Looking forward to what could be a very big game for us- another away win (or even a point) will be huge. Argyle have a full squad to pick from so it will be interesting to see what the starting 11 is. hope to be back by about 8 pm so match report sometime after that. Hope it stays fine because it is an awful away terrace in the rain !
Think the forecast is for heavy showers around 3.05pm tomorrow lyndhurst. Agree this is a biggy for both sides. If we were honest I think most would settle for the point if offered right now. But, if we have asperations of being No.1 at the end of the season then we have to take on all comers. Squeaky bum time me thinks.
Better put my ear phones on for this game don't want to wake the Wife... She is Canadian and calls the game Soccer..
That's terrible BC......I'd feed her to a bear if I were you. Mind you, if she doesn't get up and make you breakfast while you are listening to the match then she needs binning anyway whatever she calls the beautiful game.
Just back from an enjoyable away day- followed the advice on the Rovers website that said there is loads of onstreet parking near the ground....perhaps there was but but it still took an hour to travel the last 3 miles and park. Note to self; -coach next time. Anyway, Argyle started off with Reid, Jervis and Brunt all on the teamsheet along with Wylde and the usual back 5. Brunt played more 'in the hole' than up front but it doesn't look like his best position. We started off with good tempo and very much on the front foot and forced a couple of good positions & corners in the first 10. Rovers gradually got a foothold in the match and the first half was fairly scrappy. Wlyde had hardly had a touch but the popped up on the left, cut inside, and smashed the ball into the bar from the edge of the box. That, an outstanding block by their defender and almost a goalkeeping mistake were the highlights of the first half from Argyle-on another day we might have been 3 up. Rovers had played some attractive football, especially down their left flank where once again Mellor looked completely out of sorts. Seeing him at closer quarters (rather than my lofty perch in the Lyndhurst) only confirmed my earlier thoughts that some of his defensive positioning is extremely poor-he just didn't seem to know where or what he was supposed to be doing. Despite exploiting that obvious weakness Rovers only had one real attempt on target which Luke saved well, spilled and then re gathered. 0-0 at half time was, I suppose, very satisfactory away from home against a decent team. The other notable episode was Hartley's falling out with one of theirs-no idea what it was about but Hartley and the ref were the target of the Rover's fans ire for the rest of the match. Start of the second half much of the same but after about 10mins the game really opened up and became end to end. Argyle had the best of the play without really going close but forced plenty of corners. Rovers looked dangerous on the break and Luke pulled off a couple of good saves to keep us in it.. Mellor attempted an interception in the attacking third of the pitch, Rovers broke, Argyle were overun at the back and the score was 0-1. Some plant life for some reason saw the fact that we were losing as just cause to let off a green flare in our end . All that served to do was irritate the rest of the normal Argyle fans as the smoke was blown straight into our faces. Martyn Starnes (PAFC CEO) who was stood about 3 yards from me looking suitably unimpressed. In fairness Argyle didnt give in and scored a deserved equaliser near the end after some tidy play. Good to see Carey come on for the last few minutes. 1-1 was probably a fair result- could maybe have taken all three but in all honesty, the equaliser felt like a winner. Pretty good games all round - Wylde probably MOTM but pushed close by Hartley who was much improved. ref was once again pretty good- didn't give as a penalty for a handball shout but not many would. An hour to get out of Bristol and home by 8, cant be bad. Another one ticked off -18 to go and nine points clear of 4th.
Nice report Lyndy, yes sounded a good game on the radio and had reports from some friends who went up.. He said Rovers goal was a smash and grab as we had all the play
I said I'd settle for a point at the outset and I think this was a decent point given the opposition. Didn't really expect any favours from Morecambe even though I put it down as a draw on the prediction board. The other results were reasonable for us if we are taking 3rd place as the least aim for the season. Quite happy this evening although I did think we'd blown it
Thanks Lindy for your report......a point away cannot be moaned at......Northampton can't go on forever winning....we just need to hang in there.....we can still win this league.
When the entire outfit of Northampton get arrested for nicking tax payers money....i.e. £10.5m then we will rule the World Plym. It is so unfair they can go on signing players as if nothing happened. And yes I am bitter after the disaster we and a few other clubs had to go through.
When the entire outfit of Northampton get arrested for nicking tax payers money....i.e. £10.5m then we will rule the World Plym. It is so unfair they can go on signing players as if nothing happened. And yes I am bitter after the disaster we and a few other clubs had to go through.
I've heard that there's a good speech trainer....I think he helped some King or other......but I don't think they'll make a film of your little problem sensible........
I'm going to say it again,.....ok I'm going to sound like an old stuck needle (do you remember them).....we need another goalscore up front. It is becoming obvious that Reid and Brunt are not a good pairing.......Brunt plays best up front...but when Reid is in the team he is pushed on to the wing or as yesterday playing behind him. Reid came back from injury six games ago....he played as sub for a short period.....then not used on the bench for the next two games....and has started for the last three......but reports that I read on yesterdays game suggests that he isn't really match fit yet.....personally the argument is wearing thin....how long does he need to get fit......or should the question be is he not fully recovered from his hip problem......Brunt who has surprised some by his form, still isn't taken seriously....especially when Reid returns to the line up. Reuben Reid has had two good goalscoring seasons.....and without too much in the way of injury.....until near the end of last season, when Sheridan desperately played him all the time when it was obvious he wasn't fit enough.....and he hasn't really been the same player since then. So back on my hobby horse.....we need a proven goal score who is fit....and please don't tell me Brunt is the man....he isn't.....you look down the teams in this league and you'll find the same old war horses stepping up to the plate and scoring regular goals.....our scorers have now dropped to the bottom half of the leading goal getters in this league.....we cannot continue to pressurise our good defence by scraping wins by the odd goal.....Northampton's defence had the luxury yesterday of being three goals up when Morcambe scored their goal......when have we ever been three goals up in a league match this season ?.... never. Maybe if Grahame Carey hadn't been injured it would be a different story....but he was injured and hasn't played since half-time at Dag & Red....isn't that seven weeks ago.....we have been still getting our required number of points to be in a promotion place still.......and it is only Northampton and Oxford who have performed to the same level or better......I maintain we need another regular goalscorer who will paper over these problems and take the pressure off our hard working defence.
It's a measure of how far we've come that all (I think) of us here think an away point at Rovers is an OK result but the manager says we should have won. No credit for merely working your socks off now is there? I don't want to pick holes in Adams but I can't imagine why he plays Reid as the "centre forward" with Brunt behind him as of the two, Reid is the more mobile. Still, can't complain. Brent and Adams are apparently in agreement that they think it's unhealthy to have players hanging around the club who have little or no chance of a game. Also, the finances probably aren't yet in a state where a proven scorer can be paid for just as an insurance policy. I think that with Carey back to improve the quality of cormers and freekicks, plus to chip in a few goals himself, we'll be there or thereabouts as long as the defence keeps the goals against down. We seem to be able to get goals from most of the players without relying on any particular individual and who knows, we might even get a penalty or two.....
We have goal scorers but the answer is don't play them at the same time. It's so obvious and has been so obvious for several games now. I don't understand why managers persist in having to play Reid. It certainly looks like that anyway. When you have another player in a rich vein of form scoring then you keep playing him until he isn't scoring. Then you make a change and play the other one. That isn't that hard to see is it? What would the introduction of yet another striker achieve? To play two different strikers at the same time that doesn't work is about all I can see. I think they need to get the idea out of their head that Reid must play if not injured. I'm not criticising Reid in that either. Brunt was doing very well untill Reid came along and joined him in the team. It isn't working out so what is the common factor in that? Erm playing them both together.
