This one will sort the wheat from the chaff - on sale tomorrow.

Last midweek away of the season barring any postponements.

Wembley Sunday 24 May 2026

after last night. Not  negative, just we cant win away! (much) and 15 draws (30 dropped points) - we need gods luck

18 hours ago, Tombwfc said:

 

Not to make it about Evatt, this week of all weeks. But in 23/24 we averaged 1.61 ppg away from home and 1.4 goals per game. GD of +10.

This season we're at 1.18 ppg scoring 0.8 goals per game. GD of -6. We are a soft touch away, teams take points off us in just about every game.

We're not as good as the last team we had which finished 3rd. Maybe we won't need to be.

I'd say we're not as consistent as the last team we had that finished 3rd. That team consistently beat the lesser teams, home and away, scoring plenty in the process, but then bottled it in any big match against promotion rivals or local derbies.

This team is very tough to beat, but very easy to frustrate and draw with especially away, but I'd say more likely to get through the big play off games we'll be involved in.

If this team played the Evatt one from a couple of years ago in a play off semi I'd back the current one to win at home 1 nil and then draw 1-1 away.

2 hours ago, waffer cup 07 said:

Total overeaction by Liam Richardson to an accidental injury to his player by Kenny, saying it was a deliberate stamp. If this player hadn't dropped like he'd been shot, right in front of Kenny it would'nt have happened. Guess he was mad because they were being completely out played.

He says in interview he didn’t see it himself but was told is a horrendous challenge . He will try to fuck us over by getting the retrospective ban no doubt 

we might get our own back last game of the season if reading need us to get a result against Luton for last play off spot 😃

Edited February 18Feb 18 by Farnywhite

1 hour ago, Stig said:

I'd say we're not as consistent as the last team we had that finished 3rd. That team consistently beat the lesser teams, home and away, scoring plenty in the process, but then bottled it in any big match against promotion rivals or local derbies.

This team is very tough to beat, but very easy to frustrate and draw with especially away, but I'd say more likely to get through the big play off games we'll be involved in.

If this team played the Evatt one from a couple of years ago in a play off semi I'd back the current one to win at home 1 nil and then draw 1-1 away.

 

Maybe. I think I need to see a bit more from this team, particularly when it comes to scoring goals.

As far as matches against the better teams go, we're P11 W2 against teams currently in the top 10. Hard to imagine us going away to anyone in the playoffs and putting three past them, as the 23/24 team did.

3 hours ago, Eddie said:

Blackett Taylor at the back post late in the second half, Apter’s chance which he made for himself, plus our goal. 

We'd a fair number of good 'situations' first half, from Kenny’s in minute 1 to Johnston's header late on. Second half we created very little till the last few minutes, other than that Apter ball to CBT and, eventually, the goal, which was a gaffe under pressure from their keeper (good work mind to turn it into a goal). 

Second half was all too ponderous, in front of a side who decided they'd camp out and shithouse a 1-0. Like numerous second halves we've endured at home

One thing I think we do miss is someone who can regularly twat a few in from outside the box.

Sneekes for example.

Adds another option when opponents are putting up the barricades.

We'd have been fine if we had a proper finisher

1 minute ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

We'd have been fine if we had a proper finisher

We haven't though, and even good ones don't score every game.

The goal contribution from our midfield this season is pants.

Sometimes strikers just get shut out, but that in turn opens things for others.

Sheehan and Dempsey have taken advantage occasionally, but in general, so few are scored, and shots often poor.

Really need some thundertwat practice.

32 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

One thing I think we do miss is someone who can regularly twat a few in from outside the box.

Sneekes for example.

Adds another option when opponents are putting up the barricades.

One of the things I miss about Aaron Collins.  He'd occasionally have a crack from distance when the rest of the team were playing sideways.  That goal v Barnsley at home in the play offs just as we were floundering being a memorable example.

1 hour ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

One thing I think we do miss is someone who can regularly twat a few in from outside the box.

Well, we sort of did have.

Both Gale and ACD have put a few in. Though their successes maybe led to them trying it too often.

Easy thing to say I suppose but it wouldn't hurt us now and then to draw teams onto us and counter attack them, we have some great tools for doing that, the goal at Wimbledon was as good as any we've scored for many a day

59 minutes ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

Well, we sort of did have.

Both Gale and ACD have put a few in. Though their successes maybe led to them trying it too often.

Burstow v Wigan and Posh.

But Collins a class above in the shooting department because he's the only striker we've had in years that's equally comfortable shooting with his right or left foot, very rare.

And created chances for others, would have been an interesting partnership with Dalby.

26 minutes ago, ianofcleveleys said:

Easy thing to say I suppose but it wouldn't hurt us now and then to draw teams onto us and counter attack them, we have some great tools for doing that, the goal at Wimbledon was as good as any we've scored for many a day

Lincoln at home was as good IMO (even though it was an OG in the end).  When I watch that back and Lincoln have a corner I still can't believe we scored from it 10 seconds later!

9 hours ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

Well, we sort of did have.

Both Gale and ACD have put a few in. Though their successes maybe led to them trying it too often.

Take your point, though they tend to be edge of the box stuff.

Someone who can crack some in from 25 yards or more.

Similarly with free kicks.

We need more goals from midfield and from our centre halfs. I think Toal has scored one this season and I don’t recall other centre halfs scoring.

We need to stop conceding the first goal first and foremost.

That'll avoid having to break down a bank of ten players for half the bloody match.

Certainly would help.

As would a few more clean sheets away from home.

Anyway, it is what it is, and even if it improves from now, it might not be enough. 

8 minutes ago, gonzo said:

We need to stop conceding the first goal first and foremost.

That'll avoid having to break down a bank of ten players for half the bloody match.

This is by far our biggest issue. How many times do we batter the opposition for the 1st 20mins or so only for them to score against the run of play and then park the bus. 

All points valid and I’m not suggesting our away record is great; however, if you’re trying to find a positive, our more recent away form has definitely seen improvement - unbeaten in 5 with 2 wins and 3 draws, against a broad range of difficulty.

1.8ppg - albeit a smaller sample size

1 hour ago, batton carrier said:

This is by far our biggest issue. How many times do we batter the opposition for the 1st 20mins or so only for them to score against the run of play and then park the bus. 

100% @gonzo scoring first completely changes the dynamics against all but a few sides in this league. It makes them come out to play, cuts out the shithousing and, if they do venture forward, opens up the possibility of counter attacks.

On the few occasions we've done it over recent years we've gone on to win well and have a trouble free afternoon/evening 

13 minutes ago, ianofcleveleys said:

100% @gonzo scoring first completely changes the dynamics against all but a few sides in this league. It makes them come out to play, cuts out the shithousing and, if they do venture forward, opens up the possibility of counter attacks.

On the few occasions we've done it over recent years we've gone on to win well and have a trouble free afternoon/evening 

Barnsley? 😉

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

We need to stop conceding the first goal first and foremost.

That'll avoid having to break down a bank of ten players for half the bloody match.

Another issue this season is not scoring first half

on this recent run of 8 unbeaten We've only scored in the first half in two of them 

Even when we scored 3, Barnsley was very uncomfortable

This season, when we score first our record is:

16 games first goal

W13 D2 L1 Points dropped - 7

14 games conceded first

W2 D7 L5 Points gained 13

3x 0-0 draws

 

Only won by more than 1 goal on 4 occasions (Plymouth H, Wimbledon H, Wigan H, Port Vale H) Only scored more than 1 goal in 11 games.

Only lost by more than 1 goal on 3 occasions (Stockport A, Northampton A, Burton A) Only conceded more than 1 goal in 6 games.

Just goes to show it's very rare that our games are one-sided in results, and that if we get our noses in front generally go on to get the job done, and that we are capable of picking up points if we fall behind. Just not scoring first as often as we would like.

 

Edited February 19Feb 19 by BeeversLeftPeg

5 hours ago, BeeversLeftPeg said:

This season, when we score first our record is:

16 games first goal

W13 D2 L1 Points dropped - 7

14 games conceded first

W2 D7 L5 Points gained 13

3x 0-0 draws

 

Only won by more than 1 goal on 4 occasions (Plymouth H, Wimbledon H, Wigan H, Port Vale H) Only scored more than 1 goal in 11 games.

Only lost by more than 1 goal on 3 occasions (Stockport A, Northampton A, Burton A) Only conceded more than 1 goal in 6 games.

Just goes to show it's very rare that our games are one-sided in results, and that if we get our noses in front generally go on to get the job done, and that we are capable of picking up points if we fall behind. Just not scoring first as often as we would like.

 

Good stats.

Worth adding that of the 13 games won after taking the lead, 3 times the opposition equalised (home to Rotherham, Burton and Orient).  Yes we went onto win, but the first goal was wiped out and we had to start again.

When we score first at home relatively early (first 50 minutes), we either go on to score 2, 3 or 4 or get pegged back to 1-1.  So yes, scoring first is great and gives us a better chance of winning, but without the comfort of a 2nd goal we usually get pegged back - Reading, Luton, the 3 above.  With a one goal lead in the 2nd half we don't play well and don't have a track record of grinding out a 1-0 (that's why Wimbledon away was very satisfying!).

 

Edited February 19Feb 19 by Johnnyrotten

Keeping the foot on the pedal and pummelling teams on the few occasions we've taken early leads has been an issue for a long while. Under Evatt we did it now and then, when flat track bullying the likes of Fleetwood, but not often. This season, Wigan the stand out, otherwise its been hard going.

Barnsley was an odd one, I expected it to be end to end and fairly even from the off, they were unbelievably bad first half then a different outfit with the half time changes and a huge slice of luck. 

Against the numerous low block shithousing sides in our league though it makes the game much easier to manage if we can start fast and score first