Bradford Park Avenue - A Tough Un

[Carl Newell]

Can't ask more from the lads tonight who always give 100%. BPA opened us up with ease first 20 mins, after that (especially second half) we dominated the game and were unlucky not to get a point in the end but the early goals cost us. Milnes was a big loss first half tonight and Galinski struggled a little playing in midfield. It's seems like we may not see much more of James Reed who would be the obvious replacement for Milnes. BPA scored their only chance of the second half which gave us too much to do. Some very good performances still though from the likes of Miller who ran them ragged like he always does, Marshall who won every tackle he went for and Newsham who worked hard for the team as always (despite what other might think) scored a peach of a first and a very well taken penalty under pressure. Shame about the result but a fantastic game of football from two sides who should both finish top 10.

[Wembley 85]

BPA looked very good, really good passing football and we had no answer to that in the first half.

Having said that we did look a bit better after half time, and but for the inside of the post might even have sneaked a draw against all of the odds.

No real complaints though in so far as they were the best side, and it seems that they are of our bogey teams given their recent record at York Street.

[Lord Cutler Knobhead]

Echo much of above, played well enough to get something out of the game, played poor enough to take a hiding in equal measures.

[swineshead pilgrim!]

They come with a game plan and it worked, closed us down very quickly first half and passed us off the park, then really i couldnt fault us second half apart from a piece of sunday league defending for their goal, which was a real shame as we had got an early goal and could even see us winning it at 2-1 with 35 minutes left to play, real shame that a very poor and slow start cost us as we showed we are a better team by dominating them in the second half!

Have to say i thought miller was class tonight and it will only be time before his goals start coming!

[Pilgrim86]

BPA will be up there around the Play Offs this season

[Seenbetter]

We must be getting somewhere with this team, we lost at home and yet there is no criticism of the manager or the players. Not surprised though because they played their socks off and lost to a very good side, in the first half anyway.
Must comment though on Sanders, he is not up to this level of football so is he put on because we have no alternative in which case should DG be looking at filling that hole.
Can someone please tell me what Timms was booked for. I presume he said something about the ref in which case the ref should have taken everyones name in the crowd because he probably said what everyone else was thinking. Interesting how the men in black seem to hog the middle of the pitch, perhaps the useless buggers feel safer there.
Anyway despite losing I thought the lads worked hard and deserve great praise for their efforts.

[Lord Cutler Knobhead]

We must be getting somewhere with this team, we lost at home and yet there is no criticism of the manager or the players. Not surprised though because they played their socks off and lost to a very good side, in the first half anyway.
Must comment though on Sanders, he is not up to this level of football so is he put on because we have no alternative in which case should DG be looking at filling that hole.
Can someone please tell me what Timms was booked for. I presume he said something about the ref in which case the ref should have taken everyones name in the crowd because he probably said what everyone else was thinking. Interesting how the men in black seem to hog the middle of the pitch, perhaps the useless buggers feel safer there.
Anyway despite losing I thought the lads worked hard and deserve great praise for their efforts.

Nothing wrong with Timms booking if he did say something, but why was their forward not carded for chasing the ref to moan about Bores great challenge, he was still arguing with the ref on the edge of the box at the point they scored that dross goal.  The same bloke was slower than the ref going backwards off the pitch and still didn't get booked. 

[B Grimes]

DL

But I question you're three forwards remark, have done all season. The majority of the time, with two of those playing so deep, to me, we are more accurately playing 4-5-1. Interesting to know what others feel on that one. It only becomes more like three up front when we get Miller on the ball, which then allows Newsh, SWD and sometimes our centre mid the time to get forward far more often, and that's where we all like seeing them.

It also suggests that we could be better served having Timms feeding the full backs more regularly and over some of his gigantic clearances. Personally I also don't feel we need the 6' type midfield player DG suggested, we have ball winners don't we? I would prefer to see a very mobile and hopefully creative addition, because despite scoring in most games, on examination how many clear cut chances for those 'front three' are we actually creating, one area against the better teams, we may need to improve on.

I rest my case

Congratulations have to be given to BPA, they gave us a real lesson in how to play pass and move football and could have gone in at HT 4,5 even 6 up. When DG changed things we at least gave them a real fright and had Millers effort which hit inside of the post gone in, who knows we might have even gone on to win it. We put enough effort in during the second half, but effort is not always enough and some were poor, with one in particular, and not for the first time of late having a nightmare.
I felt sorry for Stef who while being an equal at CH is not a centre mid player, six defenders on the pitch is not ideal is it. Our bench had three lads who don't take any wages and tho he eventually took SWD off, is Fairclough the answer?Really entertaining game tho but in accepting all their superiority and finesse you have to say it also exposed the flaws in our team that DG has to correct. Maybe the FA Cup has come at the perfect time giving everyone a chance to regroup and refocus before Barrow arrive

[B Grimes]

We must be getting somewhere with this team, we lost at home and yet there is no criticism of the manager or the players. Not surprised though because they played their socks off and lost to a very good side, in the first half anyway.
Must comment though on Sanders, he is not up to this level of football so is he put on because we have no alternative in which case should DG be looking at filling that hole.
Can someone please tell me what Timms was booked for. I presume he said something about the ref in which case the ref should have taken everyones name in the crowd because he probably said what everyone else was thinking. Interesting how the men in black seem to hog the middle of the pitch, perhaps the useless buggers feel safer there.
Anyway despite losing I thought the lads worked hard and deserve great praise for their efforts.

Nothing wrong with Timms booking if he did say something, but why was their forward not carded for chasing the ref to moan about Bores great challenge, he was still arguing with the ref on the edge of the box at the point they scored that dross goal.  The same bloke was slower than the ref going backwards off the pitch and still didn't get booked.

He might have been slow, but their number seven wasn't. A beast of a man who terrorised us every time he got the ball, and him and their captain were the best players I have seen this season

[miele]

they were about to kick off when I finely got to match ,it took me about 20 mins. to take it all in  but in that time we could have been 3 nill down, I looked at our bench and I thought with MILNES injury there were only FAIRCLOUGH that could change things.
we did play better after I thought park maybe aloud us to.     a rearly good  last 20 min. from us for sure.
was CLUNAN and REED there for selection?? we did miss MILNES pace that's for sure.

[joshb]

BPA looked very good, really good passing football and we had no answer to that in the first half.

Having said that we did look a bit better after half time, and but for the inside of the post might even have sneaked a draw against all of the odds.

No real complaints though in so far as they were the best side, and it seems that they are of our bogey teams given their recent record at York Street.

I'll settle for beating them in the one game that really mattered!

[miele]

Galinski struggled a little playing in midfield. It's seems like we may not see much more of James Reed who would be the obvious replacement for Milnes.     was REED and CLUNAN there for selection? no one seems to no.

[Tipps End Pilgrim]

No Reed and no Clunan - Clunan was poor on Saturday against Gloucester - a bit lightweight for this league maybe ?

[miele]

they were not at the warm up before the game (thanks)

[Carl Newell]

I'm guessing Clunan has been released. Reed moved to uni this week and said that that he will be back as of Sat now he has sorted transport out to and from games and training.