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Post by hatter_in_macc on Mar 30, 2024 8:54:34 GMT
Next up, the real 'Dons' at EP - as we go on to Easter Monday, into April... and on top!
Post it all here...
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Post by Epworth Hatter on Mar 30, 2024 9:16:56 GMT
Having resurected our chances of winning the league now we've risen to the top again, an egg-cellent chance for 3 more points
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Post by autistichatter on Mar 30, 2024 9:17:58 GMT
So it's time to talk about the Wombles, what can we tell about them?
Well at W 15 D 14 L 12 F 54 A 43 they sit 8th behind Gillingham by 1 point, albeit with a much better GD (11 vs -8), firmly in the scrap for the last playoff place. Their A form is fairly non-descript: W 6 D 8 L 6 F 19 A 19, ranking 10th in L2. Their goals F is also mid table but they have a pretty good goals A record - only Mansfield (39), County (40) and Barrow (41) are better in L2.
A big factor in that record is the play of Ryan Johnson and Joe Lewis, both of course formerly of this parish. Neither however has played since January or so, although Lewis came on as a 90+3 sub on Saturday. It's hard to imagine him starting on Monday but he might come on as a sub, wait and see.... In the absence of Johnson and Lewis the Wombles seem to have been playing a 3 - 4 - 2 - 1 formation. Their form this year is fairly good - W 6 D 5 L 6 so they seem to have missed them a little rather than a lot.
Their Ws are Cole U (a) 0-2, Sutton (a) 0-3, Walsall (a) 1-3, Tranmere (h) 4-1, Harrogate (a) 0-1, Donny (h) 2-0, Notts (h) 4-2, Swindon (h) 4-0, Crawley (a) 1-2, Cole U (h) 5-3, Mansfield (h) 2-1, Barrow (h) 2-0, MKD (h) 1-0, Notts (a) 0-2 and Gillingham (h) 2-0. Their Ds are Grimsby (a) 0-0, Wrexham (h) 1-1, FGR (h) 1-1, Newport (a) 2-2, Crewe (h) 2-2, Mansfield (a) 0-0, Barrow (a) 0-0, Salford (a) 0-0, FGR (a) 1-1, Bratfut (a) 0-0, Morecambe (h) 1-1, Grimsby (h) 0-0, Crewe (a) 1-1 and Harrogate (h) 1-1. Their Ls are County (h) 1-2 - their first L in Sept, Bratfut (h) 0-1, Accy Stanley (h) 2-4, Morecambe (a) 4-1, Gillingham (a) 1-0, Sutton (h) 0-1, Wrexham (a) 2-0, MKD (a) 3-1, Accy Stanley (a) 2-0, Crawley (h) 0-1, Donny (a) 1-0 and Newport (h) 0-2.
So they've scored 3+ 6 times, only being blanked 6 times. They've kept 15 cleans sheets and conceded 3+ just 4 times, which reinforces the idea that the play of Johnson and Lewis was a big factor in their earlier results. Another factor was the play of Iraqi talisman Ali Al-Hamadi, who scored 13 in 23 apps this term (23 in 42 apps over 2 seasons) before signing for Ipswich on 29th Jan, he has since scored 4 in 9 apps for the Tractor Boys.
Their next highest scorer is German-born Lebanese-International striker Omar Bugiel with 9 from 35 apps this season, he was previously at Sutton (22 in 141 apps), Bromley, FGR and Worthing. Next comes striker-cum attacking MF James Tilley, on 7 from 35 apps, he was previously at Crawley (11 in 83 apps) and Grimsby (2 in 24 apps). Tied on 4 each are LW Ronan Curtis (previously 42 in 184 apps for Portsmouth and 18 in 91 apps for Derry City), forward Josh Davison (13 in 70 total apps since joining in 2022) and Armani Little (36 apps this term and a further 18 last term on loan from FGR). Tied on 2 are Joe Lewis and Jake Reeves and a further 8 players, including Ryan Johnson and Connor Lemonheigh Evans have each scored once.
The big news for the Wombles in the January window was, of course the permanent move for Joe Lewis and the return to EP of Connor Lemonheigh Evans. The Dons did not leave it at that - signing Crystal Palace forward John-Kymani Gordon on loan (he has previously made 14 apps for Cambridge Utd and 15 apps (2 goals) for Carlisle) he has now scored 1 in 12 apps for the Dons. They also borrowed Palace CB Kofi Balmer - he has made 11 apps with 1 goal since. They also signed Ronan Curtis on a short term deal and, on deadline day borrowed MF John-Joe O'Toole from Mansfield, he has since made 9 apps, and signed Solihull Moors F Josh Kelly (24 goals in 72 apps, and 26 in 128 apps for Maidenhead).
I suspect Joe Lewis will continue his return from injury but be on the bench against County, needing to add minutes to his legs in hopes of being fully fit for the playoffs, and the same will probably apply to Johnson. Nonetheless I expect the Wombles to be well organised and make it hard for County to break them down. Fingers crossed, County should be good enough to win though.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in L2 on Easter Monday:
Crewe (6th) v FGR (Rock Bottom)
Harrogate (13th) v Gillingham (7th)
Mansfield (2nd) v Accy Stanley 18th)
Morecambe (10th) v Barrow (5th)
Newport (12th) v Crawley (9th)
Notts (16th) v MKD 4th)
Then on Tue 2nd April Donny (15th) v Wrexham 3rd)
A good time to make it 3 wins on the go, because I suspect both Mansfield and Wrexham will get a W, not to mention MKD and maybe Barrow too. Fingers crossed.
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Post by dudleyhatter on Apr 1, 2024 10:50:04 GMT
Come on boys, let’s win this. Then it is within touching distance.
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Post by autistichatter on Apr 1, 2024 13:55:39 GMT
Well hush my mouth, what do I know?
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Post by autistichatter on Apr 1, 2024 14:00:32 GMT
So: Ryan Johnson skippers and Joe Lewis starts, who's the third ex-Hatter in their line up?
PS: Mansfield v Accy Stanley off - waterlogged pitch.
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Post by autistichatter on Apr 1, 2024 14:09:17 GMT
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Post by autistichatter on Apr 1, 2024 14:40:45 GMT
The Dons miss a Pen - please be a sign that the Football Gods are smiling on County.
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Post by autistichatter on Apr 1, 2024 16:06:40 GMT
Phew, I figured it would be that kind of game and with Mansfield off due to a waterlogged pitch, and Wrexham playing tomorrow night, that puts County top by 4 points over both Mansfield and Wrexham and level on games.
Meanwhile: something weird has happened to Crewe who looked like real challengers for automatic promotion a few weeks back - today they lost, 3-0, at home, to FGR.... go figure.
Barrow also lost 2-1 at Morecambe - keep an eye on them, I fancy they might be a stumbling block.
MKD could only draw 3-3 at Notts County. So we are the only side in the top 5 to get a W today. Keep an eye on Wrexham tomorrow night at Donny - come on Donny!
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Post by Epworth Hatter on Apr 1, 2024 16:07:24 GMT
Phew. Scraped a win, but should gave been more comfortable. Another assist for Touray.
Add that to MK Plastic conceding a late equaliser means a good day.
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Post by dudleyhatter on Apr 1, 2024 16:13:20 GMT
Big BIG win. Well done boys. Now let’s build that railway end stand and get into five figure gates regularly.
Vamooooooooooosssssssssss
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Post by hermannsays on Apr 1, 2024 17:36:28 GMT
An arm wrestle of a match, that one. Early on, some straight long balls were a little concerning defensively, with them getting 2v2 for them and no real tucking in or CDM to give any safety. Thankfully we stood up well, with Pye especially doing good work against a much more experienced and physical forward.
With no-one making runs from the line behind Wootton, we were extremely easy to contain and almost all our play was slow and in front of them. And the problem with that was that they are a large side, so the more compact the pitch the more the game was about receiving ball with an opponent on us and them using their physicality, rather than them having to co-ordinate themselves against movement or deal with pace. No matter how many times we tried 45 yard cross field passes to Touray, we just weren't posing questions. The best moment from memory was when Powell got some work in down the right and made a determined run, but it was all a bit few and far between in terms of dangerous attacks.
Knoyle was tasked with their #19 on set pieces and it looked like a bit of a mismatch, with him being smashed about basically. And at one point he was pretty much thrown on a set piece, the #19 caused chaos with his run and, from the chaos, the uncleared ball was prodded at by Horsfall. No idea if there was any contact but from the CE I thought it was a poor decision to prod at it when the player was facing away from goal. Thankfully the penalty went wide of Hinchliffe's left.
Richards was rightly replaced at half-time and Sarcevic began to make the kind of runs from the secondary line that I had hoped Richards would make. However everything was still far too slow and no-one was really finding anyone in very useful ways.
CLE had an incredibly good game, winning so many aerial duals (especially 2nd half) from a sort of RWB/RM role and showing a much-needed fight which continually turned nothing into something for us. He could easily have been named MotM.
Olaofe's introduction started seeing the ball closed down quicker and, although offside in his first moment, his introduction instantly led to the feeling we now may get behind them.
But ultimately it wasn't until Touray went to the right of defence on Hippolyte's introduction that we began posing questions they struggled to answer. Suddenly angles of passes and combinations were different, the balls into the pockets were now finding players and giving that bit of time away from more physical opponents, because they simply couldn't work out the thinking aspect of what was being asked of them. Touray's simple but effective pass found Bailey in a pocket on our right side of attack and he lined his shot up and curled it beautifully.
Aside from some long throws, Wimbledon offered very little and the goal seemed to break them. They probably thought they had turned in the perfect defensive performance. But the switch by DC, and the problems it created, ultimately undid them... and a wonderful strike sent them home with nothing for all their efforts.
A big relief. A big 3 points. Well done, DC and the boys.
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Post by autistichatter on Apr 1, 2024 20:17:58 GMT
I know we've been feeling a bit frazzled recently what with injuries and patches of poor form but, correct me if I'm wrong by all means, our record in L2 since the beginning of September is W 21 D 10 L 4 which by any normal standard is a pretty remarkable run even without talking account of the injuries etc.
(FWIW our record in August last year was W 1 D 1 L 3, which seems to be a pretty normal sort of slow start for County).
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