not sorting it.

    All in all I'm pleased with the point which I thought we could easily not have had. As I said in the opening post on this thread "what could possibly go wrong".
     
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  7. lyndhurstgreen

    lyndhurstgreen Active Member

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    seen the highlights. Still not sure whether thomas' cross/shot would have gone in without luke's intervention...and still the pen was a bit 'harsh' . 1-1 probably the fairest result.
     
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  8. sensiblegreeny

    sensiblegreeny Well-Known Member
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    As you know I sit in line with the 18 yard line and of course behind the action. Not one person sat around me thought it was anything other than an own goal. It wasn't going in without a little help. Very unfortunate for Luke and hard to deal with but it was his. I read a section on pasoti with a write up and no mention of the possibility from them. I'd like to say otherwise but can't.
     
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  9. notDistantGreen

    notDistantGreen Well-Known Member

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    I do hope the Argyle fans give Goodwillie and Spencer a fair crack of the whip. Neither seem to be suited to lone striker role

    We're top of the league playing 4:2:3:1 so a change in tactics is unlikely. While the pair of them continue to try hard, they have to be given the benefit of the doubt despite the absence of goals.

    I have to admit I did cringe when the radio commentary announced Jervis was to take the penalty but I obviously need more faith.
     
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  10. Plymborn

    Plymborn Well-Known Member
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    Watched the video a few times and the only conclusion I can make is that Thomas's cross.....because that is what it was....was a jammy goal.

    McCormick I feel was not to blame....it was hard to tell if his hand made any difference to the direction the ball took......the fickled finger of fate and the returning ex-player syndrome won the day.

    I feel the penalty was given because a foot at head level is a dangerous situation and cannot be overlooked.....the Argyle player was lucky not to be seriously injured.......over the last year or so we've been owed a few penalties.
     
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  11. sensiblegreeny

    sensiblegreeny Well-Known Member
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    Plym I can assure you the ball would not have gone in without a little help. Trust me from where I sit it was obvious although having seen it on TV I can see why people are unsure from the angle shown. As for the penalty I noted another was given in another match almost identical to our's. Don't feel our's was that lucky now as it seems to be normal to give them for that. I see not many thought the Ref was any good.
     
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  12. Plymborn

    Plymborn Well-Known Member
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    So hard to get an opinion with the dregs they show you to be honest.
     
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