Having taken particular note of the defence over the last couple of months, I can't help but think that we need a new right back. I know Jordan Fairclough is only a young lad but he gets caught out of position too often for my liking and this has cost us goals (on at least three occasions in the last 5 games).
the second was an error by Fairclough and Bastock.
Bazza has been one of our best players since he re-signed and kept Altrincham down to single figures, for example, but I didn't think he was quite himself yesterday. Normally you hear him barking out instructions to the players in front of him throughout the game, but I didn't hear him at all yesterday - despite the fact that I was positioned directly behind him throughout the first half. He didn't give a call when he went for the ball. Fairclough has made mistakes in other matches and some of these have cost us goals (e.g. at Gainsborough), but there was no call from Bazza yesterday and so you can't really criticise Fairclough in attempting to clear his lines. Maybe he should have headed the ball sideways rather than towards the centre of the goal, but that's merely hindsight.
http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=81204The above article appeared in the press after Boxing Day and in the run-up to yesterday. Maybe it wasn't the best time for Jason Lee to publicly question Franny Green's consistency? If I'd been Eastwood manager I would have put that news clipping on the dressing room wall and it would have been all of the motivation Franny needed to go out and prove his point again. It is good that Jason Lee is approachable and prepared to share his views via the media, but on this occasion shouldn't he have kept his thoughts to himself until after yesterday's game? I did think Franny Green was again Eastwood's best player and obviously he scored again.
Strange as well to see us start with two players wearing number five. Surely there are enough sets of eyes and enough professionalism in the dressing room before kick-off for that not to happen. Also, when Tom Ward went off the pitch to change into the correct number six, he did so when the ball had gone out of play immediately in front of the dugouts. The throw-in took place and play continued whilst he was changing shirts, and with play directly in front of where he was standing we then had to defend a man short until the ball had moved to a different area of the pitch. We need to be better organised to ensure that players start matches wearing the right shirts. But in the situation we were in, maybe Tom should have been guided to change shirts during a passage of play on the opposite side of the pitch?
Not too sure how Eastwood's Markell Bailey (number seven) remained on the pitch as long as he did, and the Eastwood boss clearly substituted him to avoid getting him sent off. Bailey was responsible for a number of late challenges - particularly on Kevin Austin - and "gestured" towards the Boston fans on several occasions (which the linesman must have seen). A stronger referee could have sent him off on more than one occasion during the game. His playing style seems to be based partly on Vinnie Jones and partly on the ex-Retford defender Michael Simpkins, and we don't always seem to be out our best against teams with that type of player.
Should Ben Fairclough and Leon Constantine have remained as unusued substitutes? Constantine needs match time and, as an ex-Eastwood player, Fairclough would surely have had his own point to prove for yesterday's game? With ourselves chasing a winner in the second half and Eastwood spending most of the time defending, should one of the two have been used?
Overall, 2-2 was a fair result on a heavy pitch and in difficult weather conditions. We started the second half with the right attitude, were more of an attacking force after Semple had been introduced, and we deserved our second equaliser. We had though shot ourselves in the foot with our first half defensive frailties and have now conceded two goals in every match we've played since the departure of Alan White. Do we need to sign a direct replacement?
Hope Ben Milnes' injury isn't as bad as it looked - not good though to see him on crutches at the end of the match. I still think Chris Hall is a better wide player than he is a central midfielder. If Milnes is out for a period of time, is it time to recall Adam Millson from his loan at Quorn?
