MotM: 12-03-22 AFC Fylde (H) Carrington

[harry211]

The West Ham game and performance felt a very long time ago today. The silence that met the final whistle said a lot. No booing. No cheering - the patter of applause came later. Just silence. On the pitch all that pressing, shape, endeavour and fight against the Hammers? Absent.

We hovered between that dividing line of 'poor' and 'frustrating' today, more former than the latter. We had more guile than against Gateshead, but we were playing a side who weren't a patch on them in Fylde.

They weren't good themselves, particularly in the second half and we had a fair bit of luck when it came to decisions - but we never seemed to have a plan to break them down. The change to bring in Redmond was a nice idea - but he still fails to impress. He was far too cautious, the opposite of what you need around Carra. The attacking three were too narrow and barely got a kick. AMS was reduced to the odd flick or cushion to try and bring them into play, in a very confined space. I don't think it's that Fylde compressed and squeezed the game successfully - more that we didn't seem to know what to do.

Meanwhile our defence lived dangerously at times. Obi was unlucky not to score, Haughton could have had a second and there were other chances. On a good day for Fylde, they could have nicked three or four. It was just far far too easy.

We still miss the energy needed around Carra. He was the only one trying to do anything, getting stuck in and winning second balls. He was my MOTM but it turned out he was playing them on his own. Redmond is either lacking confidence or is playing an unfamiliar role. Some nice touches, and when he tried to drive forward late on looked dangerous. What has happened to Martin?

Nolan was particularly poor. I feel bad for criticising him - he's had a rough two years but starting him today, for his first game in men's football in that time was a bold call. And it didn't even remotely work. Off the pace completely. Foulkes was likewise, there's scrapyards with less rust than him. Penny also poor at CB for the second game in a row. I don't completely buy the players being tired, they've had a week off, not had too many midweek games since West Ham.

Positives? Hard to find. It was marginally better than Gateshead - but still resembled a side with nothing to play for at the end of a season playing a side going for promotion. The rot hasn't set in - and a win against Brackley and Spennymoor and all will be forgotten - but this side, playing the way it is, will not be playing Conference football next season - and that will be a golden opportunity missed.

[Grumpy old man]

Harry has said most of what I was going to say.

Confidence is always a fragile thing and today I saw a team that appeared to have lost most of what it had.

None of the back four had a good game - not sure if it was the Nolan effect or whether the better teams in the division have sussed how to expose us.

Haughton and Philliskirk are a strong midfield pairing - exactly what we lack at present. Carrington and Redmond were always going to be up against it.

Up front, nothing much happened and our crossing into the box was poor.

Fylde did the simple things better than us and sadly seemed to want the win more than us.

I fear that RP has a real challenge on his hands to lift the team - March was always going to be a difficult month and perhaps none of us realise how much the Cup run took out of our small squad, mentally and physically.

[millzeuk]

Really poor today all round

Bajrami was the only player I felt gets above a 5/10

Penn needs to earn his money now and get us going again.

[koro]

For me the only MOTM could be Carrington. Bajrami had his worst game for us at home, with diagonal passes that didn't work and unusually looked flustered on the ball - I think he was missing the security of having Cameron alongside. As previously mentioned, why isn't Martin getting gametime, his style is more attack minded than Redmond or Montrose, which is what we need.

[TWG85]

Gutting result. You fear the worst now with this group of fixtures as far as getting dragged down into the lower play-off places. Which'll be a massive diservice to themselves with everything they've given to this season.

Fylde much the better team and best away side I've seen at Aggborough this season by a fair distance. Brackley were superb defensively and clincial, but Fylde offered a lot more going forward, showed more adventure and just simply look to have more ability in their side. As they should. With their budget and squad they should be safely winning this league, and if they hadn't had the injuries they've had, I've no doubt they'd be firmly in the running. Harriers were simply outgunned. They were sharper, more athletic, their passing was more crisp, their pressing was better, they were tactically astute and wily, along with their shape being a massive problem. They could've won by a couple more.

Rowe went with his usual 5-2-3, only they played it more as 5-2-2-1 with Naughton and Tom Walker tucked in, with Carrington and Redmond just not able to handle it. Out of possession Harriers were overloaded with the two centre midfielders plus the pair finding pockets, and in possession were quickly crowded and passing options cut off. They just had no answer. Was crying out for Russ to change the shape at half-time and perhaps drop Austin back deeper to get another body in there, which is frankly something I'd like to see moving forwards against certain sides, but unfortunately it didn't come.

This isn't to say it was all Fylde's doing. Harriers looked rattled and anxious from the start, for me. And no doubt the early goal didn't help. Think Gateshead hit them hard and they perhaps felt the pressure to get a result, as well as maybe just the run-in. No issue with effort but there was a real lack of convinction in what they doing defensively and offensively, which showed itself in sharpness. They were second to everything, were too slow in moving the ball, made poor decisions and just simply were sloppy. It spread like wildfire throughout the side. Aside from Carrington who was decent, fought like hell and did his upmost to drive the team, everyone was lacking.

Simpson, much like Brackley earlier in the season, showed a shocking lack of urgency with them chasing the game and distribution was horrendous. Between the Gateshead highlights and this it looks like Penny has fell back into bad habits as far as concentration, decision-making and composure, and if we're honest is never the best technically. Nolan looked super rusty (understandable), Bajrami worst game I've seen him have by a country mile, Richards likewise, who had a torrid time with Ben Tollitt (very good player) and crossing was poor.

Redmond doesn't look like he's settled in and didn't look confident, plus I think he's just a poor fit for the composition of this side. I've come to the conclusion he's like the Vanarama Paul Pogba. Technically he's very good. Good passer, good touch, good dribbler. But he makes poor decisions, is poor defensively and is a little lethargic. The latter being a massive problem as far as a foil for Carrington. Sterling had a good first fifteen minutes, finding pockets, but besides that the front four had no joy and not much service really.

Second half was better. More energy, more conviction, had a couple of five minute flurries. But really struggled to create anything substantial and Fylde safely saw out the game. Very frustrating.

[Medieval]

Best team won, but they were clever at shutting down our attacks before we had a chance to hurt them, mainly through fouls, should have been a yellow much earlier. Cynical, yes, but it wins games.

I still believe the forward 3 are drained & a 7 day break does not get them back to 100%, which is needed.

Redmond had his best game, but he is just another central midfielder, agree we need creativity with Carrington/Montrose.

Don`t wish to criticise the new lad on his debut, Bonds was very average on his, but we need an injection of attacking players.

It is still possible we could finish 3rd, but not without at least a forward player to rotate with Austin/Hemmings/Sterling & creative midfielder. Alternatively a striker & start with 2 up front, this would allow rotation of these 3 (A/H/S) in the 2 wide positions.

Very depressed with how results have evaporated.

[WBAKHFC123]

Go and sign Moke.

Exactly what we need in the middle.

[Swansea Harrier]

No complaints at the result. If we'd snuck an equaliser I don't think Fylde could have complained, but we really can't claim we deserved anything out of the game.

A slow start, again. This time costly. Such a poor goal to concede, their defender just put it back in an area, either Nolan or Penny should have dealt eith it but first, no-one picked Haughton up.

More than anything, we were just do naive with our tactical decision making on the pitch. There was a strong wind, so the need to keep the ball on the deck was greater than ever. So we tossed it up in the air all the time. It meant the ball kept coming back at us first half and ran out of play second half. Why first the players cotton to what was pretty obvious to all in the stands?

I agree with much of what Harry211 has said above, but disagree about midfield. Lost track of the aimless hocking the ball up in the air by Carra. Redmond isn't perfect, he doesn't appear athletic or quick enough, but he was the better of the two on the ball today. He and Austin were two of the few who can hold their heads up, the problem was we didn't get Sammy in the game anywhere near enough.

Nolan and Penny were both really poor. And there's indecision at the back when Simpson doesn't command his area - compare him glued to his line to Chris Neal well outside his box.

Nolan I can forgive - that was a tough game to get thrown into. Can only hope he plays himself in and gets up to speed.

Penny was dreadful. Worst he's been this season. Errors galore, the most culpable for aimless points, nearly gave away a second goal... What was the worst for me was near the end when, out of pure frustration, he laid into Jaiden White for not passing the ball and losing possession. As if he had any right with the way he gad played... I'd be sorely tempted to try Foulkes at Spennymoor but he doesn't look anywhere near as confident as pre-injury.

That's the key word here - confidence. You could just tell a few were more afraid of making errors, panicking when pressed. There was none of the composure and control we've become used to.

It isn't a disaster, we are still in a great position. But boy is there work to do, and the fixtures are unforgiving. We looked lethargic, I think the games and effort put in are catching up.

We need the ball back on the deck, more energy, and everyone playing for each other as a team again.

Oh yeah, and how wasn't the odious Tom Walker (think the 4-4 draw with Salford) not sent off for a second yellow by that bottler of a ref? Horrible footballer...

[Phil]

The bottler of the ref came from Lancashire. You're not going to send off one of your local lads are you?

[Swansea Harrier]

The bottler of the ref came from Lancashire. You're not going to send off one of your local lads are you?

I had wondered why that was missing off the programme... That's not right!

[Krasnyi]

OK, so in hindsight was it a good idea to throw a lad who hasn’t played a competitive game in god knows how long into a match like that? Felt sorry for Nolan, he clearly didn’t know what to expect.

Can’t add much to the above comments. Confidence is shot and it’s hard to understand just how things have gone so wrong, so quickly. A massive job for Russ, his biggest challenge yet.

Fylde just the kind of team to get promoted from this league: physical; all the tricks (shirt pulling, grappling, shoves in the back); close down quickly. All the things we aren’t right now.

For Spennymoor I’d go with the 11 that finished yesterday but bring in Lowe for Penny (or Cameron if fit). I also think we need to switch to 4-4-2. AMS desperately needs someone alongside him. Ethan and AMS up top for the rest of the season might just help to turn things round for us.

[harry211]

The bottler of the ref came from Lancashire. You're not going to send off one of your local lads are you?

These arguments are always wearing. It means nothing. Referee had a decent game. We lots of 50/50 free kicks second half, but did nothing with them. Can't recall Walker incident, but don't recall anyone calling for him to go. Not a bottler at all.

Nearside linesman on the East Stand went to Haybridge High School. Didn't work in our favour either did it.

[Krasnyi]

Agree re the ref although I thought he needed to clamp down earlier on the holding, shoving and shirt-pulling earlier on. Fylde figured they could get away with it indefinitely.

[Phil]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEYOmL3QYKE

[Swansea Harrier]

Cannot agree that the ref had a decent game. Not at all. He wasn't the reason we list, but he had a really poor game.

Twice in the first 15 minutes Obi (who was useless on the deck and their weak link) fouled OSJ on the edge if the box. Each time we were threatening to create a chance. Not even a talking to on either occasion.

Every time Fylde conceded a free kick or throw in their players kicked the ball away, or picked it up. Nothing all game.

Missed lots of arms in back, shirt-pulling. The Walker one, he was on a yellow for a blatant shirt pull, committed another very similar foul as we broke. Half of the East Stand wanted him to go. Two minutes later his manager subs him... If he hadn't already been on a yellow he would have been booked. That's bottling it as an official.

Then there's booking their keeper for timewasting on 87 minutes. He'd been doing it all half. Ref didn't cotton on till last 10 minutes and gave him a couple of talkings to. Its not just this ref - its obvious what teams are doing when 1-0 up, why not do something about it earlier??

Fylde had the ref in their pocket. He thought he was in charge telling players where to take throws from, in reality they were controlling him.

Can't argue with any of the yellows he did dish out. Although I think Penny's was a yellow, another ref might have gone for red, not a clever challenge at all.