Chip part II

Just about dried off after today’s game. Felt it was a bit of a reverse of last weeks game in terms of who had what half. We maybe got lucky again with penalty appeals as well but improved second half.

Two good games against Chippenham and while there are a lot of good teams in the top half of the table - it wouldn’t surprise me if they made a late run for the play offs - little too inexperienced for my money though.

Onto Yeovil.

I thought they had worked us out very well. We had zero going through the middle and were forced into switching from side to side to create space for crosses but they dealt with that threat comfortably.
We have been pretty solid defensively hence the shut out.

Agree with both posters. I thought the two matches showed why both Chippenham and ourselves are doing well away from home. They will certainly need to do better at Hardenhuish from now on to reach the playoffs, a target which we should achieve from here. Perhaps they will return to Twerton in May…

Well done to both sets of fans who endured the conditions out in the open. I’ve contacted the Club about the dark alleyway leading from the car park down to the High Street. What with the scaffolding and brook flowing down it after the game it was bordering on dangerous with the volume of people using it. Perhaps once the floodlights have been fixed this can be attended to.

Watched on stream which worked fine. Conditions won in the end I guess. Rarely have I seen our front men so well shackled. Didnt get a grip on the midfield so we created little. Thomas looked a little shorn of confidence. Clubs have worked him out by now, so he and the coaching staff need to help him work on his game. Many managers have commented on the number of crosses we get in so consequently aim to cut off supply. Thought Frear has been consistently getting the ball in doing that in recent games and again yesterday.

While we dominated the 2nd half, Cody had the one clear chance which Henry did well to push away. Positives will be another clean sheet, if you cant win dont lose so another point to the tally, and the huge crowd. Idly browsing our mid 90s Conference days recently when the 500/600 crowds were the norm. Heady days now averaging over 1600, good for the coffers.

See Morgan said his goodbyes to Havant yesterday so presumably returning. Their fans seemed pleased so hopefully will be in good place when the impending suspensions kick in. Batten, Parselle, Cooke and Wilson 1 yellow away I think.

Luton Roman wrote:Thomas looked a little shorn of confidence. Clubs have worked him out by now, so he and the coaching staff need to help him work on his game.

Agree, but what do you suggest can be done? Is it a case of other players providing more options for him? If I have a criticism of him he does appear sometimes to hold on to the ball a little too long. But had he gone for the simpler pass he may not have scored some of the crackers we've seen from him.

comrade powell wrote:

Luton Roman wrote:Thomas looked a little shorn of confidence. Clubs have worked him out by now, so he and the coaching staff need to help him work on his game.

Agree, but what do you suggest can be done? Is it a case of other players providing more options for him? If I have a criticism of him he does appear sometimes to hold on to the ball a little too long. But had he gone for the simpler pass he may not have scored some of the crackers we've seen from him.

Yes I'd like him to get past the defender and deliver straightway some times. As for his development, more experienced minds than ours are on the case I'm sure. Perhaps mix his game more than he currently does.

comrade powell wrote:Agree with both posters. I thought the two matches showed why both Chippenham and ourselves are doing well away from home. They will certainly need to do better at Hardenhuish from now on to reach the playoffs, a target which we should achieve from here. Perhaps they will return to Twerton in May…

Well done to both sets of fans who endured the conditions out in the open. I’ve contacted the Club about the dark alleyway leading from the car park down to the High Street. What with the scaffolding and brook flowing down it after the game it was bordering on dangerous with the volume of people using it. Perhaps once the floodlights have been fixed this can be attended to.

Agree totally about the alleyway - it was bad enough before the scaffolding but yesterday just seemed to be an accident waiting to happen if somebody had slipped up.

With regard to the dark alleyway is that part of the club's land? As for the floodlights the number of bulbs working are probably double those at grounds like Chippenham where there are just a few on lampposts spaced around the ground. However with a number not working on the same pylon does cause an area to be less bright when compared with the rest of the pitch despite that still be brighter than many of the grounds in this league.
As for the scaffolding was that there before the game?  Didn't notice on arrival but perhaps that was due to less people using it at the time or the effect of New Year alcohol.

The fact we are talking about non-football elements indicates the match was somewhat lacklustre.

Peter Newman wrote:With regard to the dark alleyway is that part of the club's land?  As for the floodlights the number of bulbs working are probably double those at grounds like Chippenham where there are just a few on lampposts spaced around the ground. However with a number not working on the same pylon does cause an area to be less bright when compared with the rest of the pitch  despite that still be brighter than many of the grounds in this league.
As for the scaffolding was that there before the game?  Didn't notice on arrival but perhaps that was due to less people using it at the time or the effect of New Year alcohol.

The fact we are talking about non-football elements indicates the match was somewhat lacklustre.

The scaffolding went up just after Christmas. At the time I wondered whether the path is owned by the club and, if so, they'd have had to get permission to use it.

As for the lights, as Pete says, even with the number of bulbs out they are still better than all apart from Dover we have played under this season (I wasn't at Weymouth for the evening game, so they may have also been better).

I emailed James Carlin about the alleyway - it turns out that the club doesn't own it, He is going to contact the new owner - presumably this was part of the recent sale of the land.

The alleyway belongs to the same person who bought the so called ransom strip as I understand it. I believe he is an individual and not a company.

I thought Thomas slipped the delicious pass through too Cooke for the outstanding save from the Chippenham keeper. Might have been someone else. He can't be on fire every game. Even Mo Salah isn't. I seriously don't understand how fans can expect gems too be 10 out of 10 every week. Thoroughly enjoyed the tactical battle yesterday. A decent 0 0 I thought. We probably should have won due too our 2nd half dominance but perhaps they deserved 0 0. Fair play to them. We keep poaching their best players and year after year they seam too be mid table. Credit where credits due. Think we've only conceded 1 goal in 5 games. Excellent defence. Exciting month coming up starting next Saturday. Buzzing for Yeovil away then the Trophy game the week after.

Paul1978 wrote:I thought Thomas slipped the delicious pass through too Cooke for the outstanding save from the Chippenham keeper. Might have been someone else. He can't be on fire every game. Even Mo Salah isn't. I seriously don't understand how fans can expect gems too be 10 out of 10 every week. Thoroughly enjoyed the tactical battle yesterday. A decent 0 0 I thought. We probably should have won due too our 2nd half dominance but perhaps they deserved 0 0. Fair play to them. We keep poaching their best players and year after year they seam too be mid table. Credit where credits due. Think we've only conceded 1 goal in 5 games. Excellent defence. Exciting month coming up starting next Saturday. Buzzing for Yeovil away then the Trophy game the week after.

Coalville v Walsall Wood postponed tonight, trying again tomorrow.

Luton Roman wrote:

Coalville v Walsall Wood postponed tonight,  trying again tomorrow.

wow, 4th time. if its pp 2 more times will it be switched back too walsall wood

also 2500 fans in the middle of a storm, quite superb. glad the days of 500 fans and gary owers are gone.

Paul1978 wrote:

Luton Roman wrote:

Coalville v Walsall Wood postponed tonight,  trying again tomorrow.

wow, 4th time. if its pp 2 more times will it be switched back too walsall wood

Or Twerton Park on 13/1, midday ko with winners then taking us on.

comrade powell wrote:

Paul1978 wrote:

Luton Roman wrote:

Coalville v Walsall Wood postponed tonight,  trying again tomorrow.

wow, 4th time. if its pp 2 more times will it be switched back too walsall wood

Or Twerton Park on 13/1, midday ko with winners then taking us on.

good shout powell. perhaps a penalty shoot out for them at 13.30 hours at TP so they can't moan their too tired to play us. Sorted. Sir Bert Millichip would have authorised that scenario.

With regard Thomas I think the pitch did him no favours yesterday. A number of players lost their footing at times and the wings were the slippiest. He tried it down the middle first half I noticed but hardly received a pass.
I think this is the first game it hasn't gone for him even when teams have doubled up on him. To be fair I would hope the other midfielders would find more space to exploit when they double up on him.

Yes Thomas being doubled up on should free other players. I'm sure he would have got a lovely assist for Cooke's goal. So even if he had a 6 out of 10 he'd have still supplied the vital pass. Will see later on highlights though. You can't expect him too pass more. He does that you take away his threat. He terrifies defenders and obviously will lose the ball sometimes. I know people who pay to watch his wing wizardry and are developing feelings for the club via Jordans excitement. Keep taking it on I say. Can't honestly remember the last winger as good as him. Clark is amazing too. Love our 4 exciting wingers.

Paul1978 wrote:... then the Trophy game the week after.

If we ever find out who we're playing! Postponement number 4 tonight. Trying again tomorrow.

Fantastic attendance given the awful weather and fair play to those Chipp fans singing in the rain at the Bristol End. Bit quiet from the City lads but maybe we are just saving ourselves for Saturday.

I'm not sure what can be done about that alleyway but I've asked the question. It's complicated because the new owners of the high street (who just put the scaffolding up) are different people to the guy who's brought the car park strip and alleyway.

P.s I'm still waiting for someone at Chippenham to come back to me on the questions I asked about online ticketing and the movement of supporters around the ground at the boxing day game.

Well done, James, for following this up so quickly. I think what would improve things in that alleyway would be for a couple of lights to be installed. Is that something the Club could sort?