[ Sat 20th Dec ] v Thurnby Nirvana, KO 3pm UCLP AWAY

[Formic]

Did I miss the memo when we were deducted 100 points for something?

Look at the table again, look at our results, average out those over the rest of the season.

On the plus side shortages of candidates to play Scrooge in the Diamonds panto are unfounded.

There really is no pleasing some of you is there?

It depends where you look... Our record against teams in the top 10 isn't too inspiring - and that is probably where the league will be won or lost:

P 9 W 4 D 3 L 2

I'm not sure we can afford to repeat that sort of average in the remaining 9 games against our rivals. We've dropped 12 points against our rivals - one more than Holbeach.

Had the game on Saturday looked like a "one-off" it might be dismissed, but the level of performance was very similar to that at Hullbridge, and the sense of inevitability similar. Before Thurnby scored they missed "sitters" in each half that were better than the chances we created - quite how their number 7 missed the chance in the first half only he will know.

[SouthRushdenJFC]

Did I miss the memo when we were deducted 100 points for something?

Look at the table again, look at our results, average out those over the rest of the season.

On the plus side shortages of candidates to play Scrooge in the Diamonds panto are unfounded.

There really is no pleasing some of you is there?

So fans aren't allowed to criticize the team when it loses? I didn't go yesterday but from reading this thread there's hardly any OTT reactions, just constructive criticism. What's wrong with that?!

Read it again. All there is is doom and gloom, we lose a game and the world's collapsed. Time to get a bit of perspective

[SouthRushdenJFC]

slightly more so that we didn't hold out for that point Saturday, which could be costly come the end of the season

Promotion won't come down to a single point, you don't really believe that do you?

[corby diamond]

There's no guarantee it won't, diamonds may lose a couple, holbeach may lose a couple, a draw at their place? I'm just saying I wouldn't like to be in the situation knowing that a win on the last day also meant a slip up for our rivals. Points are vital at this stage of the season, especially how close its going to end up anyways

[Brownie]

It depends where you look... Our record against teams in the top 10 isn't too inspiring - and that is probably where the league will be won or lost:
P 9 W 4 D 3 L 2
I'm not sure we can afford to repeat that sort of average in the remaining 9 games against our rivals. We've dropped 12 points against our rivals - one more than Holbeach.

Every coin has a flip side, our record against those teams currently places 10-21st
P 12 W 12 D 0 L 0
Have any of the other teams involved in the title race not dropped any points to bottom half teams, of which the are a few decent one`s.
I would agree some of our results against top 6/7 teams have not been as we may have liked, though Sat excluded the performances have possibly been better than the results, ie should have buried Holbeach before half time, opportunities to beat Yaxley in both games. Saturday was not a great performance but until the 92min not a game I thought we were going to loose, and we were struggling with options, with no Dunks, 2 from 4 wide men in squad missing, and no Confue.
We didn`t play that well as a team, and could debate all week who was worse than others to no end other than to highlight differing opinions. Roll on Boxing Day and a chance to put it right by giving Welly a good Christmas Stuffing, while being mindful of our 2 ex strikers, or is it only 1 now?
Regarding Thurnby, what a s..t hole, ground & facilities must break almost every rule/requirement laid down by the UCL for other Clubs especially us. Crowd was 240 not 185 but we`re getting used to that now. On the pitch they did play some decent football, but the stand out tactic from them was, floodlights on a dimmer switch, turn it right down, play in a kit the same colour as the grass and have the wide players hide out in the dark areas, I know lots of us were struggling to see all their players at times and it was the same for our players, don`t think that`s a tactic i`ve ever seen used before.

[corby diamond]

Nobody has even mentioned the catering facilities, how many hygiene/laws they breaking when someone asks for a burger and you are given a curry/chilli burger, whatever the f it was... :twisted: let's just hope someone don't have any allergies to flavoured burgers one day, not a patch on our food hut :lol:

[blackcountrydiamond]

I didn't see anything Saturday, or in recent performances to suggest we're less of a team than the one we were when we went 10 points clear at the top of the league.

We've only been beaten twice unlike all our rivals, and still look like a team that will win most of our games.

Most games we'll either dominate, or force a result when not at our best through the extra quality we have both in attack and defense. Like we did at Sleaford and Boston. Saturday was set-up to be the same until that weird switching off moment that gave them their winner.

Thurnby were a good passing side, only beaten twice at home, scoring shed loads of goals, and always going to be a test.

To be honest both sides should have had 2 or 3 more goals each to make it similar to lots' of their games...but it was a soft penalty and as i've said a weird switch-off moment that undid us in the end.

As it stands there are still 5 teams in it pointswise....but with teams playing each other that will probably slim down to us, Holbeach and maybe one other...Wisbech?

Nothing has changed my view that we are stronger, more together, more incisive, and better defensively than we've ever been. Let the others try and deal with that!!

[rushdenman]

I always thought that Wisbech could be the dark horses, and they have had a very good run, which makes our victory over them with 8 men look all the more impressive.
There will be many twists and turns before the end of the season and I wouldn't swap our current points/games situation with anybody else at the moment.

[Trek]

...... that weird switching off moment that gave them their winner.

Will be interesting to see the video replay of that free kick. Certainly Parky, in particular, was complaining to the lino after the referee awarded the goal. We must play to the whistle and the incident reminded me of the lead up to the Holbeach equaliser at home.

We've only lost four times this season in competitive fixtures, all away, and not one by more than a solitary goal margin but I guess that it was the manner of Saturday's defeat that annoyed those of us who were there in attendance. There should have been enough quality and experience in those players on the park to have seen out the last 10 minutes.

[Brownie]

If I was to have a bet, i`d go for minimum of 2/3 yards off side for the winner, the Dip Stick of a lino that side was more interested in what the Thurnby bench was saying and i`d have him a minimum of 6 yards behind play, to cap it off ever player on the pitch knew it was off side and some of the Thurnby one`s were even taking the p..s out the Ref as they ran back past him for allowing it.