Home v Stevenage - Tues Feb 11th

I think Stuart deserves a lot of credit last night. We don’t normally score three, we don’t normally come back to win from being a goal down and we don’t normally have three strikers. It was a good idea to play McCartan on the left wing coming in to shoot. But the game management thing wasn’t perfect. In extra time DMH crossed lamely from near the corner when it would have been better to gain a corner. Similarly Connelly crossed too high for Reeves when tactically he might have done better to either retain possession or win a corner. Surprising bearing in mind we conceded late goals in previous two matches.

 

As @borderlescott mentioned, i'd guess its down to him being a loan player with only so many spots available.

 

Thats my theory out the window.

 

See my post above.

 

Agree with everything you've said. BUT (there's always a but isn't there). Don't you think we've been game managed to death. He who dares and all that.

 

Agree but after sitting through that first half (which was as bad as we've seen at home this season) it had to improve second half.

 

We got a bit lucky before the third. They backheeled one in our box and we got out of jail. They were poor and we went up the other end and scored, but a decent team might have punished us.

 

Do you also think we got lucky with the first goal too, sure it looked like by henley on their full back

 

It was a lovely assist from the Stevenage lad for McCartan’s opener

 

Bowyer would have been shouting at Novak to take it into the corner and fall over. The fact I had City to win and 4 goals or more is irrelevant. To be fair to the lad what a finish.

 

Ha ha. Good work!

 

I was just worried they’d go up the other end and score.

 

Agreed. It always narks me off when teams take the ball into the corner, especially when it's from a corner kick. It's anti football and rarely wastes much time, often ending in a goal kick. I'd much rather see us try to score another goal and make the game safe. Obviously you wouldn't commit too many forward from an attacking corner near full time - you'd keep enough back to block any break.
Trying to run down the clock near the corner flag is one of my real pet hates in football, whether we do it or the opposition. I wish there was a way to outlaw it. If I had my way I'd call it Ungentlemanly Conduct and just add on the attempted time wasted.

 

Genuine class.

 

I hope either the lad currently on trial or Middleton gets some game time on the left wing, linking up with Wood should see City create more chances.
Push McCartan futher forward to play off of Novak/Donaldson away from home and see where the next 2 games takes us.

 

It’s got to be Novak on current form. To break away on that pitch to take that goal so coolly was impressive. TBH Donaldson wouldn’t have scored it.

 

Well, one of these days Clayton will score from open play right?

His scoring record at Bolton and now here leaves alot to be desired, but cannot fault his all round effort.

 

When strikers are tired they tend to be less clinical in their finishing and Novak had run around for 90 minutes on a very heavy pitch. The more I watch the goal and the more I think about it, the better it becomes.

 

Annoys me as well, much rather see the team go for the two goal buffer rather than defend the one. Not even sure the stats would back up going to the corner flag as being effective, more often than not the opposition get the ball back fairly quickly.