Cup Final 3 v. Whitehawk

Apologies Hereford for nicking your label (unless you are so relaxed it isnt a Cup Final !) but thought it was getting a bit late in the day, also I think this is a bit crucial. Anything tonight will be a mighty boost, otherwise Hayes and Margate should be fighting for their lives against us and we need to be clear of any last week mayhem.

Luton Roman wrote:Apologies Hereford for nicking your label (unless you are so relaxed it isnt a Cup Final !) but thought it was getting a bit late in the day, also I think this is a bit crucial. Anything tonight will be a mighty boost, otherwise Hayes and Margate should be fighting for their lives against us and we need to be clear of any last week mayhem.

I am being pretty positive about our chance of staying up now, and I think that it is likely that 2 teams will not reach our current 47 points, or if they do, their goal difference will be inferior.

chilled

Does this make tonight's game more like a Somerset Premier Cup Final?

Nice to win but not the end of the world if we don't.

One down at half time. Still in it. 2 goals disallowed for offside.

If we lose important not to concede goals! Or at least not more than 1!

As I write it we go 2-0 down.

Looking very bleak at 3 down. Have to get a result at Hayes now.

Small squad came home to roost tonight

Hmmm

Back in the mix. Need to get something Saturday.

We have gone backwards tonight . One of the worst performances under Owers. We were up against a taller , stronger side than we are but instead of trying to keep it on the floor and keep possession we were hoofing the ball , anywhere to put us back under pressure again this continued for most of the game .I cannot pick out one player that played well so it must have been a very difficult decision to choose a man of the match .We really need to up our game on Saturday and hope results go our way, to try and remain in this league .We looked like a Southern league side tonight. Whichever league we are in we need a clearout of players at the end of the season and a rebuilding of the team to take place.

Thought we looked tired right from the off tonight. Disappointing result which flattered Whitehawk a touch. The Pratt offside looked correct live, McCootie one happened so fast there's no way to know without the video.

Thought the Pratt decision was correct (comparing it to the Dagenham one is madness - two completely different situations). Really don't know why he touched it in, frustrated me.

Thank God for the miss of the season at the end otherwise it would have looked a hammering on paper. Deserved defeat but 3-0 a bit harsh. Their third goal was a cracking finish though, one of the best I've seen against us this season.

Probably the only positive was at least we didn't have to see that poisonous little creep King celebrate at the end.

-- Steve Phillips my man of the match

This is one thing I haven't really understood all season. He doesn't do it for me. With his experience I expect him to own the penalty area more than he does. Opposition keepers all seem to boss their defence far more and want to come for balls.
The fat old goalie from the Bodmin game (although immobile) was the classic example of using higher level experience to boss everyone including the officials.

Ball had already crossed the line when Pratt touched it

Are things clearer now?

If we draw at Hayes we are safe if Margate don't win and Havant and Weston lose......barring some big changes in gd.

Is there a scenario that we could lose at Hayes as long as by the odd goal if Margate, Weston and Havant all lose on Saturday? This is possible because Weston and Havant have to play each other.

Whitehawk looked efficient without being spectacular to me. I am not so pessimistic as others on here about the performance. We were 2nd best, granted, but 3-0 flattered them. Clinical in front of goal which we certainly are not. Felt like we had similar number of chances.
Suspect Pratt was taken off to save him for Saturday (eh Pete?).
Before the game I was concerned that there was a feeling we are safe. We clearly are not.

Of course a win on Saturday removes all doubt.

Elmore James wrote:Ball had already crossed the line when Pratt touched it

Just watched Chris Stone's video - doesn't look like it had already crossed the line, which was my initial instinct.

This game exposed all the weaknesses that have been apparent all season (even at the start). Smaller, physically weaker and slower players than a lot of the sides in this division. Our lack of pace was woefully exposed as it has frequently been.

We are also incredibly poor in front of goal. There is no one that you can expect to score in an attack.

At the same time our lack of pace and mobility in the centre backs caused us real problems. This was a game that showed why Chas isn't going to make a regular centre half berth.

I thought that given our limitations we played well but it was never going to be enough against a side like Whitehawk. We will do better against teams at our level.

Roman Mike wrote:Whitehawk looked efficient without being spectacular to me.  I am not so pessimistic as others on here about the performance. We were 2nd best, granted, but 3-0 flattered them.  Clinical in front of goal which we certainly are not.  Felt like we had similar number of chances. 

That was my feeling about the game, particularly the first half. But for Pratty's (understandable) strikers instinct we'd have been level at the break and that would have been fair. The second goal was the killer, although even after that we never gave up.

I thought it was McCootie's best game of the season and if we play like that at Hayes we'll be fine.

stillmanjunior wrote:

Elmore James wrote:Ball had already crossed the line when Pratt touched it

Just watched Chris Stone's video - doesn't look like it had already crossed the line, which was my initial instinct.

aye, sit corrected on this. from my angle it looked like the ball had already gone over. but like someone said, the ball hits the defender before pratty touched it in ala Dagenham game and that stood. oh well.

Just to clarify - if it were ever needed given the above comments - Beau Nash's query on offside.
I believe its down to the intent involved in playing the ball forward.
McCootie shot and the defender got a touch on the ball but there was no intent in the defender in playing the ball towards his own goal. If the defender had intercepted and passed the ball goal-ward and Pratt intercepts it would be different.

Pratt was stood in an offside position when McCootie played the ball, but he was not interfering with play and so was 'inactive'. That was until he inexplicably decided to help a ball that was already going in, into the goal. At that point he became active and so was flagged as offside.

So last night the officials got that one right. Against Dagenham they were wrong.

Roman Mike wrote:Whitehawk looked efficient without being spectacular to me. 

I thought they were better than that. Only Oxford have been better (at TP).