Match Day Thread versus Forest Green Rovers

First thing to say about this match is we have a Ref this time who has shown 113 yellows and 4 reds. Do they like writing reports this season or something? I think every Ref in the last half dozen games has been on an average of 4 yellows a game or near as damn it. This one has the surname "Speedie". Anyone who has any history with Argyle and a bad day will remember that name well. I was a Butlins with the family the day he scored a hattrick of headers I believe which relegated Argyle. Him being the shortest player on the pitch of course.

Anyway on to the present match to come. Second plays 24th. I will refrain from asking what could possibly go wrong as I think we take that as read now. They have the worst run of defeats in the league now and have looked odds on for relegation for a while. They will be fighting for their lives but if Argyle can't take 3 points at home from them then they don't deserve to be promoted. Whilst not spectacular our form has still been pretty good. Of course we can win this one even if they have a player that was once playing for us as a banana skin.



COYG

 

Just thought of the irony. Plymouth is in the news today for chopping down a load of trees and this Saturday we play a forest.

 

I looked back till 10th Dec before I could find the last win for FGR....a 1-0 win at home to Cheltenham......so how can we not get nervous about Saturday.

They still have to play Sheff W, Portsmouth, Derby & Barnsley.....so they look odds on for the drop.

 

A thankless task....

https://www.pafc.co.uk/news/babcock-devonport-end-safety-update

 

It's always difficult when dealing with the hard of understanding. Bit like the flares. I sort of get the standing up bit but it's the crowding together like a flock of penguins in an Arctic storm.

Sheff 1 - 1 Bolton tonight. Is that a wobble I see before me?

 

If we win well today....say by 3 or 4 goals....I think we have an even chance of coming second.

If we only just scrape through.....then I think the best we can do is third.

If we draw or even lose ....then fourth is the best we can do.

If we end up in the play-offs....then I cannot see us beating either Barnsley or Ipswich to win the third promotion spot

The Papa Johns Wembley game is winnable if we are still in the running for second in the league.....If we're heading for the play-offs then we'll lose to Bolton.

So today Argyle need to start playing well again and score goals....and keep a clean sheet against relegation bound FG Rovers.....others are finding ways to win....so we must do the same.

Our away form is not promotion winning....it's got to improve.

 

But our home form is excellent. We’ve got a reasonably easy run in. We’ve got players coming back from injury, Scarr, who’s more important than some may think, Cosgrove, Conor Grant and his magic left foot, Tireik Wright, who’s got lightning pace. We’re second and it’s ours to lose. COYG

 

.....................................................Burton

......................Wilson...................Bolton..........................Gillesphey

........Edwards............Houghton................Butcher...................Mumba

....................................Azaz............................Mayor

......................................................Ennis

Subs
Parkes, Scarr, Hardie, Waine, Earley, C Wright, Matete.

 

1-0.....James Bolton...8mins.

Argyle score from a corner with a header.....wow.

But not direct.

 

1-0.....H/T.

Ipswich......one up.

Barnsley.....drawing.

 

2-0.....Mumba...47mins......another header.

 

2-0.....F/T

Ipswich winning...2-0.

Barnsley just scored at Wycombe W.....that's disappointing.

 

We dominated possession from start to finish but if we had those “number of touches” stats, the podium positions would have gone to our back 3 without doubt.

Forest Green got all 11 into their defensive third and stayed there for long periods and we didn’t have the shape to penetrate them. Mumba was the classic example. He has pace to burn defenders but far too often was pushed right up onto the edge of their box stationary and nowhere to run without being offside. Our two CMs were pushed up onto their front row so the CBs had nobody to pass to.

We needed more mobility and how we needed someone in midfield with the ability to thread the needle though the little gaps. Come back soon Adam Randell.

Still, three points, won easily if not too excitingly. Bolton was magnificent at the centre of the back 3. Per Ardua Ad Astra as the band of the RAF would say.

 

Hey the RAF is my territory.....just keep to naval comments down that way please.

From what I've been reading FGR are the worst team seen for awhile......winning 2-0 brings home the 3pts....but surely this was a chance for us to improve our diminishing goal differance.......orhers have been scoring four against them.....one home defeat versus one away win.....should equate to more than 2-0.

The most disappointing thing this afternoon was Barnsley scoring the winning goal in the 85th minute against Wycombe.....I fancy them beating Sheff W next week and being a stronger challenger for second place.....and that is without saying that Ipswich seem to be winning all their games at the moment.

 

FG Rovers were pitiful. In fact they weren't even that good. They set up a wall at the very beginning of the match and refused point blank to move from it. They even took an age to take a goal kick or throw in. They were awful. Any team and I don't care how good they are in this league will struggle to put up a good show against them due to their terrible non ambitious football. They killed it as a spectacle. Even when they went one down they still refused to play football. All you have to do is look at their league position and how many points they are from even the next team above let alone from safety. How they think it is possible to get out of trouble by being like that god alone knows. They can't just play for a draw or even a one nil loss. The stats say it all. We had the ball for what seemed almost 90 minutes but there was nowhere to go with it. We were denied a penalty again. Not for the dive that tried to gain one, they had a worse one, but for Mayor who like Azaz the other week didn't go down when he should have. You can see why players exagerate a fall. It seems like no matter how obvious a foul or trip is if you don't hit the grass then you don't get anything. I don't think Forest Green would manage to stay in league 2 with their crew let alone league one.. Horrible game, right result and FG Rovers got their deserves.

 

I feel your pain. But right result as you say and 3 points in the bag.

 

Agreed it was the points that mattered above all things. The beer after was good though......

 

My Dad did National Service in the RAF and as kids, we were taken to the local air shows: RAF St, Mawgan and RNAS Culdrose particularly. As a result, I've always had a big interest in aviation.

However, It was Armed Forces Day at Home Park yesterday. The band of the RAF Regiment performed, hence Per Ardua Ad Astra, which seemed applicable, although just 3 points towards promotion rather than actual flight!

 

There is an Argyle calender picture years back ...of Lindy leading this parade on the pitch....when he was still in uniform.....and very striking he looked to.

 

notDistant you say you've always had an interest in aviation.

About 1949/50 when I was at school in Wiltshire (RAF Upavon).....we had sight of the first V-bomber flying overhead from its airfield at RAF Boscombe Down....its V-shaped wings and painted in white made it so futuristic for that time.....we were gobsmacked.......we also saw the less successful eight engined Brabazon passing over head.....slowly trying to claw its way into the air miles after leaving Boscombe Down......it felt more like a low flying cloud shadow.....and was it noisy.....not a great success....the complete opposite of the V-bombers.

There found something more interesting than talking about meatless FGR.