Monday Morning Quarterback – Week 4 Upon Further Review

Monday Morning Quarterback –  Week 4 – Upon Further Review

This will be a much bigger update as there is a lot to discuss and update, following a second win in the space of five days.

Well it’s been a long time coming, but a truly well-deserved win on Saturday afternoon, gives us our first league win since October, as we outplayed 4^th placed Hendon FC 2-1.

I have been critical at times in these updates, when the defence has performed badly, but the back four of Stow, Philby, Bayliss and Gerrard dominated the high-scoring Hendon forwards all game and if it wasn’t for the shocking refereeing decision, which led to a penalty, then a much deserved clean sheet would have been achieved.

Colm also looked secure in the game and Kennedy was in exceptional in front of the back four.

Again, we missed chances to secure the game well before the late penalty miss, but yesterday it never looked like Hendon who were poor, never looked like finding an equaliser.

Akers had his best game for some time, but there is still so much more needed from him. The three Sam’s all put in shifts yesterday, and Smart did his job in earning another penalty, which the ref looked very keen to give!

With this win we move up 4 spots to 14^th place, with our next league on Saturday at new boys Swindon Supermarine who sit one place above the relegation places in 19^th spot.

So what else happened in our league on Saturday?

Starting at the top, Taunton Town stayed five points clear with on paper looked like a demolition  as they won 7-0 at home against Harrow Borough. However, it emerged that Harrow had three players sent off in the first half off the match. Harrow were down to 9 men, before they conceded on 43 mins, and yet somehow managed to lose their 3^rd player and ship another goal before half-time. Two of the sending-off’s were for red card tackles, whilst the other was for an off-the-ball incident. The Peacocks then added another five in the second-half.

Meanwhile second-placed Weymouth secured a comfortable 4-0 home win against Frome Town, with Brandon Goodship netting 3 times for them. Third-placed Salisbury stayed on Weymouth’s heels with a 4-3 victory at home to lowly Wimborne Town. Salisbury led 4-0 at half-time before the Magpies came fighting back with goals from Holmes, Burbidge and Stokoe.

The other playoff slot is still held by Merthyr Town who were held by the improving Kings Langley at home 1-1.  The Martyrs hold onto 5^th place by goal difference only as the Met Police move into 6^th place with a 3-2 win at home against Tiverton Town and have games in hand against the teams above them.

The top of the table looks like this;

At the bottom of the table, Chesham Utd continued their amazing run to pull away from the relegation spots with it’s fourth win in five games, as they defeated Swindon Supermarine 3-1 at  home, but stay in 20^th place behind Swindon on goal difference.

Staines Town stay at the bottom after having a free-weekend. In 21^st sits Frome Town, who as mentioned earlier lost 4-0 at Weymouth.

Our opponents in the League Cup this Tuesday evening Walton Casuals lost on the road at Farnborough and the Casuals sit one place below us in 15^th.

The other games in our league saw Beaconsfield Town & Poole Town at Holloways Park, whilst Dorchester Town went to Gosport Borough and came away 1-4 winners.

The bottom 3 relegation places now look like this;

Ok finally, and more controversially, was the understanding that Jack McKnight had left the club and joined National League club, Eastleigh Town.

Jack was in the middle of an impressive season for us, scoring some amazing goals for us and was one of our most consistent players and goal-scoring threats in the team and fully deserves a move up the Non-League ladder.

I wish him well, and think he could have an amazing future with a bit of luck, but question if Jason Bristow had not joined Eastleigh Management team a month ago, would they have come in for him, so soon?

Let me make it clear what they done is not illegal and they are perfectly within their rights to take a player who is under not under any form of contract. However, Jason who is regarded as a club stalwart and hero in many fans eyes, has weakened the team he obviously loves by taking one of our best players, when the club is fighting to get up the table and away from relegation.

Whether right or wrong, it is done and time for us to draw a line under it and get behind the rest of Martin Kuhl’s squad.

Your MMQ – Martin French