Whitehawk game

Hard won game today. Whitehawk look as though they have a few players too good for this league and the conditions levelled it out. Our boys worked hard and we created some good chances. Really should be scoring when Watkins broke free and fortunately persistence finally paid off. McCootie has forgotten how to score so Manny showed him how to welly it into the back of the net.

It is often easy to have a go at the ref but I didn't think he was even handed today. No doubt Fleetwood fans think the same as fans are biased including myself but my impression was they got away with more.

Very poor attendance but no doubt the weather put paid to that.

My MOM would have been Murphy who worked his socks off. I would have brought Batten on for Chas at half time but we got away with it.

I thought Whitehawk were far and away the best side we've played this season so to battle out a win was a great effort.

Whitehawk saw a lot of the ball in the middle third and looked confident, but couldn't do much in final third. If only we could finish more chances. Nick Andy, Shaq none looked confident. But we persevered, battled away none more so than Manny. Legend already. And that finish. Good to see Frankie back. Perhaps the final piece.

yuffie wrote:I thought Whitehawk were far and away the best side we've played this season so to battle out a win was a great effort.

Agreed. They looked like a continental team at times, which is not surprising considering the number of foreign players in their line up. There was constant chatter in Spanish from the seats behind me in the stand, coming from 2 of their squad who weren't selected!

comrade powell wrote:

yuffie wrote:I thought Whitehawk were far and away the best side we've played this season so to battle out a win was a great effort.

Agreed. They looked like a continental team at times, which is not surprising considering the number of foreign players in their line up. There was constant chatter in Spanish from the seats behind me in the stand, coming from 2 of their squad who weren't selected!

When they were preparing to defend a corner one of their defender shouted that 'we might all speak different languages but we need to talk to each other'.

Given their mixed start to the season I think they are probably now beginning to gel and wouldn't be surprised to see them up near the top sooner rather than later. I think it is credit to our defence that despite looking very quick and strong going forward we restricted them to very little in the way of clear chances.

Interestingly if we beat Oxford on Tuesday we'll have won six from nine just like last season (just with three defeats instead of draws this time) but we do look a much more balanced side this season.

And, as Gerry says, Manny is already way on the path to legendary status!

This is the first home game I have been to since the Weston game due to holidays. Naby seems to be playing in a much more advanced position than earlier in the season or during his last spell with us....thought he was excellent. Monthe is going from strength to strength....if he continues in this vein we will be lucky to keep him past Christmas. Agree with earlier post re Chas....thought he was quite poor first half and was lucky to stay on for second half. I suppose while we keep winning, Gary will stick with him, but if we lose a couple on the bounce, I think we'll see Batten back in, with Chas dropping back into his "midfield shield" role. Great to see Frankie come on as a sub....he helped settle things down in those final minutes. The new lad on loan looked like a battler and ran his heart out too.
Final point.....it was surreal at half time to see the subs having a kick about.....Batten, Marshall, Hutchinson, Artus and (despite his detractors) Fleetwood....this has to be the strongest squad we've had in years.

Agree with just about everything already said. Still worried about McCootie but wanting to shoot. It wD good to see Rigg have a couple of long distance shots, just a shame neither tested their keeper.

Astounded that Watkins got man of the match. Chronicle gave it to Diallo, I would've probably gone for him or Manny.

Bring on Oxford who lost 4-0 to Eastbourne today.

Have to agree with BenE about the referee - it seemed in the second half that every time we challenged for the ball it was a free kick to Whitehawk. Most amazing of all though was when he gave the free kick on the edge of the box when Hickford had clearly been fouled a yard inside.

Again it was one of those games that we would have lost not so long ago, and our ability to battle our way through them will stand us in good stead.

Hickford was neither inside the box or fouled, but aye the referee was so poor, had clearly decided that no one deserved to watch an entertaining match and was intent on disrupting it at every single opportunity.

That incident left a few of us in the main side confused as well. So did the omission of Bowman. Injured?

My pictures shows if there was contact it was just outside the box so for that, and the offside for McCootie's 'goal', the officials got it right. However, it was one of those refereeing performances that appeared to frustrate both sides.

And Owers explains the omission of Bowman in his Chronicle interview.

Interesting to read what Palms and yuffie have to say about the Hickford incident. It happened right in front of where I was standing and from there Hickford was clearly inside the box when he was tackled by the Whitehawk defender. Clearly my eyes did deceive me, and quite a few people standing around me were similarly confused.

Palms wrote:Hickford was neither inside the box or fouled, but aye the referee was so poor, had clearly decided that no one deserved to watch an entertaining match and was intent on disrupting it at every single opportunity.

I agree. I was on the Pop side, and as soon as he went down, I said 'no foul', and he was a good yard outside the box. Hero Manny was my man of the match; not just for his goal, but that amazing incident in the first half, when he was beaten twice down the wing, recovered for a 3rd go and got the ball out for a throw. Someone said that his tackling, with no fouling, is similar to Jombati's. He seems to be able to put his foot round the person who has the ball, without fouling.

Yes remember that incident. Most City defenders over the years would have been left in the forwards wake.

LB wrote:Interesting to read what Palms and yuffie have to say about the Hickford incident. It happened right in front of where I was standing and from there Hickford was clearly inside the box when he was tackled by the Whitehawk defender. Clearly my eyes did deceive me, and quite a few people standing around me were similarly confused.

My eyes have deceived me on Monthe's goal - I thought he was marginally inside the penalty area, watched it again and he's probably just over 12 yards out!