[ Tue 27th Nov ] v Halesowen Town, KO 7:45pm ESCP HOME

[Brownie]

Our big test is against the top half dozen where we have yet to pick up any points and have four of them to play in the next five weeks.

You should be a spin Doctor, I guess much depends how a comment is worded and whilst the above is factually correct I would add, of the top 6 we are 1 of them, 3 we haven’t played yet and the 2 defeats were a very late goal at Stourbridge and a narrow defeat at Royston.
Could I approach from a slightly more positive angle.
Against teams in the top 10, we have suffered 3 narrow defeats the above mentioned and 1-0 at Biggleswade in a game we could easily have won, been very unfortunate conceding a very late equaliser at Kings Lynn, hammered decent sides in Needham Market & Coalville playing some excellent football and are looking forward to the challenges that will face us when we take on the remaining 3 over the coming weeks.
Positive mind set by Doctor Brownie.

[sussexdiamond]

With regard to defeats. I think the Rushall result was the only league match we have lost in the last 18 months by more than a single goal. Not sure how many clubs can say that !. Me I am always positive, well cautiously optimistic. On Radio Diamonds I will never predict a scoreline for fear of tempting fate.

[TwinkleToesTomlin]

It looked like being a really frustrating night last night; we came flying out of the blocks, but a lack of quality in and around the final third prevented the early goal our build up play deserved. For all our possession and pressure, we were actually lucky not to be at least 1-0, if not 2-0 down at HT given the chances Halesowen had, despite not being able to string two passes together.

We got a bit of luck with the deflection wrong footing their 'keeper for the opening goal, although Farrell's shot might just have crept in the other corner, and I don't think the 'keeper was getting there if it had. The second goal was superb though, brilliant work from Albie and a terrific finish from Shanks. I believe that's 80 for him now. And even after the ridiculous sending off, there was only one team that ever looked like scoring again.

It's really difficult to know what to make of this league. Third is surely a false position, and I don't expect us to be up at those dizzy heights for long, but we've got there despite a very inconsistent opening few months, and with a squad that is weaker than it was last season (no Ryan Robbins who regularly scored goals out of nothing, no Joel or Luke tormenting defences from the flanks, and less strength in depth). And given how poor most of our opponents have been (I've not seen every game but only Stourbridge have really impressed me, Tamworth and Rushall were a step up from last year, but not a significant one, everyone else I've seen have been no better than most SLD1 sides), you wonder if this step up really is as big as people made out. I'd be interested to see how teams in our league have stacked up against teams from other step 3 leagues in cup competitions.

Got to disagree Dave. Considerable step up in terms of quality in my opinion.

[MarkH]