Gainsborough T. (H)

[voiceofreason]

www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/10680592.Worcester_City_0_Gainsborough_Trinity_1/

1 down already.

Not looking promising.

[voiceofreason]

1-2 now.

Crowd 347

[voiceofreason]

2-2!!

95th minute equaliser.

But we need wins!

[jupu]

We would be bottom if the table but for Ethan's penalty. The consensus seemed to be that we should have had a second penalty pretty much straight after?

[brooksiderstd]

Debatable, he was clearly looking for it

[harley]

First twenty minutes was crisp passing and movement but with no end product. Went one down to a terrible defensive error and that seemed to completely deflate the team. It was then Worcester giving the ball away cheaply and Gainsborough hitting the ball long. Equaliser was a mistake from their keeper palming the ball into the net when he should have caught it. Their second was Danny Glover giving the ball away in midfield and then one player allowed to run through. Ref played five minutes of injury time and second equaliser was a shoulder charge in the area that ref decided was a foul. I'd say the incident a minute later was more a penalty but ref obviously felt one in injury time was more than enough. Overall I'm not sure what to think, there is a good team in the making but despite some good work in midfield Glover and Nti had little to feed off in the final third. Otherwise pay and display car park was free after six-thirty and the soup was good.

[Bullocks]

Sept 18, 2013 6:14:53 GMT jupu said:

We would be bottom if the table but for Ethan's penalty. The consensus seemed to be that we should have had a second penalty pretty much straight after?

that would be the consensus of the City fans yes? I bet the consensus of the Gainsborough fans would be that it wasnt a penalty. 

[stamoo]

We were lucky to get a point here and the only way we looked like scoring was through a penalty. We know what to expect from Gainsborough, a big boot upfield and chase it like a pack of greyhounds. It's not pretty, and not how I would like City to play, but it's effective and our defence were on the back foot and looked fragile all night. Add to that the fact that they worked tirelessly and relentlessly to close down every time City had the ball which made it very difficult to create anything. That's why they deserved a win.

We gifted them the first goal and gave the ball away too easily for the second. On the plus side Richard Taundry looked promising in the first half but faded away, probably due to lack of match fitness, before he went off injured. TT worked hard yet again to little effect. Unsure about the new man Trainor, lots of misplaced passes, but again probably lacking match practice. Nothing for N'ti or Danny Glover to feed off, the latter coming deeper to get the ball and clearly unhappy about being substituted. I can't remember a shot on target from open play at all in the second half. Sad to say I think we are missing a 'Symmo' up front, not as a goalscorer necessarily , but someone who can hold the ball up front and lay it off. Seems every time we played a ball up front we lost possession and it came straight back!

But still no need for doom and gloom yet, City are very much a 'work in progress' and to hammer out an effective team who can put together a string of results is going to take a while yet, but I do think the potential is there and that Carl and Matt will sort them out.

[simon]

We've escaped with a point but it doesn't look good. We're giving away goals without challenging, last nights 2nd Gainsborough goal was a prime example.We create very few chances up front and when we get chance to have a first time crack at goal we always need a second touch and by then we've been closed down and all of the players are guilty of this.Last night there was acres of space on the right hand side of midfield which we just didn't use and too many passes go square or backwards and not forwards.I also think we need a 'symmo'to hold the ball along the goal line and bring others into play. This now makes the Workington game a must win.

[Tim Munslow]

"Went one down to a terrible defensive error and that seemed to completely deflate the team." I'd agree with that. As for the penalty I thought the one a few moments later when Aaron Williams was brought down was more obvious, although - yes - I did think he was looking for it.

My take on that match was that we were extremely lucky to get the penalty, and extrememly lucky to get anything out of the game: talk about getting out of gaol! Gainsboro' seemed to be fitter and faster than us and how they are bottom of the league is a mystery. If I was a Gainsboro' fan I'd be very unhappy about the end of that game.

The way Moore played when he came on would suggest our best front three would be Glover, Nti and Moore. And wasn't he brave to take the penalty? I assumed Tom would take it: the lad must have been very confident of scoring.

Whilst there is "no need for doom and gloom yet" four points from 8 games is, I'm afraid, relegation form.

[The Verner]

Disagree, looking at the games weve played Altrincham, Boston, Brackley all going to be there or there abouts at the end of the season. Bradford PA are a good quality side beating AFC Telford and Guiseley since us. Colwyn Bay, Gloucester and Hednesford we couldve on another day come away with three points.

I think we need to look at how strong a midfield we have Thorley, Trainer and Taundry, your not going to get a much better midfield in this league. We just need Trainer and Taundry to get upto match fitness and they will be flying.

Weve missed Khan and G Williams and I also think to some extent Sam Smith. Only watched him play 20 minutes against Westfields but he didnt look like he would be beaten easily.

The only things we are missing are a win to spark us into life and possbily a greg mills type winger, theres a long way to go and I think we will be fine come April

[maybe1day]

Verner- One of the "Best midfields" in the league! I don`t think so, Gainsborough out played our midfield by a country mile last night and so have others.

I agree with Tim, it is relegation form. The other worry is we have replaced 6 players in 7 games, somethings wrong!

We were lucky last night.

[The Verner]

Sept 18, 2013 13:07:27 GMT maybe1day said:

Verner- One of the "Best midfields" in the league! I don`t think so, Gainsborough out played our midfield by a country mile last night and so have others.

I agree with Tim, it is relegation form. The other worry is we have replaced 6 players in 7 games, somethings wrong!

We were lucky last night.

They will come good, Trainer has played just 15 minutes of football so far this season, Taundry again hasnt played much. If we can get them fit then we could have the best midfield - FOR OUR BUDGET in the league ;-)

[Bullocks]

How can Thorley, Trainer, Taundry be the best midfield in the league? They have never even played together before, even if they are 3 quality players individually , they might never be a decent midfield unit. Who knows? But no way you could say best in the league that's just silly.

[The Verner]

I reprhase, best we can get on the budget we have, as individuals they are quality, and again when they are fully fit I am sure they will make a good partnership !

Either way, Im not pushing the panic button just yet !

Plus I didnt say 'the best midfield in the league' I said 'we couldnt get much better' which I shouldve ended in for the budget we are on !

[cityontheup]

I think that Carl and Matt have got a reasonably good squad together, far better than we could have hoped for. But for me the biggest problem is the lack of width, when we played Altringham in the first game we had two wide players and we were lokking good and creating chances. since then we have been playing with a very narrow midfield, I always feel we are a better team when we play with width. yesterday there was so much room down the sides especially the right hand side and we couldn't exploit it.

[leon]

Agree about the need for width but if the only genuine wide player has chosen to take a sabbatical who else is there? One option is for the full backs to push on but this leaves space behind them and not sure if the Manager is a fan of 3-5-2 (Preecy would love the number of strikers that are on the pitch at one time now!!)
Some of the football played between the half way line and penalty area is pleasing BUT the final ball is a let down

[City4Eva]

Totally agree with cityontheup - last night was difficult watching, and we lacked any width.

Most of the players appear techically competent, but the flanks were rarely used and so we resorted to aimless balls down the middle which were easily dealt with.Add to that some woeful defending and we're bound to struggle.

I thought Trainer looked better in a central role, than on the right and both he and Taundry could be useful once fit.

Please can we have some natural wingers??

[simples]

Having seen 3 of the home games my observations for what they are worth:
- defensively we appear to offer sides encouragement, there seems to be a mistake waiting to happen.
- despite playing 'pretty' stuff there is a cutting edge lacking.

After last nights game IMHO:
- the plusses so far are Nti, Glover (hope he does not get frustrated as he seems to be champing at the bit but not getting much service), Thorley, G Williams, Veiga
- Taundry appears a useful acquisition adding a presence in midfield, hopefully with match fitness he will improve although he went off injured last night.
- Trainer likes to spray the ball about, hopefully when he and his team mates adjust to each other he may be able to offer more on the creative front, seems a far better signing than that other chap we had from Nuneaton last season.
- I am unsure about the big fella at the back. He has made mistakes that have led to 3 of the 4 goals conceded in our last 2 home games. (Don't want to criticise him as he is probably well aware of the fact and bigger than me.)

As has been mentioned previously we have had a fair turnover of players recently, on top of the new faces signed earlier, so hopefully the team can now settle down and get a few results. The table indicates a close league thus far, so while disappointed I am not despondent.

Up the City.

[stamoo]

A masterful summary if I may say so simples. I do agree very much with everyone about the lack of width on the right. I too hope that Danny Glover remains upbeat, he was unhappy last night about being taken off, but despite the lack of goals he is a class act with an excellent footballing brain. If only we could find a partner for him, perhaps N'ti will be the man given time?

[Bullocks]

From what I have seen the players look mediocre with touches of class. You cant fault the effort but these arent great players. Simples is right in what he's written so defensively its messy. And coming forward theres no real cutting edge. But that was always going to be the case with so much change from last season loads of new players and these arent players other teams are queuing up to buy. Nti looks like he'll score a few goals if he gets decent service.

[glassspider]

Defensively it is very messy. If you look at the videos of the goals conceded I don;t know how Veiga can be a plus. There seems no communication from him to the defence, several shots he's spilled or parried and had to take at the second attempt. Don't know why the 'goal' from the dropped cross was disallowed on Tuesday - there did not seem to be a foul from where I was. Poor effort from him for the first goal and no effort for the second. If defensively we are a mess the question is where does it start? Has to start with the keeper. Veiga seems to have had a negative effect on the defensive organisation. Sorry, but don't rate him. Watch the vids of the goals from the games he's played. Worried Glover may not stay. He looked so frustrated on Tuesday when subbed. Agree we desperatley need width, so either a 3-5-2 or 4-4-2. This would also give us two central strikers.

[Tim Munslow]

Although perhaps it is too early to press the panic button, four points from eight games IS relegation form. We are already 15 points adrift of the current leaders, Hednesford, which takes some making up.

[Bullocks]

yes but we were never on for winning the league were we? 15th place finish will be about right this season and we are only 4 points of that.

[Tim Munslow]

I'm the eternal optimist! Feel we should aspire higher.