We certainly made a song and dance of it Chris.That was dire the fact that a crap Wimbledon side were at least worth a point shows how poor we were .I know Don's are a bit of a boogie side for us but that was pathetic.
Sorry Steve but I disagree, I don’t think either were “stonewall”. They were more some you get, some you don’t. Very much like the (undeserved) two in recent games. One for Lincoln which we all moaned about, and then the one V Bristol rovers, which were were happier about but was bloody soft. But again we shouldn’t be basing our defeat on a shouldit/shouldn’t it be a penalty. As you did state, our final ball and general 18 yard box play is fucking woeful. As I said earlier, I do wonder what we do in training sometimes..... when you look at the talent we have going forwards one shot on target in 90 minutes of play is not very good. That is far more the issue than hiding behind a straw clutching penalty decision.Not a lot to be said about that match really - a poor performance against a pretty talent-free side who put in an abysmal performance themselves and were there for the taking.
In the first half, both teams were poor. Wimbledon as their form and position would suggest were rubbish, but we were worse and Wimbledon had the better possession, but didn't create a lot; we created next to nothing other than Ogilvie again not doing what we know he's capable of with a good headed chance. I think that's about half a dozen times since Christmas that he's not stuck away a good headed chance that he'd have buried last season, whilst ironically he banged in a 30 yard worldie away at Charlton! The Dons had the best chances with Bomham and Cundy (I think) making a hash of a tame through ball and presenting Chislett(?) with a sitter which he blazed over. They had another good chance on the stroke of half time and their player should have done better from the edge of the box and presented Bonham with a fairly routine save.
To be fair, Evans rung the change in the second half and we were by far the better team, whilst not being brilliant were a lot better than the Dons, who continued to be poor, but to be fair, I think they are just a poor side rather than being off the pace tonight as we were. Graham caused a spark, but to be honest, his final ball and crossing was largely poor tonight. Dempsey largely seemed to disappear as the game went on, although linked up well with Graham on one occasion to excellent effect. Wimbledon created absolutely nothing in the second half until the goal, whereas we dominated in the key areas, but for me our biggest failing was our poor final ball and crosses - so many times we had a good position around the box or out wide and didn't make the most of it. Saying that, we had a couple of great chances - from memory, Graham as soon as the half started, may have done better with a strike in the box and Oliver somehow missed the goal by a yard with a poke from about 5 yards out. That bring us to the pen shouts - both of which were obviouslty and instantly dismissed by Peter Lloyd as is his wont. The second one, which was the one the players and bench seemed to go mad about was an alleged handball which personally I didn't see - and no replay was shown - but the team seemed very convinced by it. The first one was a push on Akinde which I didn't see at the time, probably because it was completely off of the ball. However, the replay showed a massively clear should charge from their man on to Akinde's back, bundling him over in the box, and what's worse is that the referee was right behind it in a prime position. Akinde probably wouldn't have got the poor overhit cross by Graham, but that's not the point as Akinde was clearly bundled over deliberately as the cross came in - a clear and stonewall pen.
As for the goal, it was completely undeserved from a poor Dons' side and as a reasult of our defenders backing off and allowing a tame shot from the edge of the box come in with Bonham letting a weak shot go through him at a nice height just to his right - another howler from Bonham, I'm afraid, not for the first time in recent weeks.
I found it a bit odd Graham didn't start.But then maybe he wasn't 100% fit .As for the others with the possible exception of O'Keefe I am not sure who else I would have picked O'Keefe like Graham might not have been fully match fit .Any thoughts on Evans and Rayner tonight ? Did they get their starting eleven wrong ?
What did you all expect, we are a lower midfield outfit. We don't tend to win away to AFC, until we can improve our financial position nothing is going to change. Better coaches than we have would be a good thing, but that costs money.
I think I made it clear what I expect it my earlier post, I expect more than 1 lousy shot on target in an hour and half of football. And it is not an isolated incident either. It has happened in many games this season, especially since Christmas.
I think that's spot on. I didn't bother with ifollow last night. Just had the radio on and it sounded dull.
I want to see shots on goal and one or two per game just isn't enough.
Everyone raves about Oliver in the air but does anything ever come from those headers ? It's rare but we do like a tryer.
Lots of talk about whether evans should stay or go. I'm on the fence but mainly because I could see us reverting to type and going cheap on the next appointment. Hessenthaler anyone !!!!
Sorry Steve but I disagree, I don’t think either were “stonewall”. They were more some you get, some you don’t.
Peter Taylor rode on the back of Pulis. I wonder whether Taylor could have dragged Gills from near oblivion to the Championship?Peter Taylor is the one manager who has got us out of this division... He's already getting a pension, so shouldn't want much in wages
But that’s kinda my point, you sometimes get them sometimes dont. And just cos Evans and Raynor go ballistic over a non award it still doesn’t make it stonewall. They bitch and moan about every little decision from the sidelines so we can ignore the fact that they think it is one.The handball shout, which was the one the team and Evans and Raynor were going ballistsic about, I didn’t see as we didn’t have a good view of it from the camera shot and we only saw it in real time - not sure why they show replays of pointless things but not pen shouts? The linesman was perfectly placed for it, which doesn’t necessarily mean he’s right. As I say, with the benefit of the replay, the Akinde one looked like a clear barge off of the ball by their centre back - his shoulder to Akinde’s back bundling him over. The ref had a perfect view as was right behind it. Maybe he didn’t give it, because Graham’s cross was over hit, but that’s not the point for me, a foul is a foul and the ball was still in play. Would like to see it again, but what’s done is done. I also don’t think there was any doubt about the foul on Akinde on Saturday - none of the Rovers players complained. The Lincoln one was obviously different and even the ref has admitted he was wrong.
Peter Taylor rode on the back of Pulis. I wonder whether Taylor could have dragged Gills from near oblivion to the Championship?