Tue 11th & Sat 15th Jan

[MadJohn]

We are Hartlepool United. If we're away from home we will find a way to lose.

Should've won. Having failed to do so, should've made sure of the point.

Shoulda woulda coulda. Didn't. Might not get a better chance again this season.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

We are Hartlepool United. If we're away from home we will find a way to lose.

Should've won. Having failed to do so, should've made sure of the point.

Shoulda woulda coulda. Didn't. Might not get a better chance again this season.

You guys played well just didn't take any of the numerous chances. You will be fine.
We were awful really and never got going until we went 4 at the back. Featherstone ran the show

 

[Chief Rocka]

I've calmed down a bit now to be fair we were the better team by some distance and there were some really good individual performances. Yet we keep losing these games and now Sterry banned again. Their keeper kept them in it. Rovers were really poor and very lucky to win.

We are in trouble, luckless again but it's nowhere near good enough. What is that 9 defeats in 11 aways?

10 defeats in 12 now.

Might be a start if we actually pick two strikers together, honestly I'm sick to fuck of Molyneux starting every week, I dunno what he does or brings.

 

[Cas]

First win over Salford, never thought I’d be so happy over the most tinpot club the football league has ever witnessed. But that’s for their dirty little striker giving it big licks in front of the kop, their time wasting weasel of a keeper and that boring bastard moaning on the touch line all game. Fully deserved even at 11 men as soon as they’d scored they retreated to their goal line.

Fuck 'em.

 

[Kauto Star]

Good to beat plastic Salford at last today. They bought 240 fans for the short hop over the Pennines, woeful support.

What is the point of Neville and Co investing in a club who will never be able to attract any support.

 

[Soup Ladle]

10 defeats in 12 now.

Might be a start if we actually pick two strikers together, honestly I'm sick to fuck of Molyneux starting every week, I dunno what he does or brings.

I can kind of see why he's picked in the sense he is quick and can run at defenders but he's a winger playing upfront. He was blowing after 70 minutes and should've been taken off.

Liked what I saw of Carver, Cullen has to start up there with him on Tuesday.

 

[AdamStag]

I’ve never got the saying away from home, why?

Mansfield were home from away and won 2-0

 

[RLC]

If points were awarded for artistic impression Rochdale definitely would have got something today, as they knocked the ball around very nicely at times. However, our defending was also a sight to behold and we are ridiculously stubborn if we take an early lead.

We were quite sloppy on the ball after scoring the second goal, but we restricted Rochdale to scraps until the final ten minutes, when Ross Doohan made a top class save with his feet to preserve another clean sheet. It has been an incredible few weeks for Charlie Jolley, farmed out to Chester on loan a couple of months ago and only recalled due to an injury crisis, but one of the first names on the team sheet at the moment.

I am still slightly surprised Rochdale are not higher in the table, as they have looked a decent team in both matches against us this season.

 

[northstandexile]

Looks like Stags are coming in under the radar. Back in the play offs after dropping out of them in match day 4 and being 23rd in late October.

 

[AdamStag]

I think 2-0 could be classed as fair but also harsh on a decent walsall side.

Hayden white proved to mansfield fans how daft it was to let him go under coughlan, was interesting just how different it was from when we lost 3-0 there earlier in the season.

 

[Chris FGR]

I’ve never got the saying away from home, why?

Mansfield were home from away and won 2-0

Home from away sounds like you’ve just got back home having been away for a while at her majesty’s pleasure.

 

[Moomin]

A few observations from today’s win:

1) Scunthorpe are dreadful and I really can’t see them staying up if today is anything to go by.
2) I’ve never seen a team foul and disrupt as much as Scunny did.
3) League 2 refs are awful but today’s was one of the worst I’ve ever seen. Poor decision making and has he ever heard of playing advantage!?
4) We were poor first half and looked low on confidence but we’re excellent in the second half.
5) Jevani Brown is great and his goal was top drawer.
6) I really like the look of Zanzala. Worked his socks off and really deserved his goal. Hopefully more of the same to come.

 

[Casey]

Missing a penalty and conceding a 93rd minute equaliser!

Where's that bloody cat?

Casey

 

[Cas]

Salford fans: Their centre half definitely milked it to get our player sent off.

The centre half:

 

[JaredSUFC]

A rather poor performance from Sutton today but we still left Stevenage with a share of the points.

Stevenage were deserving of their 2-0 lead at half-time even if there was a hint of contention for both goals (Goodliffe was fouled in the buildup for the first and the scorer looked to be offside whilst the second came from a soft free kick).

Second half we looked a little better and Smith scored to bring us back into the game. However not long after we were awarded a free kick deep in our own half. As Bouzanis was coming out of the goal to take the free kick, Barden decided to take a quick free kick, which was intercepted by a Stevenage attacker who scored into an empty net. 3-1 to Stevenage.

Within a couple of minutes we got what can be generously described as a soft penalty, which Milsom dispatched with comfort.

8 minutes of injury time were added and in the 7th of those, Ajiboye was able to shake off his two markers were pretty much the first time and his sweet cross was met by the end of Bennett. 3-3 and pandemonium in the away end.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Missing a penalty and conceding a 93rd minute equaliser!

Where's that bloody cat?

Casey

Where’s the cat? On Michael Fabricant’s head

 

[EricSabin]

Salford fans: Their centre half definitely milked it to get our player sent off.

The centre half: View attachment 16382

Christ

 

[Bottega Don]

A few observations from today’s win:

1) Scunthorpe are dreadful and I really can’t see them staying up if today is anything to go by.
2) I’ve never seen a team foul and disrupt as much as Scunny did.
3) League 2 refs are awful but today’s was one of the worst I’ve ever seen. Poor decision making and has he ever heard of playing advantage!?
4) We were poor first half and looked low on confidence but we’re excellent in the second half.
5) Jevani Brown is great and his goal was top drawer.
6) I really like the look of Zanzala. Worked his socks off and really deserved his goal. Hopefully more of the same to come.

You played what is essentially a bottom half Vanarama National team today, there is not a chance in hell we are staying up. We have to foul because our players are nowhere near as sharp and smart as our opponents, we don't do it to be dirty we do it because we're not good enough.

 

[valefan16]

We're as perplexed as you are. We sat off and let you knock it about which you did very well. With better finishing it could have been 6 or 7. An absolute dream game for an away side. So comfortable.

I'm at a loss as to why we came out like that. Maybe we tried to integrate too many new players at once? Maybe it's because it's our first league game for 6 or 7 weeks? Who knows.

We looked like a relegation team today and we need to put it right quickly.

We’ve put these stinkers in too often recently, Mansfield, Walsall, Newport and today.

I don’t get it, we were superb second half last week and today just looked lethargic, flat as DC put it “a damp squib”

Similar problems first half today as last week, we gave Bidstrup 40 yards to play in, today it was Williams. The quality we have in that midfield we should be more adapt to dealing with that.

It’s too Jekyll and Hyde at the moment but worryingly more Hyde in recent weeks.

For all the plaudits Conlon was awful today. Oddly the best performer first half was Covolan! Couple of really good saves.

At 1-1 getting to half time I was confident in the changes we would make (and we know now DC was about to make) to enforce the press ala Brentford last week.

No idea what Covolan was thinking, if McKirdy had said something or if he was protecting himself from getting hit or what but he’s let everyone down today. You gift wrap an opponent a goal and a man advantage and your in trouble let alone in a key game against a promotion rival. DC wasn’t pulling punches and would be surprised if he starts again unless Stone gets injured.

Second half we sat in but did probe a couple of times, clearly aiming to get to 70-75 minutes then have a go but the third goal just summed up everything about the afternoon, fluke own goal and that killed any hope of a come back.

One of those days where anything that could go wrong did and we were well below par, we need to get back to the levels we were at September-early November fast or the season is going to fall apart very quickly. We can’t afford any more performances like today for a while and need to start getting results again.

Park it as a bad day and onto Tuesday, win that all will be forgotten.

 

[FGR Stroud]

Surprised the linesman didn’t give that one! Was an entertaining game, both teams pretty open at times. Can see why you lot are going to win the league.

Agree: - entertaining and open game
I did not think ball went over the line but others closer to the action said it did.
I will say that if that had been against FGR I'd be angry.
At the end of the match a fair result, although miffed to have conceded after 5 mins of time added on.

Both sets of fans were loud and noisy, great atmosphere.
Had to laugh out loud when Northampton equalised with last kick of the game and dozens of their supporters invaded the pitch. Gosh it was as if their team were playing a Cup Final game and scored the winning goal.

 

[LS Bantam]

“Still can’t believe that was given as a red”

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Just for clarity, and I am not sure you completely meant it that way, but he didn't taunt the disabled Northampton fans. When he scored his 4th goal he ran and celebrated in front of where the Northampton fans were situated, including a row of Disabled supporters at ground level - which is where the infamous video of the fan in the motorised wheelchair was filmed.

To endorse this, I was sat just behind/alongside the disabled section and at no time were his actions/banter directed towards the Cobblers disabled fans. Besides that and knowing some of them, our disabled fans can normally look after themselves anyway in that respect (see the Derry videos) .
McKirdy is an annoying opposition player, but when he scores four against you, you wish he was playing for you...

 

[Bottega Don]

Keith Hill sounds utterly defeated in his interview after the game today. Talked about how we've missed out on a lot of our targets due to our financial constraints the other day and I think he's resigned to relegation now.

Wouldn't be shocked if he walked and don't blame him, a miracle worker wouldn't be able to turn our current squad into a League 2 football team. He's got them working hard but the quality simply isn't there and never will be.

 

[EricSabin]

Agree: - entertaining and open game
I did not think ball went over the line but others closer to the action said it did.
I will say that if that had been against FGR I'd be angry.
At the end of the match a fair result, although miffed to have conceded after 5 mins of time added on.

Both sets of fans were loud and noisy, great atmosphere.
Had to laugh out loud when Northampton equalised with last kick of the game and dozens of their supporters invaded the pitch. Gosh it was as if their team were playing a Cup Final game and scored the winning goal.

My favourite bit about the scenes at the end was our assistant Calderwood smashing into the linesman in I’m sure a completely accidental collision…

 

[EricSabin]

Agree: - entertaining and open game
I did not think ball went over the line but others closer to the action said it did.
I will say that if that had been against FGR I'd be angry.
At the end of the match a fair result, although miffed to have conceded after 5 mins of time added on.

Both sets of fans were loud and noisy, great atmosphere.
Had to laugh out loud when Northampton equalised with last kick of the game and dozens of their supporters invaded the pitch. Gosh it was as if their team were playing a Cup Final game and scored the winning goal.

And to be fair on the pitch invasion, as people are filing out they wait by the barriers to make a quick exit. And the barriers have loads of gaps in so not much effort is required to get on the pitch haha

 

[Gassy]

Its correct, Covolan is a fucking idiot for this.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1482379156872744970

That is one of the strangest incidents I've ever seen. What happened at the time, ref went to the lino to work out what happened? Judging by the crowd and referees reaction, it seemed like he was going to give a red card to the Swindon player tbh.

Shocking from the GK and DC sums it up well in his analysis.

Important win ahead of Bristol Rovers next week. Should be fun.

Hopefully get one or two in through the door during the next week.

Likewise for us, sounds like we were awful today but after all our injuries/Covid - this was our first league game in about a month. Hopefully it was a good warm up for Saturday, bought my ticket yesterday.. First game in months! Are you lot still poor at home?

I've calmed down a bit now to be fair we were the better team by some distance and there were some really good individual performances. Yet we keep losing these games and now Sterry banned again. Their keeper kept them in it. Rovers were really poor and very lucky to win.

We are in trouble, luckless again but it's nowhere near good enough. What is that 9 defeats in 11 aways?

Yeah reading our forum it seems like we were awful today and it was a real smash & grab. I guess one of those ones where a few months ago you'd have won 2-0 instead, but thats bad luck and form for you. We have dominated a few games and come out with nothing or a point, so I must admit it's nice to be in our favour.

Hopefully this was a good warm up back into fitness for Swindon, big big game.

 

[Fedora Dale]

If points were awarded for artistic impression Rochdale definitely would have got something today, as they knocked the ball around very nicely at times. However, our defending was also a sight to behold and we are ridiculously stubborn if we take an early lead.

We were quite sloppy on the ball after scoring the second goal, but we restricted Rochdale to scraps until the final ten minutes, when Ross Doohan made a top class save with his feet to preserve another clean sheet. It has been an incredible few weeks for Charlie Jolley, farmed out to Chester on loan a couple of months ago and only recalled due to an injury crisis, but one of the first names on the team sheet at the moment.

I am still slightly surprised Rochdale are not higher in the table, as they have looked a decent team in both matches against us this season.

We've lost three first teamers since Christmas, and only brought in one player as yet.

Hopefully we can get O'Keeffe permanently from Mansfield for RWB

We've probably got enough midfielders to cover Aaron Morley going to Bolton, so signing an experienced CB in Downing makes sense as a none-like-for-like replacement.

We do desperately need a goalscoring forward, though...

 

[valefan16]

That is one of the strangest incidents I've ever seen. What happened at the time, ref went to the lino to work out what happened? Judging by the crowd and referees reaction, it seemed like he was going to give a red card to the Swindon player tbh.

Shocking from the GK and DC sums it up well in his analysis.



Likewise for us, sounds like we were awful today but after all our injuries/Covid - this was our first league game in about a month. Hopefully it was a good warm up for Saturday, bought my ticket yesterday.. First game in months! Are you lot still poor at home?


Yeah reading our forum it seems like we were awful today and it was a real smash & grab. I guess one of those ones where a few months ago you'd have won 2-0 instead, but thats bad luck and form for you. We have dominated a few games and come out with nothing or a point, so I must admit it's nice to be in our favour.

Hopefully this was a good warm up back into fitness for Swindon, big big game.

I was down nearer the opposite ends so it looked like Covolan claimed it and McKirdy went in off the ball, even our players assumed that by their reaction. Took a while, Vale park chanting off off off! And then penalty and red for Mad Covtona.

It was probably the most bizarre one I’ve seen live as it’s just pointless and we get the added double jeopardy of a penalty conceded as well when he’s made the ball dead by catching it.

I said pre match how he had calmed down and seemed to have sorted himself out but clearly not.

I would be surprised if he plays for us again after that.

 

[Agombar stool]

That is one of the strangest incidents I've ever seen. What happened at the time, ref went to the lino to work out what happened? Judging by the crowd and referees reaction, it seemed like he was going to give a red card to the Swindon player tbh.

Shocking from the GK and DC sums it up well in his analysis.

It was very odd. It was a simple catch for Covolan and McKirdy made a token gesture but Covolan extended his leg and caught McKirdy in the chest as you saw. I don't think the ref saw what had happened and so went over to chat to the lino who clearly saw the incident. After the chat and Covolan had finished getting 'treatment' he got the red card.

 

[loz]

Salford fans: Their centre half definitely milked it to get our player sent off.

The centre half: View attachment 16382

From Midland Road, it also looked a red card earlier but a studs first tackle on Watt didn't even merit a free kick. As far as the missing tooth is concerned, Paudie should bill the guy.