Urgh.
Don’t expect a proper report about yesterday’s defeat by Bromley, even though I was there (albeit in the press box).
All you probably need to know is that our goal was utterly shit to concede, we wouldn’t be able to find the net if we were playing right now, and our automatic promotion push has taken a kick to the rib cage.
First L2 loss at Plough Lane since November against Walsall, wasn’t it?
To be honest, I think most people kind-of expected this to happen, and I certainly walked to the ground with that weird knowing it would be a shit day ahead.
In an ever-changing world, it’s reassuring to know that we will always manage to fuck up the Bromley/Sutton/Crawley type dead-cert fixtures.
Satan help us if we end up having to go to Hayes Lane for the playoff semi final, which could happen. It’ll be the Ryman Premier all over again.
And remember when tough Northern teams used to be our bête noire? Now it’s the “we’re just happy to have a local derby with AFCW” type outfits who end up ruining our weekends.
This one has become shit as well, although it now presents a decent opportunity for us.
How so? Well, you can’t have helped noticed we’ve scraped by recently. Granted, we’re a bit worn out with the February grind, but it’s still not been great.
Our defence has been solid, occasional brainfarts notwithstanding (hi Owen and Joe), and it’s to everyone’s credit that we’ve been so good.
But the amount of goals we’ve scored has been dire recently. It’s almost like we’re trying to win every game 1-0, with the winning strike coming down to some bit of luck.
Eventually, it was going to run out and it did so this weekend.
It hurts, and it needs to hurt, because we’ve been a little bit too much on auto-pilot recently. And we’re not 13 points clear at the top, so we can’t afford to be slacking.
I did notice a few people after the game saying that this result is a kick up the arse we so badly need, and I agree with them.
The players in the dressing room and the next training session should be absolutely livid, and they’ve got the ideal opportunity to do that on Tuesday.
Playing Morecambe won’t decide our fate this season, although it would be a good statement of intent.
If we’re legitimate playoff contenders then a win at the Mazuma Stadium is mandatory. And dare I suggest one by a couple of goals as well?
Granted, I’ll take a 1-0 victory if offered, but we should be doing better than that. Even if we currently have a bunch of eunuchs up front.
Stevens may have won the London FA’s EFL Player of the Year award a couple of days ago, but on yesterday’s showing he should give the trophy back.
Kelly tries hard, and fired over the bar late on, but it hasn’t quite happened for him this season.
Bugiel is off the boil, and has been for a long while. So long in fact that I checked when he last scored while writing this.
For the record, it was Tranmere away. In November.
Yes, really.
The young lad we signed seems to have gone AWOL already. Hell, I’ve even had to look up his name to see if it wasn’t a signing for accountancy purposes.
And as for Piggy…. He came on and unfortunately he looks more and more like a passenger each time he features.
Your editor remains a non-fan of former players returning for a second spell, and our Leyton Orient loanee is yet another one who should have gone elsewhere this campaign.
Granted, we seem to have the likes of Browne and perhaps Tilley who can nick a goal when needed, but we’re managing to remain in the playoffs despite only having one goalscorer.
One notes that Bradford are managing to find the net late on to win games, like all promotion getting sides do.
Can we?
Losing yesterday isn’t the end of the world, and the automatic promotion spots will likely be decided on who is on form in April.
Anyone can be in them, hell Walsall are wobbling like a Franchise fan being hit by a four year old.
We’re getting to the business end of the campaign now, and there’ll be a lot of twists, turns and other things beginning with “t” to come.
Although in our case, one must hope “turd” isn’t one of them…