|
|
Post by Hatboy on Apr 3, 2015 20:04:02 GMT
Easter Weekend Preview
Written by Tom Norman
This weekend sees the Saints face a difficult double header, as we travel to fellow Hertfordshire side Bishops Stortford on Saturday afternoon, before hosting Eastbourne Borough at Clarence Park on Monday afternoon.
Saturday's fixture is our first league visit to the ProKit UK stadium since the 2010/2011 Conference South season, when the hosts marched to a comfortable 4-0 victory, which included the sending off of Adam Everitt for City in the final stage of the game.
Away from the league, the Saints made the short trip to Stortford earlier this season, however, it was another evening to forget in East Hertfordshire for St Albans, as the home side came out 2-0 winners in the Herts Charity Cup Semi-final against a youthful City side.
Back to Vanarama Conference South action, and the Blues visited Clarence Park in late August. It was, however, very much City's day, as Ben Martin finished from just 3 yards out after a defensive mix-up from the visitors, to give the Saints their third consecutive league victory.
Stortford, like the Saints, have possibly underperformed for periods of the season, and find themselves in 17th place, eleven points clear of the relegation places, and just two points behind ourselves in fifteenth.
A win this Saturday would give Stortford a massive boost in their bid for survival, while it be a blow for City, as we approach the final five games of the season.
In their last five league outings, Stortford have won twice, drawn twice, and lost once. That solitary defeat came against big spending Ebbsfleet, while the two important victories came against relegated Staines Town, and mid-table side Bath City, so the Blues will be looking to consolidate their place in the division with another win come 5pm this Saturday.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hatboy on Apr 3, 2015 21:54:39 GMT
Form guide:
Stortford at Home DDLWDD F 10 A 10 Pts 7
Saints on the road LDLDLL F 5 A 11 Pts 2 You've got to go back 9 games to the 15th of November for our last league away win !
Saturdays best available odds:
Bishop Stortford (7/5) Draw (5/2) St Albans City (9/5)
Bromley (13/10) Draw (12/5) Borehamwood (2)
Eastbourne (17/10) Draw (13/5) Concord Rangers (6/4)
Farnborough (13/5) Draw (11/4) Wealdstone (19/20)
Gosport Borough (8/15) Draw (10/3) Weston Super Mare (6)
Hayes & Yeading (31/10) Draw (14/5) Basingstoke Town (4/5)
Hemel Hempstead (1/2) Draw (31/10) Maidenhead Utd (6)
Staines Town (6) Draw (31/10) Havant & Waterlooville (6/11)
Sutton Utd (6/4) Draw (5/2) Chelmsford (9/5)
|
|
|
|
Post by Hatboy on Apr 4, 2015 13:16:11 GMT
Saints Starting XI: Welch; Hall; Locke; Kaloczi; Chappell; Comley; Corcoran; Lowe; N'Guessan; Thomas; Frendo
Saints Substitutes: Wales; Malcolm; Danny Green; Jack Green; Kyriacou.
|
|
|
|
Post by PaperSaint on Apr 4, 2015 13:31:39 GMT
No Beckles today as unfortunately his father passed away yesterday
|
|
|
|
Post by Hatboy on Apr 4, 2015 14:16:33 GMT
1-0 City, Simon Thomas
|
|
|
|
Post by Hatboy on Apr 4, 2015 14:31:28 GMT
1-1 Rickie Hayles
|
|
|
|
Post by Hatboy on Apr 4, 2015 15:23:46 GMT
2-1 Stortford, Greg Pearson
|
|
|
|
Post by Saint on Apr 4, 2015 16:02:06 GMT
FT 2-1. Blah.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hatboy on Apr 4, 2015 16:03:06 GMT
Finished 2-1, crowd 444
|
|
|
|
Post by westwalessaint on Apr 4, 2015 16:53:44 GMT
Well at least it's mathematically impossible for us to be relegated. How did we play? Anything positive for Monday?
|
|
|
|
Post by Saint on Apr 4, 2015 17:01:57 GMT
Well at least it's mathematically impossible for us to be relegated. How did we play? Anything positive for Monday? Relatively acceptable first half. Dismal the second. Jimmy's post match interview is unbelievably honest. |
|
|
|
Post by Hatboy on Apr 4, 2015 17:27:26 GMT
Well at least it's mathematically impossible for us to be relegated. Farnborough lost 4-1 at home to Wealdstone |
|
|
|
Post by westwalessaint on Apr 4, 2015 17:30:38 GMT
Well at least it's mathematically impossible for us to be relegated. How did we play? Anything positive for Monday? Relatively acceptable first half. Dismal the second. Jimmy's post match interview is unbelievably honest. I'll loo forward to hearing the interview. Will Beccles be back for Monday? |
|
|
|
Post by Saint on Apr 4, 2015 17:34:18 GMT
Not sure, probably not. He suffered a family grievance this week.
|
|
|
|
Post by PaperSaint on Apr 4, 2015 17:37:22 GMT
Agree with Saint - performance ok in 1st half but second half I'd prefer to forget. ..
|
|
|
|
Post by yorkroader on Apr 4, 2015 18:36:15 GMT
Completely forgettable apart from the excellent performance from James Comley at centre half,who proved that he can play at any position on the field,and the continued ducking out of challenges from Lowe. One late in the game on the edge of the penalty area as we were attacking was disgraceful.
|
|
|
|
Post by COYS on Apr 4, 2015 20:57:19 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by PaperSaint on Apr 4, 2015 21:42:59 GMT
Just listened to that. This is why I have a lot of respect for Jimmy Gray - honest and totally committed to building a successful team. Hope the players respond and improve for Monday's game. Eastbourne beat Concord Rangers today so we will have to improve to get anything from them
|
|
|
|
Post by Saint on Apr 4, 2015 22:10:09 GMT
When you see performances like those of some of our players today, it really makes you wonder why you bother as a fan. Bar one or two players, they just showed no spirit or interest away from the opening 15 minutes.
We took a decent support there today, they didn't deserve to watch what was put on show.
Also, one of our mid-fielders telling Jimmy to 'F*** off' when he tried to give him some instructions with 5 minutes left on the clock was a depressing sight.
Speaking to Jimmy post match, you could tell just how infuriated he was by today's performance.
|
|
|
|
Post by notsorecentconvert on Apr 4, 2015 22:45:46 GMT
Followed the scores on Twitter from afar today. Thought we'd turned a corner when we took the lead early on but it's very disappointing to hear they fell apart so badly.
You can hear the frustration and anger in Jimmy Gray's voice in his interview and he did well not to single out individuals, which, from the sounds of it, is more than some of the players deserve.
The poor run has gone on a long while now. It's not the results, it's the performances that irritate everyone. Last week against Staines wasn't exactly Champagne football but there was some evidence of effort and desire to win the game but it sounds like today's performance was terrible if even the manager is describing it as dross.
Very disappointing if a player did tell the management to f*** off. Plenty of managers would make that the last two words that player ever said to them and send them packing immediately. I guess that depends who said it, how they meant it and how the player responded afterwards in the dressing room.
But, a little bit of perspective... We have stayed up, which was the goal for the season. There was never really any danger of going down, although that is largely down to how poor Staines and Farnborough have been. If you'd said we'd finish 17th or 18th or even 19th before the start of the season, would any of us have complained too much?
I wonder if we'd swap seasons with Wealdstone, who were in awful trouble until about November but have put together a really impressive run and could well finish in the top half?
The disappointing thing is to hear the manager complain about effort and attitude. I think if we all accepted that six or seven of the players weren't good enough for this level that would be one thing but you get the feeling the ability is there.
It will be very interesting to see what happens now but it doesn't strike me as a happy club at the moment. There have been too many high-profile negatives this season – the ticket prices, Frendo going to El Clasico instead of playing in the FA Cup, some pretty poor discipline on the pitch, the owners saying they'll leave if they don't get their way over a new stadium, the chairman continually insisting we need 1,000 gates to break even, and a run of 4 wins in 18 (one of those wins was against Hadley in the Herts Senior Cup). That doesn't mean it's been a bad season, it's just that the negatives have tended to catch the attention in quite a significant way.
There are four games to go and it's difficult to see whether they will get a win. Without a major reaction, they won't. Eastbourne could be hard, Gosport looks difficult, as does Ebbsfleet. Hayes and Yeading are poor but we haven't won away in the league since November 15! (Basingstoke).
Perhaps it's time for Jimmy and Graham to make dramatic changes to the culture and ship out the players whose attitude is most questionable? It would send a message to some of the rest. You can't go on indulging talented players if they are not applying themselves correctly.
|
|
|
|
Post by benny03 on Apr 5, 2015 7:31:35 GMT
As far as the player swearing at the bench incident, the management have probably made a rod for their own back, letting certain players do what they want, poor performances & in the team regardless throughout the season, they maybe need to get a grip themselves, there have been some decent games this season, but far too many average ones, maybe a few of the players will take the management decision away from them & leave to pastures new, who knows what's round the corner. I know the players take stick from the supporters about wages etc, but there are certain things that go on with the players that the fans don't know about & they are treated badly, there are two sides to every story!
|
|
|
|
Post by Hatboy on Apr 5, 2015 11:50:31 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by westwalessaint on Apr 5, 2015 12:14:29 GMT
Just listened to the Jimmy Gray interview. It sounded a very professional response by a manager who was very frustrated by his players.
I've only seen 5 matches this season but only one stood out for me where there was 100% effort - and that was the depleted team against Gosport at home. The match away to Weston was ok but away to Bath and home to Concord (Cup) and Staines were poor in effort and ideas. I know that this doesn't apply to all players but there are too many on the gravy train.
Players with lesser ability but greater application will win us more matches. Let's get through the last 4 games and then get rid of the dross. I think benny03 must be a player cos managers may get tactics wrong but it's players on the pitch! Rant over.
|
|
|
|
Post by jj123 on Apr 5, 2015 12:31:12 GMT
As far as the player swearing at the bench incident, the management have probably made a rod for their own back, letting certain players do what they want, poor performances & in the team regardless throughout the season, they maybe need to get a grip themselves, there have been some decent games this season, but far too many average ones, maybe a few of the players will take the management decision away from them & leave to pastures new, who knows what's round the corner. I know the players take stick from the supporters about wages etc, but there are certain things that go on with the players that the fans don't know about & they are treated badly, there are two sides to every story! Ello Ben - how's Borehamwood? Tough defeat vs Bromley yesterday hey? |
|
|
|
Post by benny03 on Apr 5, 2015 12:36:51 GMT
Way off the mark Wales Saint & hh, don't think these 50 year old legs would do much good a conference South lvl, maybe the geriatrics 11 against the blind school lol
|
|
|
|
Post by benny03 on Apr 5, 2015 12:38:44 GMT
Just voicing an opinion like everyone else on here, but as I've read on here before, maybe that's not allowed
|
|
|
|
Post by Saint on Apr 5, 2015 12:51:14 GMT
To be fair to him, Benny03 isn't Ben Martin.  |
|
|
|
Post by westwalessaint on Apr 5, 2015 12:53:14 GMT
Way off the mark Wales Saint & hh, don't think these 50 year old legs would do much good a conference South lvl, maybe the geriatrics 11 against the blind school lol Well you may not be a player now but you clearly have a different perspective to the majority of supporters. For info - I've supported the Saints for over 50 years. I've seen some pretty poor teams, poor managers and poor performances. However, the money paid these days should produce some greater effort. Perhaps benny03 hasn't spent much time watching and paying to watch?? |
|
|
|
Post by yorkroader on Apr 5, 2015 17:23:57 GMT
I wouldn't say that Westwalessaint was way off the mark,just slightly.
benny03 is not a player but is very closely related to one.
Perhaps he might tell us which one,and then all his critisms of Comley will make sense.
|
|
|
|
Post by Saint on Apr 5, 2015 18:09:29 GMT
|
|
