Timing of last night’s Telford goals got me thinking. If you look at the times of some of their goals in March/April they appear to score late on into games (also getting a few penalties - I wonder why);
85 (Pen)
80 (Pen)
63
76
81
83 (Pen)
78
63
71
85
It strikes me that we have also conceded quite a few late goals, in normal time against Matlock yesterday, against Burscough, Gateshead, Grantham just from memory.
Difficult to know whether this is down to fitness levels or concentration, but it make the last 20 minutes against them a crucial part of the game. Looking at us this season we have appeared to have a lot of games under control and then tailed off in the last 20 minutes, either to lose or draw late on.
The plan against Telford has to be to hit them hard early, try and get a goal or two in front (we always play better with a lead), stop them for playing in midfield and therefore cut out the searching forward balls/runs and importantly keep this up for 90 minutes. Substitutions on the hour would give us fresh legs to keep chasing them in the middle.
I believe we are the better footballing side but they are organised and always a threat, we have to deal with this and be clever in our approach to the game. They have conceded the first goal many times this season and come back to get a draw or a winnner, we need to understand this and deal with it.
If we play the second half the same as we did at Whitby then I think we can have them.
Yes Telford have got a bucket load of late goals, but so have a lot of teams in the last few weeks. This is what happens towards the end of the season when fatigue sets in and people are petrified of making a mistake.
We won’t be bullied by that scumbag Foster and his fat friend up front, and we will not be bothered about being out numbered.
We made more noise than Telford for 78 minutes last time anyway, and it just goes to show you how fickle their "fans" are that as soon as Buscough beat them, their attendance halved for the Marine game.
Lets get stuck in from the 1st whistle and ruffle some feathers, then any late goal will be meaningless as we will have it won.
I have only one final thing to say on the subject…
[size=30][color=red]RED ARMY[/color][/size]
am sooo looking forward to this one and sooo glad ill be back to watch it! Should be one hell of an atmosphere! Come on Witton!
The secret for us is not to be intimidated by them. We have to try and keep our shape not get sucked into retaliating to their vocal and physical sledging, and above all keep 11 on the field. We need to field a team that is physically strong too and I agree with most of whats been said about trying to get early goals. If some of our ball playing lads can get going Lloydie, Brown, Brownhill, Peersy if fit then I can see us overwhelming them, while our more physically strong players Pritch, Barras if fit, Kearney, and Spearitt will hopefully keep them in check. It’s going to be close but lets go for it and win. Also to our crowd don’t get sucked in to taunts by their crowd. Lets simply get behind our lads and make ourselves heard. The Red Army, Zigga Zaggas, Albion, and witty chants like the Emma and Cleggy one last night are the way to go!! Roll on Saturday I’ve ordered in extra strength blood pressure pills!!
I do hope we can put out a team!!! From what I hear half the squad are injured and unlikely to play, any one know who is actually fit?
WHS.
Everyone apart from Barras was the consensus last night.