ianofcleveleys

We've had three failed attempts to get out of this league playing nice. Yes, at home, we all turn up and would like to see goals and entertainment, away I couldn't give a shit if every game's dire as long as the other team gets nil and we get nil or more. Win at home and do that away and we'll be up.

That's it, when I was writing it I had Grimsby in the back of my mind, mixed the two games up

Very hazy memory now but I seem to recall the game Rodney Jack shredded us was a night game, in half term, when the club did one of its early goes at cheap tickets for kids / families and we ended up with about 24k on and set the trend of falling flat on such occasions that's lived on till this season

We're not looking like a team who's going to go away and rattle 2-3 in (7 in 9 games), so if the emphasis away from home is a bit more on being robust, solid and the opponents getting nil, so be it. We'll keep picking at least 1 point up and moving along steadily. Games like last nights, with an early sending off, are nailed on to be drudgery afterwards. Seen plenty of games of that ilk on the box recently.

We won the game and have three more points than we had at 7.45. Difficult place to go, conditions played a part, dusted ourselves down after Saturday, blah blah. Onto the next.

Had cause to spend a Saturday night in the Old Town last year (visiting stepdaughter who lives just outside the town), very good, some top pubs bars and food places. Main, new town is like Beirut but Old Town saved the visit

Nathan Pond

I'd tend to be of that view, by and large we have a best 11 when they're all fit, apart from the odd tweak to suit certain opponents, and there are some of those that have looked like needing rest. On that basis though, ACD should have had his feet up. He's played a lot of minutes, hardly ever brought off early (for good reason) and has dipped a bit over last couple of games. I was surprised to see him start.

I can't dispute what you and @boltonborishave said, was chucking it out there in a vein of 'go on then, go to Mansfield and show those decent couple of results weren't false dawns' Think I said a couple of weeks back that the three aways at Luton, Mansfield and Wycombe will show us, before Christmas, whether we're anything like the real deal or in need of significant further surgery in Jan. Don't see us getting anything at Wycombe if I'm honest so Tuesday is a big game. I still don't think we've changed the DNA of the squad enough from what it was in Evatt's latter days and our shape, with the personnel we have, doesn't lend itself to grinding out solid away results to back up what we do at home.

We did actually win a difficult away game at Huddersfield, thrashed Oldham with half a team and last week was a decent point, so in theory there were signs we were improving away, Mansfield needs to be a showing that builds on that and consigns today to an unpleasant little memory.

It'll be largely forgotten if we're heading into the play offs or better in May but a pretty bad day today and some issues raised. Bit of a difference between Vertu Trophy games and an away FA Cup tie, easy in those non events at home in front of 2000 for us to look like we've strength in depth, different ball game today, against a good side going for it. A few too many of our Summer recruits have yet to convince of their value and we all know we have expensive deadwood taking up squad space. Jan could (and might need to) be busier than expected

I get the impression he's an alright lad too. Taken him a while to settle into the club, system, the nature of the Division, in a position where we've already got two. Some signs though in last few appearances that he's getting there and he does certainly have some skills. He's not the only one of the summer recruits to have only made a limited impact so far. My only question is, if another position becomes a big priority in Jan, will SS think he can manage with Gale and Tutu?

Thought I'd done quite well with a 13 on my first go, evidently a way to go!

Thanks for sharing, couldn't go last night, good to see the goals and good they all were too. Third one had little shades of the Mark Davies one v Blackpool.

These games can produce the opposite of the saying 'he's become a better player in his absence'. Someone like Sheehan has somehow become a duffer merely by not turning out in a Mickey Mouse game against a half strength Bradford. Saturday's game arguably gives the opportunity to start with a team like tonight's, albeit Swindon will be a tough handful. If so lets see if a few of those who've impressed tonight can do it again and genuinely ask SS a question before Mansfield.