Matlock at home in play offs
So near and yet so far … absolutely gutted! How unlucky have we been in the last 2 games? Flukey deflection, hit the woodwork, missed chances, decisions going against us etc. etc.
OK, having got that out of the way, let’s stop bleating and start again. We lost to Telford because they tried more for the win than we did. Today, we never quite seemed to believe that we could do it. We expected to fall short, and we did. I didn’t think much of the penalty appeals we had turned down, and mainly they came when we were in a good position to score, and didn’t need to play for a penalty (particularly in such a obvious way) - anyway, we usually miss penalties!! However, I would criticise the ref for the amount of time (or lack of it) that was added.
I know our lads must be feeling down right now, but Telford must be even lower than us. And so they should, I presume they haven’t played well today, they certainly didn’t play well against us, and they’ve got to figure they won’t be that lucky again, particularly if we’re smart enough to keep 11 men on the pitch. Mind you, before we start worrying about that, we’ve both got the little matter of games on Tuesday - and neither Matlock nor Marine will be pushovers.
A few weeks ago, we were terrorising everyone in the league, and we were making our own luck then. We need to get back to the level of supreme confidence and self-belief we had then. We’ve finished higher in the league than everyone else that’s in the playoffs, and the table doesn’t lie over the course of a season. We’re still the best football side in the league by miles, and let’s not forget it. Maybe Mike Worthington needs to give the same pre-match motivational talk that he did on Thursday, and make sure the players go out onto the pitch for the playoffs in the firm belief they are going to win.
The fans will need to do their bit as well - good gate today, and plenty of singing and chanting, but we’ll need to do better on Tuesday, and better again next Saturday.
Keep the faith - we can do it! Come On Witton!!!
Shut up and get back on your Vics forum
I was unable to be there today, had tickets to see Peter Kay in The Producers which the wife bought for my birthday months ago without realising it was on the day Witton played their final game. I came out of the theatre with a big smile on my face, it was a great show, very funny, but my smile disappeared when I saw our result. Losing the league by just one goal is a tragedy, it will be a bigger one if we fail to win the play-offs too so come on Witton, ditch the Gypsy’s curse once and for all and let’s have promotion along with the Runners Up Cup.
WHS.
Albion sealed 2nd spot at the sunbaked Britannia Carpets Stadium and with it guaranteed home draws, in next week’s play-offs. However but for three attempts that struck the woodwork and a most uncharacteristically howler from 146 career goal striker Mike Moseley it would have been Witton’s Championship. Referee Pownall also had a possible say when he waved away penalty claims, 20 minutes from time following Alex Brown clearly having his legs swept from under him.
In the 7th minute a defence splitting pass from Ross Clegg to Mark Peers who fired across the face of goal. Next move Peers floated in a ball that went narrowly wide of the far post. On 12 minutes the first actual shot on target came from Griff Jones but keeper Jon Hood easily claimed the effort.
Witton, needing to win, looked nervous but on 24 minutes ROB LLOYD found space at the edge of the area to launch a shot, the ball’s flight appeared to confuse Hood completely. Hood was very fortunate that his lengthy "V-sign" gesture to the home fans wasn’t then spotted by the officials.
Witton went close to extending their lead a minute into the second half, Griff Jones nearly profiting from several defensive errors but Hood eventually got back into position to catch the ball. On 53 minutes though the ground erupted, again it was ROB LLOYD this time mesmerising two defenders before planting the ball past Hood.
Albion, with the score at Telford, needed a third to get back in the league driving seat and launched attack after attack. Moseley had a clear shot at goal but with not enough power the ball was able to be hacked away. Jones’s curling shot beat Hood but rebounded back off the post with Adam Warlow’s follow up shot blocked as Frickley threw bodies everywhere. The home supporters were virtually celebrating in the 72nd minute when the ball arrived with Moseley, only feet from the gaping goal but somehow he totally misjudged his attempt and the ball only struck the post.
The final stages then saw Warlow’s headed effort from a superb Darren Hockehull cross to the far post go narrowly wide of left upright, whilst in the last minute Lloyd’s free-kick, floated to the far post was headed against the crossbar following substitute Ian Kearney’s first touch of the ball.
Albion now host Matlock Town, on Tuesday, in the play-off semi-final.
PS Again the UniBond League website still ain’t responding and we thought we had problems with ours.
Why do I have the awful feeling that we are going to lose out in a penalty shoot out? Surely there will finally be some justice for us and we WILL win the two play-off games? God, I don’t think I could stand another season in this God forsaken league!!!
WHS.
chad the v sign from the keeper was caught by photographer behind the goal. Maybe a picture could be sent to the fa. bit spiteful but i dont care.
Feel free to hammer me, but am I the only one who thought our play in the last half hour when we needed one goal to win the league title (and the players knew this) was somehow strangely lacking in the amount of passion you’d have expected? I’m not saying they didn’t want to win, and I acknowledge the shots that hit the post/bar and the open goals missed, but over the years I’ve seen many Witton performances in similar situations when we needed to just pour forward and get goals, and this seemed one of the most limp. Indeed, there was a time halfway through the second half when Frickley had their best period, and had control of the game for 5 minutes or so. What I wanted to see was something like the short period against Grantham when we were 3-2 down and came back to 4-3 (we then blew it by sitting back, but that’s a different story). That was passion at its best from the players. What we got yesterday didn’t compare to that. Why? Maybe they were too hot.
Frickley were diabolical and never looked like scoring. I agree with all the comments about the Frickley goalkeeper - the bloke was a disgrace, and I’m sure what he did (the time-wasting more than the hand gesture) will be remembered by Witton fans, if by a cruel stroke of fate we happen to be playing them again in the league next season. To play dog-in-the-manger and waste time when your team is 2-0 down just to spite the opposition and try to stop them winning the league is deplorable. It wasn’t just him, either, the entire team were at it, exemplified by the time it took the subbed player to stroll off later in the game.
billywho - The team tried to get the ball down and play football for the first time in a few games - thanks to the quality midfield- and with a bit of luck (and better finishing) could have won by 6 or 7 goals. Do you mean by passion, hotheadiness like the sending off which cost us the game against Telford? Give me anytime the quality football that we have been priveleged to watch since just before christmas We are the best footballing team in this league and if we play the waty we play best - not headless so called passion but quality football -we will still get promoted.
To be honest I can’t understand why anyone would be critical of what we have seen at WP this year. The team have played fantastic football with great spirit and determination and entertained far more than any other team in our league.
On reflection you just have to think that Saturday was never meant to be. The team played to their utmost and as far as I am concerned - you can’t ask for more than that.
Disappointed yes, down hearted - NO! We are making great progress on and off the pitch and even IF we fail to win the play offs (in which we have every chance) the future under Jimmy is very bright.
So lets go for it!!
Knutsfordian, I agree with everything that you say ! Now Let`s all get behind the team on Tuesday !
We can still go up ! The Good Thing is we have already won against Matlock this season. So we know that it is very possible to win again 
Probably makes it worse, but just seen some video of the Telford - Burscough game, and as if us hitting the frame of the goal three times was not enough, Telford also hit the bar from a free kick in the second half. A couple of inches lower . . .
Also, the first goal they conceded was absolutely shocking goalkeeping, I can see why there has been a great deal of concern about the keeper on the Telford forum.
If we’d scored another …
Just think about it from Burscough’s point of view. You’ve had a point deducted but you’re still in with a shout on the last day of the season. You’ve played away to the league leaders, gone there needing to win, you and your handful of loyal supporters have WON in front of close to 6000 hostile fans - and you still get pipped for the title on goals scored! How bad would that have been???
Would we have felt guilty about it? Well, no, not really - but at least we can pretend we would!
Having salved our conscience, we now need to have no moral dilemmas in winning the next two games and gaining a richly-deserved promotion!
Come on the Albs - let’s finish the job!
very well said knutsfordian! agree with every word you said! I hope even more now that we on tuesday so i can get to see one final game at WP this season as i will be home in time for the match on saturday! Come on Witton!