County v Alfreton: Match Thread (19/09/2015)

Just watched the highlights, and generally looked like a professional job. Great to get back to winning ways and steady the ship. I really feel like we all become very nervous as soon as the team performs badly even once: We've had so many false dawns. But the team are creating chances and there are some good players in the group. I agree with the comment on here earlier (can't remember who made it!) that Odejayi and Gonzales both have great attributes but need to start delivering. They both contribute a lot in other areas of the game, but we do actually seem to get the ball into the box quite a lot, and so far we are not getting a good enough return. Really hope they come good as they work hard and bring a lot to the team.

Only one criticism: Ellison's reaction in the 84th minute. Has he not been watching our games so far this season? Pushed the opposition player and then had a little kick at him on the way past. Totally moronic, and something NY needs to give him a good slapping for. If he'd got a red it would have put us right up against it. Very poor.

didn't even spot that'd happened! was also told that lewis montrose stamped on a chorley player the other night...although that could well have been while i was still outside! these things go on, and aren't always spotted; but it's not like we can afford any more suspensions at the moment.

much more positive and assertive performance. we've needed to score early in the previous games to stop the opposition just sitting in, but alfreton may not have done that anyway given their own recent good form. the goal was a very good hit by ellison, passed a defender on the way in with the 'keeper nowhere near it. by the middle of the second half though, it felt like the goal was from an earlier game, it was such a long time before. we had a few opportunities to add to it, most notably through hazledine, but i still don't feel we look like a side with many goals in us.

was told during the match that we were the second lowest scorers in the division! at least yesterday we created a few more chances, but really it was more that we broke quickly a load of times in the second half, and failed to make a proper chance out of most of them. we make the wrong selection a lot: in the first half we broke on them three on two i think. time to pick out the right pass (might have been evans, i forget). he held onto it too long, but also odejayi was offside throughout the move. feels like he was born offside at the moment, and i'd take him out of the side because his form/contribution has noticeably dipped over the last couple of games.

thought kirby was decent and positive, hazeldine buzzed about a lot but looks like a kid in a way dyson didn't. defence was pretty solid, and hurst had to dig us out precisely zero times. crowd was pretty quiet - possibly a result of being ahead so early, but while alfreton weren't that dangerous, they were a big side and the ref gave them a succession of set pieces in the second half so we were never home and dry until the final whistle.

The reffing was a little better... except for the blatant handball he missed second half (how?) and the fouls on Big Kay!

Having said that with 2750+ County fans why cant we make more noise? The CE was dead for 3/4 of the match, thank god the Pop Siders were there in force. I know we've not performed that well recently but the 12th man has definately gone AWOL, only to appear at away matches...

Still great to pick up 3 pts and see the players really fighting for the ball. Also I was only by 11 out on the attendance
, but hundreds out on the half time draw....