A Big Thank You: A thank you to all who have helped to bring together a site to replace the now closed 262 football site which failed in Mid-November. The Ltfcfool has successfully brought together well over 100 previous 262 posters that have also been joined by a good number of new posters enrolling on the forum. The Bobberman League & Cup Competitions have restarted with almost 90% of the previous players joining.
So, it’s with real appreciation that I thank Face Book folk, Outlaws & the Twitter Hatters for helping converting a potential crisis into a real success. Luton 1 Notts County 1 Due to time constraints at the moment, I am tending this season to restrict whittling on about matches to away games but heck, why not write a few notes about our top of the table clash with Notts County in a Kenilworth Road Stadium with all tickets sold for the clash. As ever, it’s nice to meet up with a large group of fellow Hatters for a pre-match refreshment or two; simply always great but yesterday it had the added edge of pre-planning for that exciting day out in early January when we take on Newcastle at the splendid St James's Park. Strangely my second most visited ground as I spent a lot of time on Tyneside as a youngster and just had to have my football fix. What is really nice is that so many people are planning to make the trip and hopefully enjoy the day out. For a league two club with no hope of winning the FA Cup, it’s all about simply enjoying the occasion and it's such a financially induced shame that the big boys treat the FA Cup with such contempt. Sadly that’s where we are now with football firmly in the grips of the goggle box paying couch potatoes. Nathan named an unchanged side for the game; sounds fair to me I thought as I queued in a very long queue for my FGR & Swindon tickets. I have a lot of time for the guys and girls in the ticket office, a great bunch of helpful people but why do they have such a surname split on the two collection windows? On days like this, I often think if only my name was something like Zyskowski I would have been tucking into my cone of chips five minutes ago. Incidentally, there is good news for all going to FGR by train, I am going by Road so your train journey should both be uneventful and on time. The old Kenny Lady was really rocking with over 10,000 supporters coming along to watch two side neck & neck at the top of the most glorious league in football; what a joy to be there. Once the game was underway it soon became apparent why County are having such a successful season. Anybody who remembers the successful Stevenage side that won promotion from the Conference would have witnessed the overall approach before: a group of physical, tall and well-coached players simply playing a system that if you have the giants available, will succeed at the lower league levels. Indeed for the first twenty minutes, County were playing with a very high tempo that whilst not totally stifling our style did prevent us from really getting at them. However, such a high rate of energy could not last and after that initial twenty-minute spell we really came on quite strongly and started to get at the County defence with Elliot Lee, in particular, pulling the defending giants all over the place. Then just as I said to my good lady “I know it’s a corner but we never score from corners”, Jonny Mullins rose above the Titans to head the ball into the net: wonderful stuff! Great to be in front in a game where clear-cut chances were a real rarity. County countered and simply used every opportunity they could slinging the long ball goalwards time and again yet it’s all credit to the superb Sheehan and his able centre back companion, Mullins, that the great majority were effectively repelled. In the second half we continued to press forward but just could not take the rare chances that came our way with Rea proving why his footballing future lies in the defensive side of the game as he belted the ball over the bar from close range. Also later in the game Mullins almost scored the winner with a good effort from within the box only for the keeper to pull off a great save. The equaliser, well sadly one that has to be owned by Mr Stech as he made a complete mess of coming out for a high ball from a free kick and the ball was embarrassingly touched into the net by the aged 6ft 3in frame of Ameobi. In search of a winner, Nathan to my surprise brought on “something different” Collins in place of the excellent Elliot Lee: in reality, the ineffective Hylton can’t be substituted as I understand it’s a clause incorporated in his contract. In the end, a hard fought well contested 1-1 draw that sees both sides maintain their place at the head of the L2 table. Overall Impression: A fair point against a side well constructed to physically blast their way out of league two. Whilst I acknowledge the County approach, which is incidentally more than many County fans were doing a month or two ago when they were having a go at their manager Nolan for his style, It’s not one I would enjoy watching: just not for me. When we come up against such physically strong sides, our game sometimes, but not always, can struggle to reach its peak. To some extent that’s what we saw yesterday and whilst I felt we played well we did not manage to hit peak performance; we just simply can’t turn on the 5 goal plus magic every game. I am personally satisfied with the point and although it’s early December I feel convinced that our talented side will be promoted at the end of the season: a good day out with hopefully many more good games to come. A few Thoughts on Individual Performances Stech: had a decent game apart from that dreadful lapse when he came out for the free kick lofted ball that gave County the equaliser. Stacey: usual athletic powerhouse but maybe not as effective down the right hand of the attack as he can be, yet made some good clearances in his defending duties. Potts: sound as ever and takes up that far post position so well when attacking at dead ball kicks. Mullins: in the past, I have been a touch critical of Mullins but yesterday I thought he was really very solid indeed; one of his best games in a Luton shirt in my opinion. Sheehan: an outstanding afternoon and much to my surprise won so many of the aerial challenges against much taller more physical men. Rea: usual gritty tackling and move breaking approach yet, unfortunately, his move breaking skills also infuse into his attempts to pass a ball to colleagues. Berry: just look at how hard this guy works and such an improvement from the headless chicken we sold to Barnsley. He will pop up everywhere on the pitch and rarely wastes the ball. Shinnie: delighted to say that this unquestionably very talented footballer has learnt the art of survival in the uglier side of L2: a real talent who yesterday looked just so comfortable on the ball. Olly Lee: he did ok but maybe not the sort of game where Olly’s talents will really flourish. Elliot Lee: I thought Elliot was a complete thorn in County’s side all afternoon and I really reckon we have a hungry young mane here with something to prove after failures/rejection earlier in his career. He had a super game and I was a touch surprised when Nathan hooked him off. Hylton: did ok but nowhere near his usual self and general well kept out of it by the County defenders. The Subs: Collins: lots of energy after his time on the sidelines recovering from that Cheltenham injury but far less effective than Elliot had been. Gambin: a cameo appearance and tried in the few minutes he had.
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NOTE: For Any Ex-262ers: following the termination of Football 262. A new site, the LtfcFool is our new home for posting, views and Hatters related chat and all Bobberman Competitions. The Bobberman will recommence with the Notts County game so if you wish to continue then please sign up at: ltfcfool.proboards.com . A Day In The Life Of A Travelling Hatter Friday Evening: decision time for my journey to Crewe; two options, either drive 90 minutes to MK and get a direct train to Crewe thus avoiding the masses going to the Frankfurt Xmas Market in Brum or make the much shorter drive to March go via New Street and resign myself to a Mumbai style crowded train. Saturday: So, a late decision to avoid the drive to MK and go to Crewe via New Street: with tickets for the game in hand and rail ready I got on the 9:30 train to Birmingham. Looking forward to a great brew-house pub especially opening for us Hatters (thanks to a couple of Outlaws guys), dressed in full winter gear and looking forward to the game, what could possibly go wrong? The train quickly became loaded to about capacity as we picked up more and more passengers on the numerous stops, hell, how I hate this route but at least I found myself in good company with Wolves, Bradford and Ipswich supporters. It’s always nice chatting to other football travellers and the Bradford lad was telling me about that fringe player, Alan Sheehan and that chunky but talented Nathan Doyle. Then, unfortunately, the train refused to leave Leicester due to a broken rail further up the line. After 90 minutes, Mr Bradford who got on at Leicester also got off at Leicester deciding to go get in his car as he could just maybe get to Shrewsbury in time for KO. The Wolves supporters from Peterborough decided to give up and go home but there were no trains going south due to the rail issue. Not to worry, as a solution had been found to bypass the busy broken rail junction and go on a tour of the Midlands to get us to Brum. Never mind, the Burton Albion ground looks so nice this time of year and yet the Marstons Brewery looked even better. By the time we go to New Street any hope of reaching the Alexandra stadium before the game had evaporated. In an attempt to rescue something from the day I decided to venture to that bloody Xmas market before heading for home. So, a salted emulsified pig in bread, sorry in mean Bratwurst, and a glass or two of fine German beer was the participating highlight of the afternoon.
But real Joy, we won and stay top of the league; the pain of travelling is quickly forgotten! Finally, with the broken rail repaired, time to head home on that crowded Mumbai train; oh the joy of being a travelling Hatter! As ever it's very pleasant on a matchday away from home to try a few beers that I have not sampled before and yesterday was no exception; good quality well-kept beer from local breweries in the faithful yet packed, Kemble Brewery Inn. What a lovely start to the afternoon as a pre-match treat before we ventured to the football to take on a side destroyed by a non-league outfit last week, what could possibly go wrong!
Maybe a touch surprisingly, Nathan tinkered with the team that beat Portsmouth last week, dropping Shinnie and Pelly, both of whom were good last week and bringing back Rea and Cornick. To be fair both Rea and Cornick have also been playing well during that unbeaten run so no real moans from me. We have a big squad of talented players so why not use them; seems fine to me but at the same time tough on those who can’t get a game. So, our Nathan certainly set up our side to go for the points. Unlike in the previous two games we have played at Cheltenham, we opened very brightly and really should, in my opinion, have been out of sight after twenty-five minutes but we only lead by the solitary goal and that itself was a collector's piece being a goal scored from a corner. However, our wasteful nature came to haunt us a few minutes ahead of half-time when some sloppy play down our right flank gave the home side a couple of opportunities to get the ball high into the area. A cross came over and was met by the giant Pell with the knockdown being scrambled into the net. Same old lower league problem that we have yet to overcome; the cross into the box for the giants to attack. We ourselves are not a team of giants and in fairness to Nathan, I would rather have his present skilful approach to the game as long as we can score at least one more goal than the opposition. So, after all that really good creative effort we were even at half-time when the game should have been over as a contest; we really should have been out of sight. However, with footy it’s not just about dominating and creating chances, we need the ball over the line. In the second half, the home side looked a lot perkier and to be fair to both sides each went out for the victory. We had chances including some from range that were not massively off target but Cheltenham were also creating the odd chance and just before we regained the lead, they should really have tucked away one themselves when a miss-hit in front of goal gave us a slice of possibly deserved luck. On reflection it was a miss similar to the one at Crawley a couple of weeks earlier that could have proved costly. The Elliott Lee goal was put away well with the move starting with a Sheehan freekick targeted at goal but blocked for Elliott to knock in a possible winner. With the clock ticking towards the end of added time we had a bit of defensive calamity with our keeper losing coordination between brain and limbs as the ball went probably unnecessarily out for a corner. The giant home keeper and everybody else gravitated into the Luton penalty area for the corner and again we were undone by the big lads in the air and the ball scrambled into the net for the equaliser. The game was over and depending on your mood, either two points dropped or a point won. Overall impression I honestly don't want to go to Cheltenham again to see Luton play in L2; we simply just can't win at the place. It’s a nice attractive town with lots going for it apart from that football ground that we have an allergic reaction to; let’s hope we don't have to go there again next season. Our performance in the first 25 minutes was really really quite good and we played much better yesterday than in the fixture last season and indeed better than in the McNulty rugby tackle game. So, a point won or two dropped? Well, we could have been behind before we regained the lead so I tend to move to the warmer feeling of a valuable away point in the bag. Maybe it would have been all three points had Nathan been able to sign the big commanding centre-back he pursued in the summer but who knows the new boy may have been a lot weaker than the “excellent on the deck" Rea and Sheehan. It’s just a L2 fact that many of the teams in the basement league rely on some big tall players and Cheltenham certainly had those by the lorry load. Yes, our more skilful defenders can overcome or at least mitigate that threat if we stop giving away free kicks and crossing opportunities but yesterday we did not do that. In addition, we also came up against a Cheltenham player who could throw the ball some distance into the penalty area and had those throws been a bit lower and faster they would have been a significant threat. Unsurprisingly the whole tactic of the home side was to launch high balls by whatever means into our penalty area and our undoing was in not limiting those launches. On the train ride home, in addition to drafting these notes, I had a scan at a couple of the Hatters fans sites and saw a fair bit of critical negativity and indeed in Nathan’s post-match interview he was totally down; he spoke with his emotions barely under control. At least there was none of this “Cheltenham is a difficult place to come to” nonsense but his views that we should have been really out of sight by half-time. Whilst I agree with the out of sight comments, I felt that for much of the game we played well and in particular that first 25 minutes. It was simply a day when we did not convert enough of the chances or half chances that came our way: so, no I am not going to be overly critical as it was, in my opinion, a hugely better performance than on our last two visits to the ground. We got a point, ok not the three we would have liked but let’s accept it and move on. A few thoughts on individual performances: Stech: well the second equaliser did not cover him in glory as the arms and legs got horribly confused but overall he played with confidence and looked solid. A daft thing will every now and again happen with a keeper; great keeper, let’s move on. Stacey: some good parts and some less good parts. Maybe he could do with a break out of the team for a couple of weeks. Potts: some excellent tackles and headers at both ends of the pitch. Let's get that contract extension drafted! I honestly reckon this guy is the best all-round defender at the club. Cuthbert: he had a lot to cope with holding back the tall boys and overall did well in my opinion. It’s simply never going to be easy against a team massed with goliath players. Sheehan: usual high quality on the ground but it was always going to be a tough challenge in the air. Rea: made some really good tackles especially in the second period but it's anybody's guess where the ball will go once he crosses the halfway line. He really is a centre back doing a decent job in front of the back four but I doubt that will be his long-term position in the game as his passing has a touch of randomness about it. Olly Lee: cracking good shot from range in the second half but maybe not really a game most suited to his skills when the going got a touch tough. Berry: good when he was in the game but drifted out of the game for periods. Cornick: as expected, looked more comfortable out wide rather than when he played more centrally where he tended to be crowded out. Nevertheless, he got a few shots that were in the general direction of the goal but sadly nowhere near on target: the accuracy sights are in need of recalibration but at least he carved out space himself for a couple of his stray shots. Hylton: did not look his usual self and did too much blind alley stuff for my liking. You should have scored Danny boy. Collins: injured just before halftime and before that, caused problems for the home defence but like Hylton, not really at his best and he should have put at least one effort away. The subs: Elliott Lee: got a full 45 minutes and in addition to scoring a goal, looked very decent with his close control. I still reckon he would make a very clever No.10. Pelly: a fairly late submission and never really had time to get into the game. I reckon we just have to put yesterday behind us and in hindsight, the team election may have been a touch different for a Coventry side with two such dominating combatants in midfield in as No6 Kelly who persistently fouled buy did a great job for his team and also their captain, No8, their 36-year-old captain who did a lot to manage the game. I don't attach any blame really to NJ for his initial team selection as after such a great run why not keep that group together? Simply the easy hindsight view of a jaded Stacey having a very difficult time against the tricky Coventry winger and receiving little support from the previously booked Olly Lee. This season has been very decent for Olly since NJ relinquished that defensive role from his shoulders yet when he comes up against a couple of tough midfielders, Doyle & Kelly, we are just about a man short. However, being realistic, if Olly had that tougher side to his game he would be earning in a league higher than L2.
The first goal by Coventry was a beautifully guided header but sadly for the Hatters, the marking on the cross was dreadful with a clear gap sitting between Mullins and Cuthbert. I am sure NJ is fully aware of our vulnerability at crosses as he has tried to sign a big man during the summer: for me, as I have said often before, Mullins is an average but fairly immobile CB & I would much rather see Famewo given a chance in that position, a far more mobile player able to play at left CB. Another player having the jitters yesterday was keeper Stech who was all over the place in the first half with his kicks out and indeed one dreadful low kick fell to a Coventry player about 35yds from goal who slammed the ball back high in the air and it hit the woodwork; not the best of days for our keeper. The front three who have been in great form in the recent run, looked jaded against the mean Coventry defence yet we did create chances and could so easily have equalised in the second period with Hylton having a few chances that I would have backed him to put away but credit to the “time conscious” Coventry keeper. In the end, 3-0 to Coventry was incredibly flattering to them with two goals in added time as we tried desperately to find an equaliser with Captain Cuthbert joining the attack; again, no criticism from me, we went for it in the final few minutes and got caught, it happens! In his post-match radio interview NJ got it pretty well right in my view with his comments and pleasingly was honest about the well prepared Coventry approach to the game. As he said, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and go again. Definitely not the end of the world in terms of our automatic promotion target but simply a great run that has come to an end against a Coventry side that I would back to be in the top three at the end of the season Note: just a reminder that due to time pressures this site will only only cover Luton away matches that I attend. My reasoning is that the home matches are pretty well attended and well reported by supporters on other sites and also I am heavily involved with my other site: stockwhittler.weebly.com Blimey, my fifth visit to Accrington in four seasons and the weather despite being early October, was a touch more reminiscent of the awful foggy FA Cup day of last season with this time the water vapor being in bigger lumps called rain. Still not to worry and despite being ushered off a train in Leeds with the guard declaring in broad Yorkshire accent “this trains broken lad; you'll av to get on anoooother”, we arrived in Accy in good time to head for the Peel Park where I am beginning to feel a bit of a regular. I have to say if we had such an excellent pub in my village then I would be a regular. Nice welcoming town Accrington and to my mind always a pleasure to visit.
At the ground, I did feel for the hardy Luton fans on the terrace with the rain whilst not being really heavy, constantly drifting into their faces but in the end, even a wet Hatter is a happy Hatter with three points away from home. In truth, it was a very good professional performance from the Town at Accrington against a Steve Colman side that despite running on very meager finances, always produces a very decent football playing L2 side. In the first half, we dominated Accrington apart from the odd few minutes when they put a couple of attacks together and with real grit and determination we were winning the majority of 50/50 balls in midfield. Both flanks were working well with Dan Potts doing particularly well on the left side in terms of winning the ball, passing the ball and indeed crossing the ball: whatever happened to the young Dan Potts who used to look totally lost and in panic once he reached the halfway line? Note to Nathan: extend his contract ASAP matey as this lad is a real decent mature footballer now: tackles solidly, good positional sense, one of the best headers of the ball in the team and now learning wing play. With that domination, we put in a few very bright attacks and it was no surprise when the Hatters took the lead; again it was that determined style of play that got us in front. Just on the edge of the area, Hylton knocked the ball back a yard to Olly lee who looped the ball out to the advancing Potts on the left who was simply physically much stronger than his marker. Potts left his marker behind to send in a lovely chipped cross for the onrushing Olly Lee to head down for Collins to slam the ball into the back of the net: 1-0 to the hatters; nice! Indeed, we had taken the lead with a first-half away goal, probably a while since that has happened but not leaving it there we made it two from the penalty spot with a beautiful move involving a hack-heel from Hylton on the left of the box to find Sheehan who charged into the area to be brought down by a lunging tackle; the referee being only a few yards away, immediately pointed to the spot. Up steps Danny Hylton fresh from the video dissecting of his penalty technique on Channel 5; this time Hylton placed the ball to the goalkeeper's right-hand corner and to be fair to the keeper he was not that far away from making the save. Nice to have the 2-0 lead but I would much rather have the “laces through the ball” technique of James Collins than the clever stuff of Danny Boy. Another benefit of that second goal was that the drummer boy probably collapsed in tears as his drum was silenced; don’t you just hate those bloody drums! As you would expect, in the second half Accrington really did try to get back into the game with some more powerful play of their own especially in the first 20 minutes of that second period. However, the Hatters defence remained aware and very confident with the very impressive mountain of Stech dominating his area. How would I describe Stech? Well, to be fair he is a bit of a unique mixture of bravery, power and agility: just imagine the punching power of our ex-loan keeper Mitchell and the agility of Walton mixed with undoubted passion. Well done Nathan on bringing in such a decent keeper. Later in the second half, we replaced Berry with D’Ath. Berry was doing ok but not as yet looking a big fee player and I thought that was a wise move from Nathan to bring on the more competitive D’Ath to close down the midfield a touch more. In that second half that never reached the entertainment level of the first, there were a couple of other chances, one to each side. With Accrington's chance, Stech made a decent save and for ours, Hylton would have surely scored but for a super last-ditch tackle from an Accy defender. A few minutes before the end, James Justin came on to replace the excellent Cornick and from the moment he came on he looked more of a match for the speedy Accy left winger who was giving Stacey a tough time; the guy was simply really fast against Stacey's tired legs in the second period. So there we are, 16 points from the last 18 on offer and a very accomplished away performance against a side that before the match were a place above us in the league. Overall Impression: A very efficient away performance from our side that at last look like serious promotion contenders who dare I say it, are getting a touch more to grips with the needs of L2; is our Nathan at long last learning what it actually takes to gain promotion from this physical environment? Let’s hope so and full credit to him in the way he used his team and substitution yesterday. Generally, in the game, we were very pleasingly in there for the majority of second balls and that aspect alone is such an improvement on last season. Additionally, every Hatters player supported each other and acted as a real team unit with very few mistakes and bags of determination from all. Nest Saturday I reckon we will be without Dan Potts who has now by my reckoning collected five yellow cards and will sit the next game out. NJ, of course, has options at LB and could use either JJ or Senior for their first league starts of the season. Not a bad strength in depts position. A few thoughts on individual performances within a very good all round team performance: Stech: he is fast becoming a legend in our team. He did everything asked of him including making one top-notch save and commanding his area. Oh yes, full marks to him for keeping out of the argument that went on at the time of Potts booking. Stacey: whilst not his best game he did absolutely fine until he tired in the second half against the fresh speedy legs of the Accy substitute. Potts: what a solid decent defender this chap has turned out to be. Give him an extended contract Nathan; he's worth it. Cuthbert: solid as a rock at the back and seems to be really enjoying his football at the moment. Just ask the opposition to wear skin-tight shirts or preferably body paint instead of shirts. Sheehan: great anticipation in defence, missed very little; had a good game indeed. Rea: did what he does best in terms of a combative spirit. I thought he had one of his best games in a Town shirt and certainly he was miles better than on that foggy day back in the winter. Lee: some close clever play and overall very decent: I was impressed with him yesterday. Berry: still fairly quiet in terms of imposing himself on play but some nice touches and hopefully more to come. Cornick: very impressive once again with some superb close control. Lots of pace and determination. Collins: bags of effort and really only got one sight at goal and indeed he put that one away superbly belting in Lee’s knockdown header. Hylton: getting back to last seasons form and a continuous thorn in Accrington's side. However, Danny you scare me to death with your penalty technique. The Subs: D’Ath: busy in midfield; glad to have him back fit. As he will in my view be important to us this season. Justin: strong tackles and seemed capable of catching that speedy Accy winger who was getting the better of Stacey. A special mention for the referee who was very fair to both sides. I reckon one Accy call for a penalty in the second half was in truth mighty close and I would not have moaned had they been awarded one but the referee was very well positioned to make his decision. He also would not be rushed into making a decision during that handbags incident involving so many players in the first half. A beautiful drive to the city of Lincoln which is about equidistant as the Kenny is from my home. Firstly on very early arrival parking by the attractive South Common before a few hours enjoying the sites of Lincoln’s Cathedral area and a couple of pre-match pints with mates down by the canal. You know, immense credit has to go to the often criticised developers who have done a great job of creating a vibrant waterfront area that has many similarities to Melbourne’s Southbank. Well done guys, you have created a good addition to this very attractive historic city.
Our hosts for the game Lincoln City: well firstly a bit of praise for Lincoln and their young management duo; Danny & Nicky Cowley. Brothers in their early 30’s who played their football in non-league and whose management experience stretches no higher than Braintree. Their style of football is possibly not the most attractive to watch as they play a long-ball percentages game but real credit to them in bringing together an effective side that has excited the city of Lincoln and almost fills the stadium with passionate supporters. Yes, it was great to see such a big crowd for a L2 game on a beautiful late summer’s day. The game itself: overall a fairly forgettable game that unlike a visit to the lovely city of Lincoln, will not linger long in the memory. Unlike last week’s epic fight back which I am sure we will still remember at the end of the season, memories of yesterday’s affair will fade rapidly. Well, maybe we will remember that persistent drummer of the wailing siren that preceded every Lincoln corner but that’s about it. The first half was quite entertaining with the Hatters giving as good as they got and to my tally having about four decent to mild attempts on goal with possibly the closest being a good effort from Pelly who was having a very mixed first half with some typical good work but overcomplicated play letting him down when a simple ball would have sufficed. Collins and Hylton were looking dangerous with Stacey absolutely storming down the wing like a sprinting bull; he is just so hard to knock off the ball once in full stampede. Unfortunately, Collins picked up a hip injury early on and despite trying to play through the discomfort, had to be replaced after less than thirty minutes to be replaced by young Cornick. Cornick does not possess the like for like physical strength of Collins and plays naturally wider but he did well and gave the Lincoln defence some worry with his skill and pace. In that first half Lincoln had their efforts on goal and perhaps the closest they came was a shot from mid left that went narrowly past Stech’s post. So half time arrived with the teams about equal after a fairly entertaining first half. Certainly, that first half performance was a marked improvement on our first half showing the week before at Mansfield. Sadly the second half drifted away in comparison as did our own effectiveness which seemed to be compounded when the tiring McCormack, bless the old boy, was replaced by Cook. I am all for trying to build Cook’s confidence by gradual reintroduction from the bench when we are in a dominant winning position but maybe yesterday's tough scrap was not the best time. However, to be fair to Cook, he did nothing to warrant criticism in the game and actually committed a naughty “professional” yellow card foul to prevent a dangerous situation late in the game: well done on that one Cook. I suppose the closest we really came to a goal in the second half were two slightly comical situations when firstly Stech dropped a cross that was then cleared and when Hylton got possession in the area with the Lincoln goalkeeper racing around after him like a demented clown. Another pleasing moment in the second half was the applause given to Ollie Palmer when the former Luton Loanee came on as a sub late in the game. So there we are a hard fought but fairly forgettable 0-0 draw that produced some entertainment in the first half but drifted somewhat in the second period. To my mind, it was a good point against a well organised direct Lincoln side and to top it all a great day out enjoying the beautiful city of Lincoln. Overall Impression: Those Hatters fans who followed the club in the 70’s will have come across the Lincoln City style of long ball play from Graham Taylor who managed Lincoln before going on to success with Watford: what glorious days with Pleat & Taylor! Like Taylor’s sides, it would be a touch unfair to say Lincoln are just a crude hoofball, yes they do get the ball high and into the penalty area at every opportunity but their also try to get the ball out to their two wingers and launch crosses from out wide. Ok, not the most attractive football to watch but this is L2 and I am sure it will be successful for Lincoln just as it was for them last season when they won 30 games in the National league. We do try to play football yet there are very few footballing sides as such to play against in L2 and that’s something that does not readily help us in our quest for L1 a place where our football will possibly flourish a touch more than in the league's basement. On the day I am happy with a point and don’t see any need to be overly critical of our teams play or the performance of any individuals. A Few Thoughts on Individual Performances: Stech: his kicking was sometimes poor and he did make a mess of a fairly easy cross in the second half but those aspects apart, he played well. Sheehan: like Rea, I feel he is best suited to playing in a back three rather than one of two centre backs. A much better game than he had last week at Mansfield. Rea: he looks very comfortable playing in a back three and overall had a good game. Cuthbert: totally brave in the entire game; he just won so much in the air. Stacey: excellent signing and continued to prove what an athletic, strong and determined player he is. I did read an interview with Stacey where he said he felt he was really a midfield player who could also play at right back. JJ at the back with Stacey in front of him, that would be interesting and really powerful I suspect. Potts: did quite well but a touch short compared to the previous two away games: quality defender in my opinion. McCormack: decent game and I thought we went downhill a touch when he was substituted midway through the second half. Pelly: after been our outstanding player in the last two physical away battles at Barnet & Mansfield, he had an inconsistent afternoon. At times simply over elaborating in our half of the field then at other times delivering the good stuff few are capable of doing at this level. Berry: a great little skillful battler in midfield; not outstanding but reasonable yesterday with plenty more to come I suspect. Hylton: overall a good game from Hylton who tried just about everything to get a way through the Lincoln defence. He tired late in the game but will soon be back to his best. Collins: looked good until he picked up that hip injury fairly early in the game and despite trying to play on, was replaced by Cornick before the half-hour mark. The Subs: Cornick: he had a fairly impressive game and it’s easy to see why Nathan signed him. I am sure he will develop into a more consistent tormentor of other sides as he continues to develop. Cook: yes, he has had a lot of stick in the past but that stick should really have been directed at Nathan for simply selecting a player who was way out of form. Yesterday he came on as a late substitute and sadly for his critics, did little wrong. In fact to use that terrible football phrase, “he took one for the team” in fouling a very forward Lincoln player late in the game. Once again to Mansfield for yet another game in the Town of total football: I seem to have been loads of times there to watch the Hatters over the years. Not a lot has changed over those years in that the good folk of Mansfield are a friendly bunch, the beer is always good and the Mansfield recruitment criteria still calls for physical giants.
Our Nathan made one change to the side that beat Colchester comfortably last week bringing back our tallest defender captain Cuthbert, back to try to counter the aerial threat posed by the Stags and relegating the shorter Rea to the bench. New signing Luke Berry was given a place on the bench displacing Jordan Cook: maybe Cookie was injured or simply missed the coach, I don't know but it’s unusual for a Nathan squad not to contain him. The game started with Mansfield really exerting some physical pressure as expected, on our midfield and defence but thankfully we managed to survive that always critical 20 minute onslaught away from home. Well maybe that 20-minute line was a bit hopeful as the physical onslaught continued and the Stags took the lead on the 23rd-minute. The goal came about from a nicely flighted free kick that really should have been routine stuff for a decent defence in the air but we are lacking in that aerial power department and the ball found its way through for Bennett to prod the ball home from close range. Yes, not a bad free kick; yes, Mansfield were very tall and physical and sadly again yes, we are simply not strong enough in the air when defending set pieces. The Hatters tried to counter on several occasions but the going was simply really tough against a side where similar to the Barnet game, the home coach had effectively nullified Nathan's style of play. We reached half-time with Mansfield clearly in control and our central defence/centre midfield finding it difficult to cope. Yet another similarity with the Barnet game was the fact that Pelly was the only Luton midfield player able to stand up to the bullying: don’t flog him off Nathan, Pelly is a quality powerhouse! Would we be able to turn things around in the second half? Well we started to come more into the play and our full backs were now getting forward but then “ home alone” Shinnie pulled up approaching Becher’s Brook and for him, his day at the races was over. Not a big loss in truth as he had been bullied out of the game all afternoon: decent at home but ineffective away from home against the big powerful boys that close him down on instruction in this case, from Mr Evans. Shinnie was replaced by new boy Berry and the struggling McCormack replaced by Rea. Immediately the slight change of shape as we moved to a back three, seemed to take us up a gear. Berry although being a quarter of a foot away from six foot, really got stuck in and played some nice close passing football. We started to punch forward but on the 70-minute mark, a cracking good through ball from the home side caught us out and former Luton employee Angol galloped away from Cuthbert to nicely slot the ball past Stech: credit where it’s due, that was a good goal and to be fair Angol was a threat all afternoon. NJ realising there was nothing to risk, sent on Cornick for Olly Lee: incidentally, Olly had tried like hell all afternoon. Cornick started to link well with Berry and Stacey and was really tearing into the Mansfield defence who just could not cope with him. Some of the crosses he made from just about the corner flag goal line were absolute quality and on reflection, I really hope that Nathan does not fine him for any more than ½ an hours wages for playing so wide; come on Harry, this is Luton my son, we don’t do wide! From one clever Stacey cross , Collin's does what he is good at, connected and buried the ball into the net. Wow, we were waking up and taking the game to Mansfield. Then with a minute of normal time remaining, Dan Potts got in a cross for Danny boy to equalise: joy and elation! Where would it all end? Then Pelly surges into the area and fires one wide of the post: if Carling did match endings then……… Joy then turned to despair when the referee decided Cuthbert had handled in the area and we have an injury time penalty against us but let's not worry as “one flew over the cuckoo's nest” Stech turned the ball away; love the bloke he is totally nuts. So, there we are, for definite a point won against a very tough set of big Stags. Overall impression: I thought I would simply reproduce my gut feeling notes that I placed on 262 last night whilst warming a nice glass of soft red in my non-typing hand; it helps after a game and maybe gut reaction is as valued as overnight considered reflection. I try not to post my thoughts on a match day but hell, why not, so here goes: You can argue as much as you like about statistics regarding our goals conceded over the last two years; I really don't care. I take the approach of simply commenting on what I see in front of me at games and what I saw today was: The Negatives:
Overall, I am happy with a point and will accept the good feeling from a great fight back but NJ needs to keep trying, as I believe he is, to toughen up that centre back partnership especially when we meet the more physical sides. Some thoughts on individual performances: Stech: full marks for a good penalty save under tremendous pressure. He also made another top notch save in that second half. Stacey: had a lot to contend with and overall did well in that second half really getting forward. Cuthbert: not his best game but made some decent tackles on the deck. He could do with a bit more physical support alongside him. Sheehan: like Cuthbert, not his best afternoon and whilst having an abundance of skill on the ground, he is simply not strong enough in the air against many L2 sides. Potts: probably our bravest and most decisive defender yesterday and got forward well. McCormack: tried hard, shouted a lot but was under continuous pressure and never really dominated. Pelly: the only midfield player from the starting 11 to have the muscle to stand up to the Mansfield bully boys; note, I am not being critical of Evans here, he simply understands lower league football. O Lee: found the battle a touch tough but give him credit for never giving up. Shinny: we know he is a skilful lad and great at the Kenny but away from home in L2 maybe a different story Hylton: although obviously not yet back to his best, showed real determination and skill in that second period and took his goal well. Collins: like others, he was well marked by Evans’s boys but took his chance like a real striker should. Subs: Berry: not much of him in terms of height but he really got stuck in and made some decent play. Living where I do, I may have seen more of Berry than a lot of Luton fans and in my view, that was an excellent piece of business bringing Berry to Luton. Rea: he reminds me of the departed Jonathan Smith in that he always gives 100% despite his footballing limitations: relatively young and will continue to improve. Cornick: what a quality wide player; surely he will not be allowed to go the Gambin route to central midfield obscurity! After such a splendid show at home to Yeovil last Saturday and also following the cup defeat against Ipswich, it was time for our first away trip of the season. Barnet is a fairly easy place for most Hatters to get to so that’s a plus that enabled over 2000 travelling Hatters to attend the wide open space of the Hive.
Nathan named the same starting eleven as used against Yeovil with new signing Harry Cornick, a wide man NJ intends to convert to a not so wide man, having a place on the bench. Fairly soon after the start of the game Johnson of Barnet hurt his knee in a tackle and had to be replaced. Then on 20 minutes, captain Cuthbert seemed to strain his thigh/hip whilst stretching for a ball and had to be replaced by Glen Rea. Well in truth the two stoppages and substitutions were really the most notable events from that first 20 minutes apart from two Town moves that saw Pelly place a low shot off target and wide of the post & that dangerous man, and I honestly reckon he is great in the box, Potts, bringing a good save from the Barnet keeper. It really was a very forgetful first half and I surprised myself by putting a few more lines together whilst on the train that I thought I would be able to: oh, the final highlight of the half was the referee blowing his whistle to give us all a break. The general discussion amongst supports ranged from we will do much better in the second half to a point would not be a bad result. The way the second period started suggested that things were unlikely to improve: maybe that comment is a little unfair as although neither side appeared to my eye to be really poor, equally neither side looked good. I am not one to bang on about this formation or that formation or the knowing nod when folk talk of the diamond; to my view, football is a far simpler game than that and we did not help ourselves in the delivery of that simple game. We played far too narrow in a game that was calling out for some wide play and on such a spacious pitch. Vassell and Collins were well marked, in Vassell’s case often by two players: just how did Barnet manage to get 12 players on the pitch without the ref noticing? You would have thought that 12 man remark was indeed true as our team simply failed to find space or stretch the home defence; surely we were crying out for a winger to replace the luckless Shinnie who spent far too much of the afternoon slipping onto his arse; did the bench not notice that? We certainly had two wide men in Gambin and Cornick on the bench but when NJ decided to make a change he hooked off “slipper Shinnie” and replaced him with Jordan Cook. Now I am all for introducing Cook from the bench in the coming weeks when we are hopefully well in command of a game; I actually think he needs that soft introduction to build his confidence but yesterday where a scraper or wide player was needed, was surely not the place and time for Cook’s rehabilitation. The second substitution, this time with Vassell, who had been well marked out of the game, with Elliot Lee coming on, was again maybe not the best of choices as Elliot is more of a one for feeding in the box and we were just not getting much into the box; surely the allegedly pacey Cornick would have been a better option. As the game spluttered into injury time, McCormack lost possession and Barnet scored with a very sweet strike from range that whistled past the outstretched Stech to send the Hatters to their first defeat of 2017/18. In a way, although Barnet are probably a typical and useful L2 side and certainly not outstanding, you feared the late goal may happen and wham bang it certainly did. So there we go, trotting off to our various locations with eight goals scored and three conceded in the first two games so let's not get too down about yesterday’s defeat. However, I suspect that we have plenty more such “Barnets” to face who will do their homework on Nathan’s way of playing. Overall Impression: We were not good, neither were we bad yesterday and indeed you could say similar of Barnet. Our stars today; well in midfield, it was Pelly by a long way with slippy Shinnie spending far too much time falling on his arse. In attack, Collins tried very hard but frustratingly had to go wide to try and find some space. I would say that with the exception of Pelly and Potts that everybody else simply no better than average and sadly so often inconsistent in the execution of the simple aspects of the game. Was Nathan a touch out with his tactics, particularly the narrow style of play and use of subs? Well apart from the unfortunate early loss of captain Cuthbert; I would say yes. On the other hand, the Barnet coach, the absolute rookie 32-year old Rossie Eames, did his homework well on Luton denying players space, closing them down and using Barnet’s superior physical strength against us. I have no idea if either Rossie or Nathan will have wonderfully successful coaching careers but what I can say if that Rossie played his hand of cards better than Nathan did. I rather suspect that we will come up against sides that will not be able to cope with our style of play and against these we will do well but equally, I suspect that many sides will have coaches that will be smart enough to do a Barnet on us. Yet, it's not the end of the world; there is a long way to go and we have not reached the end of August yet so no panic or doom but we need to be better than we were today. Just as a final thought, you could argue that back in April when we won by 1-0 that we were not much better than yesterday’s performance and could easily have lost by 3-1 had “barn door Akinde” taken three relatively easy chances that he was presented with. A few thoughts on individual players performances: Stech: coped well enough and came out to collect the ball as required but not under an amazing amount of pressure during the game. Stacey: a very mixed game with some decent interceptions and some wayward passing. Potts: yes, Potts looked very solid and probably the pick of the defenders and also always a threat in the opposition's box from dead ball kicks. Cuthbert: he was doing well during his 20 minutes on the pitch. As he is the best header in the back four I really hope he is back for next Saturday. Sheehan: average adequate game defensively and also had a decent free kick deflected away from goal. McCormack: sadly he was not at last week’s level of performance and seemed to lack concentration later in the game; perhaps he was feeling the physical strain. Olly Lee: another with a mix of good and not so good; fairly well looked after by Barnet. Pelly: by some distance our best player yesterday, physically not willing to be bullied and determined in his forward play. Shinnie: whatever type of footwear was he wearing, was it carpet slippers? He slipped onto his arse to lose possession about five times in the first half. Slipping apart, he was closely marked out by Barnet and fairly well negated. Vassell: he did try but after such a transfer speculation week he was not at his best and again well marked by Barnet. Collins: I thought that Collins did reasonably well and his “league 2” helped him more than many other Luton players but it was difficult for him to find space yesterday and at times he was forced out wide to gain possession. The subs: Rea: did well enough and had a fairly decent game; let’s face it he is a developing defender and not a midfield player. Cook: neither good nor bad and to be fair he did make a couple of decent passes but as I keep saying, he is just so lacking in self-belief and until he overcomes that obstacle I doubt he will succeed. E Lee: only on for a few minutes. The Hatter Line up: Stech, Stacey, Sheehan, Cuthbert (Rea), Potts, McCormack, Mpanzu, Lee. O, Shinnie (Cook), Collins, Vassell (Lee. E). Subs not used: Shea, Mullins, Cornick, Gambin. Note: it was my intention to only report on away games this season and I may well adopt that due to other pressures on time; I am spending an ever increasing amount of time writing on my other site Stockwhittler. However, after yesterday’s glorious performance, I just could not resist writing a few notes.
Well after that Blackpool disappointment and period of hardly thinking about football, it was good to get back to the Kenny for our opening game of the season. The last three seasons have seen us open with some interesting “holiday break” trips at Carlisle, Accrington and Plymouth. Admittedly home to Yeovil did not seem to have quite that exciting touch but could hardly have suspected we would see such a great team performance that was about to be served to the faithful Kenny audience. After last Saturday’s final friendly of the pre-season, Nathan made one change to the starting line up bringing in Olly Lee for D’Ath who picked up an injury in training. That’s a shame for D’Ath as he was really buzzing in that last friendly. Straight from the kick off the Hatters were tearing at the Glovers apart and should have really been ahead within 30 seconds when Collins had space in the area to slot the ball past the keeper: right place right time but the finish was just a little off and the keeper made a decent save. Collins had another chance that was cleared away. Then after seven minutes, we started to get that slight groundhog day feeling when Yeovil took the lead from a free kick in a fairly central position outside of the area. It was a well placed free kick but to be honest I felt that Stech’s positioning as the kick was taken could have been better. Thankfully, and it did feel like a relief, we were not behind for long. Pelly knocked a decent ball out to Vassell on the left-hand side and the born again Vassell who now is aware of team mates on the pitch, sent a lovely weighted cross for Olly Lee to smack beautifully into the corner of the net from the right-hand side of the area. Nice to hear the crowd singing a praising song for Olly with a slight rearrangement of the Colchester verse from last March in that laydown and die defeat.Then a few minutes later a lovely move involving Pelly and Shinnie who knocked a lovely ball through to Collins to powerfully race forward and slot the ball past the Yeovil keeper: what a beautifully worked goal. Five minutes later it was three to the Hatters with McCormack connecting with a headed clear corner to volley a superb and unstoppable shot past the keeper. Heavens this was great stuff to watch not just in seeing us come back so well having fallen behind but in the overall way we were playing. Hang on though, more was to come in this astonishing first half with Vassell scoring two in quick succession. Vassell’s first was simply down to his pace and power as he latched onto a through ball and shrugged off the accompanying attention of two Yeovil defenders to race on and score. The second was a beautiful finish from Vassell as he latched on to an intelligent ball from Collins; there is quite a lot to James Collins game, and our Isaac raced away to sweetly finish the move slotting the ball past the keeper. Yeovil then had an opportunity to pull one back from the penalty spot after McCormack over enthusiastically went in for the ball. Nothing to fear as Stech made a decent save from a fairly poorly taken penalty. So, there we were reaching half time with a rampant and unflattering score line of 5-1; when did that happen last? In fact, it could so easily have been 6-1 at half time when a well hit Olly Lee shot smacked against the post and came out: simply great stuff. The second half seemed to want to continue in a similar fashion as the first albeit at a slightly less relentless pace. After 58 minutes it was goal number six for the Hatters with Collins smacking the ball into the roof of the net as he ran in on the left side of the penalty area quickly followed by the completion of Collins hat-trick that came about with a shot from some distance on the right-hand side. Our Mr Collins is certainly a lot more than a “Plan B” option. Yeovil then pulled one back as our defence showed the weaker side of our game in not getting near Zoko as he physically went in for a header despite the close attention of two defenders. Still, not to worry, maybe we can happily live with that touch of aerial allergy if we manage to score more than the opposition. With a lot of injury time added mainly due to an injury to Stech when he needed extensive treatment, you could have forgiven the Town for simply riding the last few minutes out but why do that when you are leading by 7-2. In comes a beautifully weighted cross from brother Olly to brother Elliot and he heads the ball comfortably into the net: 8-2 and time for the final whistle. I enjoyed that: it’s good to be back at the Kenny! Overall impression: Probably the best all round team performance for the Hatters since that majestic 5-0 away win at Alfreton back in December 2013: it was truly a top notch total team performance without a single weak link in the team. We seem to have a spine welding the team together and that spine runs from Stech, Cuthbert, McCormack and Collins: just what we needed. It was also good in the first half to see how Pelly and McCormack were so ably covering for each other and both ready to knock the ball out to either Olly of Shinnie. So on first viewing, it looks like Nathan has had a really good early summer shopping spree being well backed by the board of 2020 and Gary Sweet. My appetite is restored and the indigestion suffered post-Blackpool banished; roll on Barnet next Saturday. A few thoughts on individual performances: I suppose I could simply cut out this bit and say that everybody had a really good game because without exception they did in the all round team performance. Stech: had a decent game and made a couple of very good saves including saving a penalty. I reckon he got his positioning a little wrong for the free kick in that opening goal but that apart, he looks a good keeper. Stacey: a sound and solid game; he looks another very good acquisition by the Jones/Hartford partnership. Potts: defensively Potts was real quality both on the ground and in the air. I keep getting the feeling that with his heading ability he would make a really decent centre back if needed in that role. Sheehan: he looked calm and in control plus ever willing to bring the ball away constructively with that cultured left clog as he moved out of defence and upfield. Cuthbert: good determined game looking very comfortable and in control all match. McCormack: he had a great first league for the Hatters and looked every part the organising midfielder we have craved for the past couple of seasons. I feel sure he will have a big influence on the other more creative types in midfield allowing them to flourish. Shinnie: a very impressive game with some excellent passing and constantly looking for the ball; it would be nice to convert him to a permanent Luton player. Pelly: had a very good game and looked a much more fired up player than in recent seasons. Maybe the influence of McCormack was having a positive effect on Pelly’s play and long may that continue. Incidentally, Pelly’s performance tailed off quite markedly once McCormack left the field just after the hour mark. Olly Lee: what a totally different player Olly can be once released from that most unnatural defensive holding role. His passing and shooting, the strong parts of Olly’s game, were excellent. As well as scoring, Olly hit a post with a decent shot and almost got onto the end of another loose ball just plucked away by the keeper. Vassell: just about every time the ball came through to him his natural pace and physique left the Yeovil defender standing. He took both of his goals very well and I certainly hope that the club is successful in tying down the “animal” with an extended contract. Collins: in this game, he looked to be so much more than an old fashioned target man. When not in possession he was moving around making space for himself and seeking the ball: with the ball he was ever willing to take a shot at goal. The Subs: Rea: came on to give a break to McCormack: no criticism meant of Rea but we did drop a gear, Pelly included, once McCormack was taken off. Lee: on for that hat-trick man Collins weighed in with a nicely taken goal for goal number 8 for the Hatters. Mullins: on for Shinnie; looked calm and in control. Luton Line Up: Stech, Stacey, Sheehan, Cuthbert, Potts, McCormack (Lee. E), Pelly, Lee. O, Shinnie (Rea), Collins (Mullins), Vassell. Subs (not used): Shea, Cook, Senior, Gambin. Can you believe it, the last game of the regular season: simply where did all that time go? It only seems like a few days ago that Mrs Whittler & I were finishing our full English in a Polperro B&B and preparing to head off to our opening game of the season against Plymouth; yes, time flies when you are enjoying yourself. Well, to be fair the majority of the enjoyment at least in terms of entertainment was had by the travelling Hatters as fortress Kenny was not at her best with seven home draws denying us of some vital points that were critical in the final reckoning.
For the final game, those simple minded football administrators decided that L2 kick offs should be at 5:30; why I don’t know! Not my usual time for popping into the pub but you have to do what you have to do, so it was a quick trip to a couple of watering holes for a couple of ales pre-game. As ever, after a couple of ales and some good football chat, it’s off for a stroll to the Kenny; what could possibly go wrong. For the game, our Nathan made only one change to the Accrington line up and that was an enforced one with Gambin in for the injured Sheehan, who was rather worryingly wearing a bulky support boot in the main stand; hope he is fit very soon. You could almost view the game as a dead rubber as 4th place was already ours, Morecambe safe and in such last game circumstances, things can become a touch flat. However, it was not a bad game to watch with the Hatters knocking the ball around well and Kevin Ellison being his usual self: quite remarkable for a player who is almost the same age as John Still. We did create some nice openings with Vassell going close early on and Gambin making a poor connection with a ball inside the penalty area only to send it way over the bar; sorry Luke, you should have buried that one. Our “born again” Hoddoleite, Olly Lee, was placing some superbly weighted passes; wow what a change to our Olly since the start of April. I have given the guy some stick when he really underperformed earlier but credit where it’s due, he is doing well at the moment: I best have a pint of what Paul Hart’s drinking! With all this pressure, the Hatters did eventually take the lead with the move coming from a Gambin corner, a header by Potts and a one yard out finish by the ever alert Vassell for his 13th goal of the season: a great effort in his first season in the league. We did have other chances and Gray was really unlucky with a super shot that just screamed past the post. Yet even despite our dominance, we still managed the odd sleepy moment at the back. So, after some decent football we reached half time a goal up giving us a few minutes during the break to catch up on the potential playoff opposition: why were Stevenage not winning; looks like Colchester; that’s ok so as to avoid Blackpool: well, what do you know! As you would expect, Morecambe began the second half a little more chirpy but it was the Hatters who continued to press and “striker” Potts had another effort at goal again from a Gambin corner: not doing too badly our Potts. Then we had a short period of centre back madness with both Rea and Cuthbert seemingly to have swapped their football boots for wooden clogs. Rea makes a mistake, Cuthbert makes a mistake: things momentarily drift and bang it’s 1-1 via a penalty given away by Cuthbert. It was the other errors leading up to the move that NJ needs to look at as by the time the Morecambe striker was free in the area Cuthbert’s legal options were a touch limited. Thankfully we did not let that minor setback dampen our appetite and continued to press forward and other chances followed but this was tarnished a touch when Justin went down with what appeared to be a serious injury and he was stretchered off the pitch to be replaced by O’Donnell. We continued to pressurise the Morecambe goal and had good efforts from Pelly, Vassell and another great header by “striker Potts” that beat the keeper but pain in the butt Ellison was there to clear off the line. Time for a change to keep everybody fresh so off goes the dangerous Vassell to be replaced by Jack Marriott: hell he better work hard in this final 18 minutes as I confidently predicted 20 goals for him this season; only 10 more needed! Well, the first of that 10 came when Marriott raced on to pass from Jake Gray and from a difficult angle slotted the ball into the net. Then in a counter attack, our defenders again managed to get in a touch of a mess following a free kick that eventually came to Mullin who looked certain to score but Stuart Moore pulled off a superb save diving somehow to his left to turn the ball away for a corner. Eventually, our third goal did arrive and it was “20 goal jack Marriott” hitting his 12th of the season with a shot from the edge of the area that the keeper really should have saved. Game over and it’s on to Blackpool. Overall Impression I thought we played well and for the very first time this season we registered three wins on the bounce. I think that it’s very encouraging that a number of players have come into good form at the same time. The passing of Olly Lee was really good at times with some through balls weighted to perfection. The regular season has passed and now it’s almost time for the playoff lottery which starts at Blackpool next Sunday; really unpredictable stuff but at least with a group of players hitting form we have a decent chance of changing our playoff fortunes. Some thoughts on individual performances. Moore: again he had a good game, collected the ball well and made a very good save late in the game. I would take him if he is surplus to requirements at Reading. Justin: was playing well but picked up that worrying injury that saw him carried off the pitch. Cuthbert & Rea: mentioned together as at times they played fine but had the odd moment of relaxation that looked worrying. Potts: blimey, he did get forward a lot especially to dead ball kicks and was unlucky not to score. Lee: as mentioned above, some really fine passing from Olly and involved in almost every good move. Gray: steadily improves as he is given game time. Pelly: some good play some over-hit passes; much more to offer from Pelly; a challenge for Nathan. Gambin: some good crosses: I thought he had a decent game. Palmer: unusually, won a few balls in the air but his best work was his close control and his intelligent on the ground. Vassell: constant threat with his power and pace; seems to improve with every game. Well done Mick Harford for spotting this gem. The Subs: O’Donnell: seemed to have recalibrated his right leg mussels and put some good balls into dangerous areas. Marriott: took his first goal really well and looks keen and hungry. D’Ath: decent cameo performance; good to have him fit again. This will be the last Whittler report for the 2016/17 season. With the playoff games being televised by Sky I would imagine that all Hatters fans should be able to view the games live on the box. If you don’t have access to Sky then a crafty and legal way to view is via a Now TV unit; well worth the £20 investment. I will whittle on during the close season keeping the squad pages up to date as a means of reference and probably offer a few thoughts on “first look” at new arrivals in the PSF games. Thanks for reading and have a great summer. |
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December 2017
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