About 4 weeks ago we visited Woodstock and returned home, having lost 6-2. We as a team felt we could turn this scoreline around at home, but it was not to be.
The elements were against in the first half with a strong wind blowing, but as too often our main problem was our own poor defending. I am not totally singling out the defence, but as a team we must do better. The fact of the matter is, in a league fixture, we have to at least score 2 goals to win a match, because we always concede. This just adds pressure to the team as a whole. The flip side is that apart from 1 game this season, we have always scored. So maybe it is a balance we have to find.
We started the game ok, against a very physical side, who often stepped over the mark, but were not penalised by the ref.
After about 20 mins we fell behind, as Browny tried to clear a ball, in an area he should not have been. This created space elsewhere, and their forward did not need a 2nd invitation to put them 1-0 up. Credit to us we drew level when Ben broke away and squared unselfishly to Alun who side footed home. Back in the game and doing ok, then again the defence went missing and they waltzed through the middle and scored, what proved to be the winner.
We huffed and puffed in the 2nd half but lacked that bit of quality, which may have got us a point.
Although we have made progress this season, and I have moved the goalposts slightly as we have gone along, the lessons learned are that the squad is still to light. If we added Dan Hesmer, Dave Hymers and James Philpott on a regular basis, we would be a more balanced and solid unit. But this is not the case, and we have suffered because of it. We also have to improve the quality in the ressies so there is competition for places.
If we are to get out of this division, we need the correct type of player, not necessarily the most talented player. Other wise we will continue to drop points against sides who are not as good, but dirty and take advantage of poor standard of refereeing.
Squad:
A Pickworth
N Sargent
M Brown
R James
L Gunning
M Wood
A James
A Tasker
C Ells
A Evans
B Brooker
D McGuire