Last fixtures 2023: - Friday 29th December

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Good win for us 2-0 against Crawley and overall were worth the 3 points. We are now 3 points behind Notts with 2 games in had so if they are back in the auto race, so are we!

That's the Williamson effect.

 

[Greenacres]

Colchester have some nice tidy attacking play but why they insist on playing out from the back with players not capable.of doing so beggers belief.
We should have scored 9 they were that bad at the back. Anyway on we go looking a little iffy at the back today but I always felt we could win the game. Second half colchester fell apart.

They did that at our place too, played OK in the first half, but then collapsed in the second half after having a player sent off...for us to have put five past them was a massive surprise, considering how pants we have been for at least 18 months.

 

[AR27]

Terrible game in terrible conditions but a good point for us. Cook with the best chance of the game forcing a good save from the Stockport keeper but little goalmouth action otherwise.

 

[AdamStag]

Christ alive, what the bloody hell was that

Literally had we played a side that could kick a ball we’d have been battered tonight, we were absolutely fucked.

Surprised that clough kept the same side as boxing day given how tired some where and it showed.

Despite the early lead doncaster had shown some promise before and were unlucky not to score in the first half, but were full value for the equaliser.

Doncaster were certainly impressive with the dark arts/game management late on but we all do it.

To actually move up a spot after all that is quite remarkable.

 

[Cloudy]

So Salford City have just had back to back home games against Tranmere and Grimsby, who both hadn’t won away all season before it, and lost by an aggregate of 8-1.
Beautiful.

Salford are very close to being the worst EFL side I have ever seen?

 

[BarraMatt]

Dreadful weather and conditions, our pitch is starting to deteriorate quite badly in my opinion, playing that on it tonight has done it no favours whatsoever. If you can't win, don't lose is all I can say really, would have to watch the dubious decisions back to form a good opinion. No ground lost and as you were at the top.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Both teams had one shot on target on in what were awful conditions, so you can’t really blame either team. Should have won it though when Cook was through on goal, despite the decent save a striker shouldn’t be letting him get a hand to it in that position. But a draw was fair overall.

Side note our pitch has probably been the best in the league for the last 5 years, but this recent weather has ripped it to shreds. Just hope it can get some tlc soon.

 

[Gladders]

First away win of the season, but as Artell said at the end, its Salford in div 4, its not that impressive so lets not get carried away!

 

[chipmunx]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1740861213117227100

 

[Ellis]

Please do. 50% sell on fee for us

https://twitter.com/x/status/1740861213117227100

 

[LS Bantam]

Pleased to have matched top of the league, once or twice Stockport stepped it up a gear and I thought our lot couldn’t do that even if we tried but those moments were few and far between and a draw was fair.
Also fair play to Richie Smallwood, all last season I didn’t think he could get any worse at set pieces but how wrong was I, there can’t be anyone worse in the whole of professional football than that guy standing over a corner or free kick. Along those lines are our three centre halves who each pass the ball out like they play for the other team, the amount of time we lose possession from their clearances is unreal.

 

[Stocky]

Both teams had one shot on target on in what were awful conditions, so you can’t really blame either team. Should have won it though when Cook was through on goal, despite the decent save a striker shouldn’t be letting him get a hand to it in that position. But a draw was fair overall.

Side note our pitch has probably been the best in the league for the last 5 years, but this recent weather has ripped it to shreds. Just hope it can get some tlc soon.

Cook never plays well against us. When I see the highlights and he's banging in consistently quality against other teams, I think his twin brother must play against us.

 

[クレイグ]

Pleased to have matched top of the league, once or twice Stockport stepped it up a gear and I thought our lot couldn’t do that even if we tried but those moments were few and far between and a draw was fair.
Also fair play to Richie Smallwood, all last season I didn’t think he could get any worse at set pieces but how wrong was I, there can’t be anyone worse in the whole of professional football than that guy standing over a corner or free kick. Along those lines are our three centre halves who each pass the ball out like they play for the other team, the amount of time we lose possession from their clearances is unreal.

A decent setpiece taker and we're getting another ten goals a season. So important at this level.

 

[Casey]

Gave a goal away on 2 minutes. Proceeded to play the Dons of the park for the rest of the first half but some good saves and some woeful finishing meant it went to half time with us behind. Mk came out a better side in the second half but we continued to waste chances (Orsi and Campbell mostly) but Dons got in on the woeful finishing too. Goal that sealed it will have our manager venting rage at thee ref but if Kelly had put the ball out when Conroy got hurt the attack wouldn't have happened. We end3d up with two players on the floor when the goal went in.

As for Maguire. I hope he feels better now he has told the lino and ref exactly what he thinks of them. Shame he let his team mates down to do it.

In truth game could have gone either way but one team scored and the other couldn't.

Casey

 

[Chris FGR]

Stay behind the side, even though we're shite. Singing Matty Stevens name after he missed the pen was a nice touch tbf.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1740871567712899175

 

[ForzaCounty]

Cook never plays well against us. When I see the highlights and he's banging in consistently quality against other teams, I think his twin brother must play against us.

Maybe we've got a ghost that haunts him?

It's the only thing that can explain this moment

https://twitter.com/x/status/1740861831181426718

 

[Limerick Mariner]

Not just winning but destroying and embarrassing tbh. We need these pick em ups as we are very fragile at the back.

We are clearly flat track bullies and one of only a few sides that can regularly hand out lessons. Then meet someone actually good with a game plan and struggle.

Not surprised we took the foot off the gas in the second half (not for the first time this season following a first half master class ) and didn't run up the score further. Very sporting and classy from League Two's entertainers.

Some very interesting and surprising results from the top 4, all failing to win. The odds would have been huge for those 4 results combined.

Surely you can’t refer to Cruyff et all as Flat Truck Bullies?

 

[Conker]

Mansfield were at best poor tonight, just looked sluggish, no energy at all. It’s pretty much been the same starting eleven the last three games and it’s caught up. Donny well worth the point, the faking injuries stuff at the end is not my cup of tea but they are in a dangerous position so sort of expected.

Star of the show was the referee, abysmal throughout and pretty sure he missed a stonewall penalty for us in the first half.

 

[Boz]

Classic game of two halves at Harrogate. Rovers didn't even manage a goal attempt in the first half, the hosts well on top without scoring. Second half the weather improved, a couple of inspired substitutions at h/t by Adkins and we ended with a fairly comfy 0-2 win to end 2023 on a positive note.

 

[Indian Dan]

Awful first half with some laughable Lino decisions in not giving blatant offsides. Each side was dragged back for free kicks when advantage should have been played. Second half was entertaining in a totally shite way. 2 stunning Kemp goals mired in a dog turd of a game. All season long we’ve shipped loads of chances/goals and yet Flynn has seemingly no talent on how to change it. That defending, or lack thereof, permeates through the whole team putting them on edge. Fucking criminal.

 

[AdamStag]

Mansfield were at best poor tonight, just looked sluggish, no energy at all. It’s pretty much been the same starting eleven the last three games and it’s caught up. Donny well worth the point, the faking injuries stuff at the end is not my cup of tea but they are in a dangerous position so sort of expected.

Star of the show was the referee, abysmal throughout and pretty sure he missed a stonewall penalty for us in the first half.

Looked it for me, but it can’t disguise a poor performance by mansfield and and equally poor showing by clough

To pick the same side was questionable when it was announced and then go not even change it at halftime was astonishing, to then take callum johnson off but keep bowery on made me laugh - really human and obviously by and large he’s been fantastic as we all know. Had we played anyone who could kick a ball we’d have been battered tonight, but still need to give credit to donny as if anyone was going to win it for me it was going to be them.

That some booed at full time too, bloody hell - halfway into the season - lost 1, best defence, unbeaten at home and yet some still aren’t happy!

With the top 4 not winning a chance for others to catch up - a race between stockport, mansfield, wrexham and MK with barrow ducking for cover?

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

It’ll take beating better than teams like Donny and Morecambe to convince me we’re back in the autos hunt, but we’re definitely back on the horse after our little fall… cracking stuff tonight, swapping positions all over the show. Jim O’Brien centre forward and McGoldrick at right back at one point.

 

[Optipez]

Good win for us 2-0 against Crawley and overall were worth the 3 points. We are now 3 points behind Notts with 2 games in had so if they are back in the auto race, so are we!

You've now got a manager who'll get the best out of a good team. Really rate Williamson.

 

[Reginald Fodstain]

Classic game of two halves at Harrogate. Rovers didn't even manage a goal attempt in the first half, the hosts well on top without scoring. Second half the weather improved, a couple of inspired substitutions at h/t by Adkins and we ended with a fairly comfy 0-2 win to end 2023 on a positive note.

As described. Was very impressed by the subs, who all played their part. Apart from that, weather atrocious, interesting drive home; despite the re-development Harrogate is probably THE most non-league ground ever to grace the EFL (and I include Barrow and their spectacular views in that), and I can't believe we've scored 7 goals away from home in three days after barely managing that all season. Either that or I'm hallucinating thanks to an overdose of quality street over Christmas...

 

[Optipez]

Morecambe got off to a terrible start giving away a pen, keeper spilled for the second and that was it. Game over within twenty minutes and we just trounced them.
Our movement was fantastic tonight, players just moving around and dropping in to spaces , very fluid but still kept shape.
At some point a club are going to take a punt on Langstaff, he's at least one division better than L2.

 

[Camdenite v.ii]

Fair comments.

Gave a goal away on 2 minutes. Proceeded to play the Dons of the park for the rest of the first half but some good saves and some woeful finishing meant it went to half time with us behind. Mk came out a better side in the second half but we continued to waste chances (Orsi and Campbell mostly) but Dons got in on the woeful finishing too. Goal that sealed it will have our manager venting rage at thee ref but if Kelly had put the ball out when Conroy got hurt the attack wouldn't have happened. We end3d up with two players on the floor when the goal went in.

As for Maguire. I hope he feels better now he has told the lino and ref exactly what he thinks of them. Shame he let his team mates down to do it.

In truth game could have gone either way but one team scored and the other couldn't.

Casey

Fair Comment. On the basis of what I’ve seen of you you’re as good as anyone in this league. Ripped us apart back in August (the night we all went “Alexander is faking this. He really doesn’t know what to do with this lot”) and again tonight. McGilvray put in the kind of performance that saw him relegate us last season for Burton and we looked way off it in terms of tracking your runs and looking after the ball in the brief moments we had it the first half. As you say, we improved second half but even that we were well off it tonight,

That second Tomlinson goal was comfortably onside. The ref probably agreed that 3:0 would have been a travesty.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Christ alive, what the bloody hell was that

Literally had we played a side that could kick a ball we’d have been battered tonight, we were absolutely fucked.

Surprised that clough kept the same side as boxing day given how tired some where and it showed.

Despite the early lead doncaster had shown some promise before and were unlucky not to score in the first half, but were full value for the equaliser.

Doncaster were certainly impressive with the dark arts/game management late on but we all do it.

To actually move up a spot after all that is quite remarkable.

What a difference to Boxing Day, fight and desire, it’s all you ask as a fan especially when you know how limited the squad is. Definitely getting some players in, in January. If we can keep that level of performance and add a bit of quality we might just stay up. The ref was a clown, our disallowed goal shouldn’t have been and Mansfield should have had a pen. Oh and can you change the stadium name to Ploughed Field, although I do think that helped us

 

[Third Team Lucky]

Gave a goal away on 2 minutes. Proceeded to play the Dons of the park for the rest of the first half but some good saves and some woeful finishing meant it went to half time with us behind. Mk came out a better side in the second half but we continued to waste chances (Orsi and Campbell mostly) but Dons got in on the woeful finishing too. Goal that sealed it will have our manager venting rage at thee ref but if Kelly had put the ball out when Conroy got hurt the attack wouldn't have happened. We end3d up with two players on the floor when the goal went in.

As for Maguire. I hope he feels better now he has told the lino and ref exactly what he thinks of them. Shame he let his team mates down to do it.

In truth game could have gone either way but one team scored and the other couldn't.

Casey

I can't disagree with any of this. Over the two games, Crawley have been the best passing team we've played, particularly in transition where they progress up the pitch quickly. It's a mystery why they are in the bottom half of the division, but perhaps it's their shot accuracy - 3 on target out of 10 attempts last night.

Ref was a dick for both teams - unfortunately goes with the league we're in.

Overall would have been a good game to watch for a neutral, but too nervy for a fan.

Great noise from the 400 or so Crawley fans throughout the game.

 

[Greenacres]

Dale must be really relieved that we are doing things "another way" because at a club in our position doing things the "football way" the fans would have been calling for the board to be sacked ages ago...it really feels like our club is being killed, regardless of what might be said at public forums to keep the cultists happy, and the saddest thing is the complicity of the masses in this sorry event.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Last night was a reminder that football never fails to surprise.

Having witnessed both Notts Vs Donny games this season, where the world's oldest professional football team looked a class above, dominated possession and controlled both the games, scored 6 and realistically should have scored 10 over the two games.

So if you said to me that a top side was going to fail to beat Doncaster Rovers this season I would be very surprised. If you told me a top side in this division would fail to beat them twice I simply wouldn't believe it. Mind blowing to fail twice.

As the legend Greavsie once famously said it's a funny old game. Certainly ruined my three trebles last night.

Also a handy reminder to never a judge a team based on one or two games you've seen, use the league table instead. It's what it's there for.