The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

updiamonds wrote:

Oundle Diamond #2 wrote:We have promotion staring us in the face, imagine how good we'd be with a decent striker up top. By decent, I mean the same calibre as Dolman or Hoban. Our shortcomings have been clear since the start of the season in that area of the pitch. 6/10 isn't good enough when the rest of the squad is a solid 7.2/10.

I have one idea of HOWE we could resolve this...

Maybe there/Chalfont forward. Mendy?

He won't even be playing for them during January as away for a month. He'll than come back & finish the season at CSP, be the league's leading scorer by a mile then move on.

Interesting article here on Tony Mendy who only made his debut for CSP last March and 'after doing the rounds' and 'losing his way and gaining a bit of a reputation'.

http://www.getbucks.co.uk/sport/footbal ... ss-8876713

Previously scored a few goals for AFC Hayes.

http://www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk/players/tony-mendy/

Mal's pics are added to Paul's match report - http://www.afcdiamonds.com/chalfont-st- ... diamonds-0

The latest stats are also available - http://www.afcdiamonds.com/201516-playe ... atch-stats

Quite significant that the Non League paper had MOTM as Chalfonts keeper!

Corby Diamond says the ground may have been "a bit of a dump" but they were some of the most hospitable friendly folk we have met, and the Hanwell clubroom could not open until the nursery closed!.
Was the Chairman the very cheerful West Indian guy with the Santa beard who helped out behind the bar before the match when it got really busy.?

I am sure they were grateful for the quadrupling of their average gate,

corby diamond wrote:Disappointing result at a dump of a ground, not sure I've seen a bar in a nursery before although the lads had more possession, it means nothing if it can't be finished.. First goal was crazily good, i think I applauded that myself and the second was luck but still impressive. Chalfont played some tidy stuff and will definitely be challenging come the end of the season without a doubt!

Think the back 4 is sorted as it is presently, sorry Ollie but this is a strong back 4.. Be even better when Jackos back, long way off though! Really do think the strike force is a slight issue, it can be said that the squad is up there with goals scored, but Berwick and Lorraine ain't cutting it at the moment. We need another Alfie back in the squad, someone who can move off the ball into free positions, pass and go type!!

At least teams around us are losing so today ain't a massive deal, it's all about bouncing back that they need to deal with starting Tuesday..

And what a great chap that was today, apologies for forgetting his name..Darren? Chairman or president of the club.. Never found it necessary to shake a hand of the opposite team in the past and wish him well for the rest of the season but did today. Top man..

Agree slightly about the strike force, although I think Berwick has stepped up, after I initially thought he was poor last season. I think the full pre-season with us did wonders for him.

I think maybe we need another striker to compliment Berwick.
For all Lorraine did last season, I'm not sure if he's good enough for this level. From what I've seen of Liversedge, I'm not sure if he's the answer.

I have just watched the highlights(wasn't at the game)....in my humble opinion......we had 10 to 12 chances==no goals,they had maybe 4 to 5 ==2 goals, we need a proven goal scorer

It was a hard result to take, and as Andy said in the interview, we played the better football, especially at the start of the second half when we really gave them a lot to worry about. Over the two games we've lost one, won one, which isn't a bad record against the league leaders (for now). Their keeper really did play a blinder, and both of the goals were excellent strikes, even if they were hard to watch. I hear that Mandy is leaving the club in a month to go to Africa for some reason, so that's at least one player we don't have to worry about bagging goals for them.

Without signing anyone new, I'd say the best solution to the striker problem is to give Pinder more match time. No better way to learn than for Peaksy to tell him 'you're on second half, just relax and do your best.' The worst that can happen is he doesn't score, which isn't really anything new!

Points for the chairman though - very friendly chap, seemed to be having a ball all day long - anyone else think he looked a little like Morgan Freeman?

TheIncognitoKid wrote:

Bob's Bitch wrote:

Oundle Diamond #2 wrote:We have promotion staring us in the face, imagine how good we'd be with a decent striker up top. By decent, I mean the same calibre as Dolman or Hoban. Our shortcomings have been clear since the start of the season in that area of the pitch. 6/10 isn't good enough when the rest of the squad is a solid 7.2/10.

I have one idea of HOWE we could resolve this...

Get a grip, he's a Conference/L2 striker playing at K*ttering to get his fitness back up. He's certainly not going to come to us and I wouldn't want him to anyway, because it would be expensive. When you first suggested him I honestly thought you were joking...

You've obviously not read any other of this guys posts overt the last six months!

This forum likes a nibble.

Clearly Rene Howe wasn't a serious suggestion, but in figurative terms, it would be great to sign a striker who has been there and done it in higher leagues, akin to Dolman and Hoban. Also, admit it, you're all excited to sign the next ex-RDFC player. Chris Hope was wild.

Also @TheIncognitoKid, I assume you're referring to my one and only post that seemed to ruffle some feathers back in the close season about our fan retained lists. I'd invite you to read it over and if you have any retrospective criticism of it I'd love to hear it, I stand by every single suggestion I made. If you look at what I suggested and what has happened, the convergence is strong. The players I wanted to keep in the starting XI (Finlay, Dolman, Brown, Bunting) have all been fantastic this season. The players I wanted as squad players/released (Ashton, Harris, Joseph, Lamb-Johnson, Lorraine and Berwick) have been pretty average. My requests for an outstanding RB/CB and LW were satisfied with the captures of Delroy Gordon and Claudiu Hoban. Anyone complaining about how we have released/left out Butt, Gillingwater, King, Turner and Rogers?

The only outstanding request of mine, suitably back on topic, is for a star striker who is a proven goalscorer. It's clear to us all that's what we will need to get us over the line this season. Otherwise it will be a tight battle for promotion that isn't good for our stress levels. Really hoping our scouting teams manage to find one, I know they're elusive, but we're Rushden & Diamonds, that will surely get us far. COYD.

Oundle Diamond #2 wrote: The players I wanted to keep in the starting XI (Finlay, Dolman, Brown, Bunting) have all been fantastic this season. The players I wanted as squad players/released (Ashton, Harris, Joseph, Lamb-Johnson, Lorraine and Berwick) have been pretty average. My requests for an outstanding RB/CB and LW were satisfied with the captures of Delroy Gordon and Claudiu Hoban. Anyone complaining about how we have released/left out Butt, Gillingwater, King, Turner and Rogers?

Berwick has been one of our best players this year, Ashton hasn't played since pre-season. Are we watching the same team?