Monday Morning Quarterback – Week 20 Upon Further Review

Monday Morning Quarterback –  Week 20 Upon Further Review

Saturday we dominated the game for an hour, then after redoubling our two-goal lead, we somehow let a poor Tiverton Town team get back in the game. Yet again we seemed to allow teams to send crosses in at will and somehow allow Tiverton players have acres of space in the 6-yard box.

The loss of an expected two points at 4.20pm was probably the furthest from most fans minds, as we played some lovely football. But as it has been our downfall and the reason why we are fighting relegation, it is the lack of keeping teams at bay for 90 minutes.

All three goals we scored although well taken, were partially helped by a keeper who was poor on the day. A sleep for both Sam Smart’s first goal and slow to react to Pearse’s shot in the first half, he then chose to stay on his line instead of cutting down Sam Deadfield’s options, thus giving Sam a chance to take that extra split second to fire it into the roof of the net.

I thought Yvan Jourdan had his quietest game for us so far and again Sam Smart, Sam Deadfield and Harry Pearse controlled the show for an hour and made Tiverton look average. How Argent didn’t get that penalty decision in the first half still bewilders me, and he had chances to get on the scoresheet especially in the second-half.

The defence along with holding midfielder Michael Atkinson looked under no real pressure for most of the game, but then seemed to lose their focus on the game after we went back ahead 3-1.

At that point we should have been able to see out the game, as that goal seemed to quieten any threat by the visitors, but when you allow their leading goal-scorer so much space to operate then you are just simply asking for trouble.

With Salisbury again letting us down, their last two losses being against Tiverton and Gosport, it has now put undue pressure on us to get something from next week’s match at Poole Town.

I loved the effort and spirit the team put in last Tuesday night in earning a place in the Hampshire Cup Final at Eastleigh. We may need that sort of effort this Saturday!

Point of note is that forward Jake Scrimshaw is Poole Town’s main threat!!

Matches Around Our League

Well League Leaders Weymouth took a massive step towards winning the league this weekend as they comfortably beat Staines Town at home 4-0, whilst the rest of the chasing pack apart from the Met Police performed miserably over the weekend. Prior to the start on Saturday, a few Stoke fans were betting on how many goals the Terras would score against Staines. Four was not one of the options and with all four being scored by the league’s leading goal-scorer Brandon Goodship. Goodship, who scored his first on 10 minutes, then added his second via the penalty spot on 19 mins. Although Staines then held on for some time, Goodship completed his hat-trick just after halftime and then added his fourth and Weymouth’s last on 82 mins. The win now gives Weymouth a seven point lead at the top of the table, whilst Staines have now conceded a massive 140 goals on the season, which is 3.68 goals per game.

Met Police re-took second spot in the game of the day, defeating Taunton on their own ground 1-3. Unsurprisingly, it was forward Jack Mazzone who started the scoring on 26 mins. The Old Bill then doubled their lead just a minute later via an Ethan Chislett finish. Taunton in front of 771 fans, got back into the match just after the break via their main-man Andrew Neal, but Mazzone added his second and completed the scoring on 54 mins. Taunton now third, have won just two of their last seven league games.

As stated above, Salisbury could have almost put us safe if they had beaten Gosport at home, but another reason why they sit in 4^th, is their inconsistency and having a top notch forward, and it was not until the 65^th minute before the Boro took the lead via a Charlie Davis tap in and completed the scoring three minutes into injury-time via Samuel Lanahan. Gosport still remain in 20^th place and have closed the gap to just two points behind Walton Casuals in the safety place.

In the last playoff place sits Kings Langley although they lost at home to Swindon Supermarine 1-2. Marine not that great on the road recently took the lead on 19 mins via Matthew Williams and doubled their lead on 57 mins from a Matthew Liddiard finish. The Home sides only reply was via Jacob Cook on 83 mins. They now sit just 3pts above the chasing Poole Town our opponents next week, who went on the road and despite going behind a Reggie Young Farnborough goal on 26 mins, they drew level via a 50^th min penalty conversion by James Constable and added the winner on 90 minutes via their leading scorer Jake Scrimshaw. Poole are now just three points behind the Kings in 6^th place with a better goal difference.

Weymouth now basically need just five points from their last four games to win the league and advance to the National League South.

Having already covered Staines Town’s and Gosport Borough’s results, Frome Town almost condemned themselves to a relegation spot, as they lost 4-1 on the road to another relegation battler Walton Casuals. James Ewington, who I reported at left to join St Albans City, has since returned presumably on loan and has taken up his goal-scoring again for the Stags, and he may be the difference that keeps them up, as he added another hat-trick against Frome. Ewington started on 10 mins then added a second on 20 mins. Mahrez Bettache then added a 3^rd on 57 mins, before Frome’s only response on 73 mins by Rex Mannings. However, Ewington then completed his hat-trick just two minutes later and sent Frome Town just one loss away from relegation.

Wimborne sit in 18^th after they lost 2-0 at Beaconsfield. Goals by Louis Stead on 48 & 50 mins being the difference.

The other games and of little importance to either the top or bottom were Hartley Wintney’s late win at the up and down Merthyr Town 1-2. Hendon’s goal-less draw with Dorchester Town and Harrow Borough’s 0-2 home loss to Chesham Utd.

Going forward I have now increased the relegation table to show the bottom five clubs.

With three goals but just one point against Tiverton Saturday the team total of 73 goals is spread across the whole playing squad.

Sam Argent 13

Dean Stow 9

Sam Deadfield 8

Sam Smart 7

Ben Wright 6

Harry Pearse 6

Zidane Akers 4

Jack McKnight 4 (Eastleigh Town)

Own Goals 4

Manny Williams 2 (Slough Town)

Dan Collier 2

Oliver Harris 2

Callum Bunting 2 (Departed)

Dan Bayliss 2

Shane Hollamby 1

Yvan Jourdan 1

Games This Week

For the first time this season, there are no mid-week fixtures to look at but some big games next Saturday.

Gosport Borough (20th) vs Merthyr Town

Walton Casuals (19^th) vs Tiverton Town (17^th)

Harrow Borough vs Wimborne Town (18^th)

Your MMQ – Martin French