witton v gateshead

First Team On the Park
21

agree that we played the right team today Jim and Nige got it spot on for me…
Didnt see the sending off incident but their number 5 will be a loss to them as he won a lot in the air…and as Tom is not yet a ‘regular player’ wont be as big a miss to us…

Gateshead were on top 1st 20 mins but the rest was pretty even…Braysons goal was unstoppable and that decided it.

Full credit to the travelling fans they made a good atmosphere from the away end (which we dont often see!) and hopefully they may bring a few more nextweek for the big one…

The guy on the tannoy had me in histerics at half time…Patchwork leather jackets anyone?!! wooo wooo ;D

Final words…

[color=red]COME ON WITERRRRNNNNNNNNNN!!![/color]

22

Not a massive report today - to match the actual match!! Got to be better next Saturday though surely :stuck_out_tongue:

Witton Albion 0 Gateshead 1

UniBond League Cup - Saturday 9th February att 255

Team: Ellison; Coo, Pritchard, Kearney, Brownhill; Brodie (Gill 83), Brown, MacPherson (Gleave 83) Skelton; Warlow (Thornley 60), Rutter. M.o.M. Craig Ellison.

This low key cup encounter, played seven days before the main event of the massively important league clash, saw the visitors move through to the semi-finals but at some cost.

Paul Brayson, signed recently from York City, won the tie with twenty minutes left striking a 25 yard free-kick, from a central position, past Albion’s reserve team keeper Craig Ellison. However with just five minutes left, a sudden flare up involving the Tynesiders towering defender James Curtis and Albion’s squad forward Tom Rutter saw both men instantly red carded by over fussy referee Darren Bond. Both players will automatically miss three matches and with Curtis only just coming back from injury his further enforced absence may well be sorely missed.

Albion, showing five changes from the team that had won at Matlock on Tuesday, never really got into a high gear throughout the whole tie. Gateshead therefore enjoyed the better of the exchange but with Ellison showing great presence, a couple of one on ones from Graeme Armstrong and Wayne Phillips were dealt with more than adequately by the former Crewe Alexandra youngster. Dan Skelton gave a good account for the first hour with his best being a run and cross on 15 minutes that just evaded the inrushing Warlow.

The nearest the home side came to scoring, on a day when even leading scorer Adam Warlow looked out of sorts one chance blazed over and a header well wide of the target, was when veteran Steve Brodie’s shot was beaten out by Paul Musselwhite, three minutes before Brayson’s crucial strike decided the outcome.

Brian Pritchard skippered the team on the day he equalled Alf Ashley’s all-time club record of 604 appearances and it was from a rare mistake when he lost his footing that presented Phillips with a great opportunity on 33 minutes but Ellison stood up to the shot and beat the ball away.

Reserve team players Kurtis Gill and Danny Gleave, the latter making his debut having previously been with Winsford United, were introduced for the final few, what turned out to be eventful, minutes. Fair Play League leaders, by a mile, Albion collected a further penalty point when Ian Kearney was yellow carded two minutes into stoppage time

23

Had we played our full team today one of our senior players may have been the one sent off and if we had taken it seriously there may have been others booked or sent off. They lose their centre half we lose an unimportant cup tie, which would you prefer, in the next round and minus Pritch for three games? Sorry I did not make it, Chris only arrived at 3-30pm. I am considering coming to a game, but only one we cannot possibly lose, any suggestions? Failing that I will come when the league is well and truly won and not before!!!
WHS

24

Taken from the Gateshead Forum. [quote]if we beat witton home and away and beat fleetwood at home then the top 2 will start flapping, witton did at around this time last year.[/quote]

25

Find myself in complete agreement with WHS, must be something they put in the Czech beer!!! :wink:

Yesterday’s game was of no importance and next week will be very different. If they had their first team out (minus Southern who may make way anyway now for Brayson), then we saw enough to make decisions regards how we approach next week’s game. With JK, Lloyd, Peers, Morning and Evans (not to mention the Captain) all available options we will be far more of a force next week.

If anything I am far happier we lost yesterday than won, it possibly means that we will go into next Saturday with more focus. Had we have beaten them we may have not approached it with the same desire. Plus had we have won it would have only increased the number of forthcoming fixtures, not something we need!

Next week will not be easy but I believe we will see a different result. If we beat them at home (where we have won every league game) then we go 19 points ahead of them in the league and will effectively end any slim hopes of them finishing top. As I have said before, we just have to go out to win every league game!!!

26

It would have been nice to have sent a message to Gateshead for next week but it’s not a big deal, the league is 200 times more important. I was impressed with Dan Skelton and the young lad that came on at CB at the end, that was a monster header. I’m sure it will be very different come next week though, Come on the Albion.

27

Can we put that down to inexperience!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Another from gateshead forum

28

I am seriously considering coming next week, for once this league is going to offer up a truly exciting game as I resume Gateshead will bring along many fans for what is, in effect, a title decider. The only thing holding me back is my world reknowned ability to put the "mockers" on Witton every time. But for once I am sure this team will be immune even to my "Jonahing" ability and will come away with all three points. I will bow to the majority, "should I risk it"? or should I continue just sending my entrance money?
WHS

29

Go on! Get yourself down.

30

couldnt care less if you come down or not.

i think calling yourself a jonah as been a poor excuse for staying away.

if your a wittoner you will be there.

31

Tonnee, on your head be it, not mine. I may well come on Saturday and future home games, God help the team, because my presence certainly won’t!! Believe me, I am the original Witton Jonah.
WHS.

32

February last season :

Albion 5 Marine 2
Prescot 1 Albion 1
Guiseley 1 Albion 3
Albion 3 Hednesford 0
Albion 7 Whitby 2

I’d settle for some more ‘flapping’ like that!!

33

It was weird on Saturday after the match. Jim was over the moon that we’d played without half a dozen of our most influential players yet only gone down to a really well executed free kick!! I think we certainly need to change things for next week as Gateshead are a good side. Their back four never really looked in any trouble and playing it in the air will get us nowhere as they are all big men. I think this is where Peersie and Lloydie will come into it with pace to get behind them and Rob’s slide rule passing ability on the deck. I’d like to have beaten them in this but at the same time see Jim’s point of view in focusing on the league title. Just worried how much were Gateshead putting into the game though as they seemed to be in 2nd gear! One’s things for sure if we win next Saturday its a giant step on the road to winning this league but we really need to raise our game like we did against Buxton!

34

Be fair, you cannot blame any Wittoner for flapping a bit, We do have a nasty habit of turning victory into defeat, remember the "Gleghorn" season and last season.As an old man I remember too many similar ocassions. But I do think this season will be different, this team know how it felt last year, I cannot see them chucking it away again this time.
WHS.

35

Talk of us ‘flapping’ like last season is absolute bollox, we came like a train, we were never at the top of the league until the last week or so.

Hednesford and Telford were the ones who saw double figure points leads overhauled.

In the Gleghorn season we didn’t flap either, it was just that Accy won every single game they played.

Last Saturday will have no bearing whatsoever on next weeks league fixture.

Respect to Gateshead for bringing nearly 20 fans with them to a meaningless game for us.

36

Bottom line is we are doing FANTASTIC. This time last year we were 15 points or so behind Telford…Whatever happens now its been a great season so far, the players and management have given 100% lets just get behind them in this final stretch and not even bother talking about throwing it a way coz it doesnt benefit us one bit.

37

Think this is the best team we’ve had since 1990. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again we’ve actually gained out of the fact players left to go to Bradford simply because the replacements are top quality. I thought Steve Brodie was brilliant on Saturday and he seems to be buzzing again after looking tired and maybe carrying an injury. Macca has come in and done a better job as a holding midfield player than the previous incumbent who would proably be suspended on the bench. Rod Thornley has been a fantastic aquisition to the forward line and is top class. Everywhere you look there is quality in the team and quality backup too. All we need do is keep focused on getting three points because if we do that in every game we’ll win the league because the others won’t catch us. So lets as you are all saying get behind these very special lads. This team is brilliant and we have a brilliant management team in Jim and Nige who seem to compliment one another. They all seem determined to play the best they can with 110% committment and we already know they have skill.

38

Agree with all of the above, just need to focus all of our energy in geting behind the boys. The defeat on Saturday just needs to be pushed to the back of our minds and we need to concentrate on the 3 points this Saturday.

Its getting closer and closer to "cliche time"

Take each game as it comes
Its still in our hands
Better to have the points in the bag than the games in hand

etc etc etc

Thing is all, of the above are true and with one big push we can do it this year, looking at the Gateshead forum they are predicting us to have a "blip" anytime soon, lets prove to them that New Years Day was our blip and push on towards the finishing line!!

39

Agreed, It really is a brilliant time to be a Wittoner. Secure off the field, Fantastic team on the field. Attendances are growing and there might be a derby next year. Things are very bright at the moment.

40

Found this link on the Gateshead forum to some pretty good pics, the pitch looks in suberb nick http://www.heedpics.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk … /Page1.htm