Right, got a couple of responses to my impassioned plea request for any comments from those who went Saturday. Feel free to send a couple more comments in:
Firstly, from Chalfers:
We came, we saw, we played for 20 minutes. Â Unfortunately we gave 3 goals away during the other 70 when Chester were playing and we weren’t; it was essentially the first time this season where the familiar “Ryman league” pattern of a inferior looking team beating us when we should have easily won the game if engaged for the whole match. Â I’ll chalk this one down to a cup hangover, but PLEASE Mr Brown don’t let them have many more games this year!
Meanwhile, Le Don Algerien has come up with the following:
Unstereotypically Chester was warm, blue and felt a touch daunted by the descent of the dons upon the Chesire plains. All seater – now that was a luxery that wasn’t expected – good practice for Milwall I suppose.
The Wimbledon machine was wonderful to watch pre and post HT but there were a good 30 minutes were we lacked concentration, it’s odd because we do seem professional in so many other ways which we don’t see elsewhere in this league. Something is missing pre-match it would appear whether that’s hip-hop, hardcore, prayer, yogic breathing or “mere” sturn and serious words it needs to be addressed pronto.
Highlights: Taylor’s hazy mazy runs and sheer strength and persistence in the second half. Duncan when he gets the bit between his teeth – he appeared to “warm up” towards the end of the second half, much like the Dons on the whole. Kedwell is so strong he’s bearlike, perhaps the fact he can hold of three players at a time makes those around him complacent. It did appear that the Dons played with an “old” guard – Keds, Inns, Taylor, Quiche and a fledgling crew embodied, essentially, by Wellard. Need to Gell.
Lowlights: the sheer agony of watch slow-mo stylee the bobbling ball roll across that line on-field and off-field dons watched on totally bemused. Utterly bizarre. Lorraine’s own goal and his disallowed goal 🙁
As to us chanting that we’d be pleased to see them go bust it’s not really “our” spirit and frankly we really couldn’t hear their 20-strong mugs that blatantly weren’t there for the football (the car park afterwards was testimony as the spirited 15yr old wannabe yob told a police officer “i jus wanna ‘av a gooh at them lot” – well done fellow Womble traveller who threatened to ‘av him). There’s is a sad story and all respect to those hardcore enough to continue supporting them.
Et voilÃ
UPDATE: And from Baskers…
Absolute bollocks
UPDATE II: Her Ladyship adds her $0.02 to SW19.
It was Worcester from last season re-visited. Lovely day out if you exclude the period from 3.00 to 5.00pm. Early train out of Lahndan town and a spot of sight-seeing around a very attractive town/city (delete according to taste). Excellent lunch in the Brewery Tap followed by a visit to the Bullet & Bear (something like that anyway). Very weird in that particular hostelry – full of Arsenal fans.Had a chat with one of them in the opium den out the back and asked about the local fascination with the Arse. I mean, one of the Merseyside clubs I could just about understand. But he enthused about how many Arse fans there were in Chester and when I casually mentioned we were off to see our team play HIS local side … glazed eyes reaction, he really hadn’t a clue what I was talking about. Very sad.Oh, you mean this is supposed to be a “match” report? Well, difficult to improve on Chalfers’ or Baskers’ succinct commentaries but I’ll give it a go. Chester were out of the traps immediately. At 2-0 down after 20 minutes (and, just like Worcester, it could have been worse), our lot were still trying to work out where they were supposed to be playing. Judge (welcome back) is not a right back and paired with a brand new left back made our defence a disaster waiting to happen. Johnny Main got one back – with his left foot, I think – so we sort-of hoped for better in the 2nd half …We started brightly and had a good 20 minutes. We forced their keeper into a couple of very good saves but, yet again, all too often we were trying to walk a goal in. Can no bugger have a crack when in a half-decent position? Is TB banging on about risky, passing football and midfielders contributing to goals perhaps frightening them? The rest of the game was a continuation of most of the first half and Chester got a third.Plus point: unlike Worcester, no-one decided to end their life by jumping off a platform so the train back wasn’t delayed/cancelled. Very grateful for small mercies.Point to ponder: as heretical as it may be to criticise our Tezza, his team selection, formation and tactics stank. Or maybe it was his cunning plan to make us take his love child to our collective hearts. Whilst Jay Conroy would be my no. 1 pick as right back, the boy Hatton has proved that to be his best position.If we play like that at Millwall, we’ll get an almighty thrashing. Thank your deity of choice that we aren’t on TV!
More later, if I get it…