Cheltenham Town v Crewe Alexandra

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Jon Palmer
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Rulistening
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Not a pretty second half but 3 points is always welcome!

Also I can't believe the linesman directly in front of Taylor Moore and did absolute nothing, allowing the game to continue for 1-2 minutes when he needed to be stretchered off. Absolutely disgusting. Him and the Ref should be ashamed of that.
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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Rulistening wrote:Not a pretty second half but 3 points is always welcome!

Also I can't believe the linesman directly in front of Taylor Moore and did absolute nothing, allowing the game to continue for 1-2 minutes when he needed to be stretchered off. Absolutely disgusting. Him and the Ref should be ashamed of that.
Agenda against CTFC knows no depths.
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Shade
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Nothing wrong with Moore though. He smiled up at the Colin Farmer Stand and gave a double thumbs up to let us know he was ok as he was stretchered away...
Player2 Has Joined
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Thought Flinders was excellent today. Unlucky not to be motm.

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longmover
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Grimes for me (MOM)
Robin
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Agree with that Grimes has been poor at times but he was excellent today.
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longmover
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He's been better more times than poor considering he's making the step up.
Robin
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I thought today was his best game this season, he's been ok in a fair few and cost us a few times badly (Exeter, Forest Green two big examples).
vickeryc
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Robin wrote:I thought today was his best game this season, he's been ok in a fair few and cost us a few times badly (Exeter, Forest Green two big examples).
Agree. He paid back his costly mistake at FGR with a priceless goal today. It showed great character to put in such a good performance to answer the doubters (myself included) in the best possible way.
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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Anyone else shine? What was the left back situation like?
Robin
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We totally dominated in the first half but didn't really have any threat other than Mo who kept having to push out wide to get the ball. Second half we sat back to hold the lead, gave them plenty of ball but never really looked like conceding and should have scored on the break late on.

My ratings would be:
Flinders - couple of good saves and one dodgy spillage but otherwise a spectator (7)
Moore - Thought he looked solid at right back and got forward well, not the finished article but I would be happy to keep him for the season (7)
Grimes - Calm and composed at the back, no errors this week seemed to be up for this one (8)
Boyle - See Grimes (7.5)
Winchester - On course for player of the season in my eyes, just doesn't have bad games, so calm on the ball and can defend too (8)
Dawson - Didn't have a huge impact on the game but worked hard (6)
Pell - Was solid and good in the first half but I felt we lacked his driving runs in the second half (7)
Morrell - Tidy player and must be kept for the remainder of the season (7)
Sellars - Absolute class in the first half, they resorted to constantly fouling him then anonymous in teh second half (7)
Wright - Can't fault the effort but was poor and ineffective yesterday (5)
Eisa - Made some good runs, had to go wide for the ball so when ball was in the box we had nobody (6)
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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Cheers Robin. Sounds like we need Graham back, if anything just to give Wright some rest as he busts a gut every game.
vickeryc
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Agree with Robin's assessment, though I thought Eisa was more 7 than 6. Once again, he created lots of chances and Danny isn't finishing them off. He is so much more than a finisher. Graham is being badly missed and Danny needs to be rested. I though Pell had a very good game especially in the first half. There were precious few of those awful errors to which he's been prone, where he gives the ball away when not under pressure. Moore put in some excellent crosses in the first half.

In fact, we were very good before HT, and should've been 3-0 up. Crewe were poor - similar to Cambridge and FGR - and we really should be putting such opposition to the sword. Inexplicably, Crewe were invited back into the game after we took the lead and they started to look threatening - a complete contrast to their first half showing. Luckily we saw it out despite one or two scares.
theidlerich
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The long lay-off didn’t help our flowing’ [yes… I exaggerate…] footy style; seemed to me being rather disjointed, particularly the second half. Sincerely hope our ‘injured’ players recover soon. A laboured win I felt and in the end lucky to avoid a draw. In fact two ‘poor’ teams labouring away sums up that performance. Having said that an improved performance from Eisa, neat control from Sellars at times, easily felled but needs to release or pass sooner, Winchester out of position, Pell out of sorts especially second half, and please can we rely less on hoof-ball! The relief when we finally scored was palpable; but so nearly thrown away. Ref should have yellow carded earlier as he let go far too many niggling tackles. We urgently need to improve our our shots at goal /scored ratio; if Eisa and Sellers were fed better that might happen; DW despite his wholehearted effort [not in doubt] isn’t up to it [rose coloured glasses RGS?]. Fairly well spot on Robin, but Eisa would have been a 7 in my book; his runs were good, but no-one picked them up or the pass was poor.
Si Robin
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For the first time since I've been sat in the Colin Farmer (this is my 3rd season) I was absolutely shocked at the standard of the lino, and I mean for both teams. In the first half he missed two clear offsides that could have resulted in Crewe goals and then didn't raise his flag when Mo was a mile offside in the 2nd half. Then, right at the end we had a free-kick in which their player clearly headed it straight back out for a throw, Kevin Dawson even left it to go for a throw and he gives it to Crewe.

I have never, ever witnessed such ineptitude.

As for the game - we were great in our own and the middle thirds, but just lacked something up front. I love Wrighty, but he was almost anonymous yesterday. Crewe were pants, and definitely there or the taking.
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longmover
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Pell showed glimpses of his old self yesterday but still seems out of sorts for whatever reason, I think DW is going to be his devastating self from the bench, his days of being fruitful from starting are past him. Grimes's finish was brilliant.
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Shade
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Si Robin wrote:For the first time since I've been sat in the Colin Farmer (this is my 3rd season) I was absolutely shocked at the standard of the lino, and I mean for both teams. In the first half he missed two clear offsides that could have resulted in Crewe goals and then didn't raise his flag when Mo was a mile offside in the 2nd half. Then, right at the end we had a free-kick in which their player clearly headed it straight back out for a throw, Kevin Dawson even left it to go for a throw and he gives it to Crewe.

I have never, ever witnessed such ineptitude.

As for the game - we were great in our own and the middle thirds, but just lacked something up front. I love Wrighty, but he was almost anonymous yesterday. Crewe were pants, and definitely there or the taking.
Honestly, I can't say the lino was anywhwre near as bad as some of the clueless twats we've had that just wanted to raise their flag in whichever direction the ref told them to, and the one Dawson left to go out clearly came off a Chelt head as I was shouting for him not to let it go out. It flicked a Crewe head, straight onto our guys head and then was left to run out.
MacRobin
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Horrible game to watch but one of those matches that we had to win by hook or by crook if we have top half aspirations.

Defensively I thought we did well against a side that looked short of confidence and didn't really have too much creativity. Credit to the back four who did what was asked of them, but I still think GJ will be looking to strengthen this area in Jan to get round pegs in round holes which would mean a CH and an LB. Two left footed CHs isn't ideal and I would expect Boyle and Grimes to be fighting for one spot in the second half of the season.

Going forward we gave the ball away too often and looked unbalanced at times. Dawson, Pell and Morrell all did ok and Sellars got in to those spaces between the lines quite well without really threatening. The major issue was that we weren't able to establish a midfield platform in the second half partly due to the delivery coming from the back, partly due to DW and Mo not being able to hold the ball up and bring others in and also because we started losing second balls in midfield. In GJ's defence his options on the bench again looked threadbare - Atangana was the only realistic option other than sticking D'OS at LB and moving Winnie into the middle but that would have been too disruptive.

There were certainly positives from Saturday that we can take in to a run of games that shouldn't worry us too greatly:

Coventry (A) - two points from their last nine
Barnet (A) - bottom and three points from their last eighteen
Yeovil (H) - four points from their last eighteen
Newport (H) - six points from their last eighteen

I know GJ's target is to be within three points of the play offs come Jan so that probably needs around eight points from these four games which is eminently achievable, but we do need to start to find more goals from our strikers. Whether it's Mo, DW or a returning Brian Graham, now is the time to register with a bit more regularity!
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Nesty
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what news on Graham?
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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Cov and Newport will be tough.

Yeovil is a must win. Failure to win that will be an utter embarrassment and definitely signals the end of any play off hopes.
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Shade
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:Cov and Newport will be tough.

Yeovil is a must win. Failure to win that will be an utter embarrassment and definitely signals the end of any play off hopes.
Even if we win the other 3 games? Behave.
asl
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:the end of any play off hopes.
Behave.
horlickfanclub
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Scores

Flinders 8
Moore 8
Grimes 8
Boyle 8
Winchester 8
Dawson 6
Pell 7
Morrell 6
Sellars 6
Wright 6
Eisa 7
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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Shade wrote:
RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:Cov and Newport will be tough.

Yeovil is a must win. Failure to win that will be an utter embarrassment and definitely signals the end of any play off hopes.
Even if we win the other 3 games? Behave.
Yes. Promotion hopefuls do not fail to beat abject dross at home. It is symbolic.
Robin
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Yeovil are easilly the worst side I've seen us face in the league this season, I also expect three points at home to Newport however not confident away from home having failed to see us play well or even pick up maximum points when dominating (Morecambe, Yeovil etc.).
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Shade
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But every now and then Yeovil turn up to a game. Who says they won't against us?
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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Shade wrote:But every now and then Yeovil turn up to a game. Who says they won't against us?
Onus on us to to ensure they don't and make sure they have dropped heads and heavy legs after 5 mins.
Artemis
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Back to Saturday. Mo had.to keep going wide to get the ball because Sellars kept drifting in. Sellars has standout tocuj and control, but his tendency to come inside and lack of a final ball and goals are things he needs to work on
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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Maybe we should use Sellars to get on the ball and run into the box to win free-kicks and penalties. If he can win 5-10 penalties between now and May that would be a great contribution.
Red Duke
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:Maybe we should use Sellars to get on the ball and run into the box to win free-kicks and penalties. If he can win 5-10 penalties between now and May that would be a great contribution.
Sounds like a plan. Listening to the commentary on Saturday he seemed to have a disproportionate number of fouls against him.
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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Red Duke wrote:
RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:Maybe we should use Sellars to get on the ball and run into the box to win free-kicks and penalties. If he can win 5-10 penalties between now and May that would be a great contribution.
Sounds like a plan. Listening to the commentary on Saturday he seemed to have a disproportionate number of fouls against him.
Totally. Get it to him running in the box a few times and most L2 CB camel cloggers will concede a penalty.
theidlerich
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:Maybe we should use Sellars to get on the ball and run into the box to win free-kicks and penalties. If he can win 5-10 penalties between now and May that would be a great contribution.

I'm sure this has been thought about at CTFC, BUT we have no-one capable of that pass after hoofing the ball up-field from the back. Possibly on when and if Graham recovers - ie DW useless!
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Shade
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Crewe's, and a few other teams, complete plan to stop Sellars, and Mo, seems to be just kick the s#!t out of him until he's had enough.
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Shade
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Did we ever hear how much was raised for the British Lung Foundation?
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