The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

Official Match Preview

http://www.afcdiamonds.com/afc-rushden- ... 20th-march

Pre-cautionary pitch inspection 1pm.

Match on.

Players need to be at it from the word go tonight.
If we can win tonight and get at least a draw on Saturday it will be a huge step towards securing automatic promotion.

Hope we can get a better crowd tonight compared to the Thame match.

10 days rest for us, 3 for them after what would have been a tough game at Chalfont on Saturday. Let's get straight in to them tonight!

Well done to the volunteers that helped to get the game on.

Fair play as Ayes did a job on us. I felt we lacked sharpness and quality, particularly our crosses were poor.
Onwards and upwards.

Think a draw might have been fair in the end but we can’t really begrudge them the win. Comfortably the best side we’ve played in the league this season.

We had no grip on the midfield whatsoever in the first half and I can count on one finger the amount of times I’ve said that lately. Ross Oulton swung it in our favour when he came on and looked like the Ross Oulton of old. Sadly we ran out of time.

Tonight won’t make or break our season, we’ve earnt the right to lose a few, but it makes Saturday that bit more interesting.

BartonRaz wrote: ↑Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:09 pm Think a draw might have been fair in the end but we can’t really begrudge them the win. Comfortably the best side we’ve played in the league this season.

We had no grip on the midfield whatsoever in the first half and I can count on one finger the amount of times I’ve said that lately. Ross Oulton swung it in our favour when he came on and looked like the Ross Oulton of old. Sadly we ran out of time.

Tonight won’t make or break our season, we’ve earnt the right to lose a few, but it makes Saturday that bit more interesting.

Only other thing we lacked tonight was no real attacking option on the bench. With still 10 games to go, maybe another player is needed for the run in. Ryan dove is banging the goals in lately for cogenhoe. Only 24 and a big target man.

10 games to go 20 more points will give us promotion. But realistically we will only need 15 or 16. Hayes were good value for their win on their first half display. They carried very little threat in second half but defended their lead well. I am optimistic of at least a draw on Saturday.

The Hayes players were simply more on it tonight - I don't think we won many second balls until the last fifteen, and players who would usually tear past defenders were being stopped and having the ball pinched every time. Not a great day at the races, but we're still five points ahead on the same number of games. If the performances can be a little better than tonight, we should be alright, but I'm more nervous now than I was at the start of the day!

Hayes and Yeading started on the front foot and seemed to be really up for it as pointed out above and a different side to the previous three times that our roving scout, Henry, had watched listening to his comments on the terrace. Just before they scored I was hoping that we could get in at halftime all square but a couple of lost opportunities to clear our lines went begging and Hayes duly took their chance. I think our tactics in the first half back fired on us and Ben Farrell appeared to be playing 10-15 yards further back than usual and consequently we never won any second balls in competition with their tall defenders. I would have preferred to see us play our normal pressing game but Paul Hughes, Hayes manager, once again tactically out thought us as he did when joint managing King’s Langley when they defeated us by a solitary goal at the Dog & Duck a couple of years ago.
The second half was a lot better but we were chasing the game and Hayes defended well, albeit with a fair bit of fortune, to survive when Ryan Robbins hit the post and the goalie made a top drawer save to deny Jack Westbrook’s headed attempt. All in all a disappointing night but that was our game in hand on Beaconsfield Town so not too much damage in reality to our league position. The win, however, was essential for Hayes who are now in second place but 5 points back but they will do well having played 3 games more than us to get above us or secure one of the two automatic promotion places.

On to Hartley Witney on Saturday now and let’s hope we take the game to them with our attacking style and hopefully Andy will be brave enough to start Ross Oulton, if he considers him fully match fit, in place of Joe Curtis as he certainly impressed last night.