Hello League Two! After yesterday’s display there can be few Dons fans foolish enough to think we can perform the great escape again. It was a horror show. Yes the ref was an officious twat, but we gave him the opportunity to be one.
Here’s what I gleaned from yesterday’s display:
Hartigan is out of his league, quite literally. Yesterday he was trotteresque as he found himself overrun and unable to track back without giving away petty fouls. He was lucky not to be booked, but thankfully the officious twat didn’t see the number of fouls he was committing.
O’Neill had a horror show. He hasn’t looked at all happy these last couple of weeks. He hardly got beyond the half way line, hardly ever passed, and when he did it was to a member of the opposition or to wide open space. In the second half as he frequently lost the ball, he just stood there complaining rather than busting a gut to get back. To be fair Bristol did a good job closing down both our wing backs. At times it was men against boys.
Trott’s confidence looked shot even before his howler. He doesn’t look like he communicates with his defenders at all. As we all know if your central defenders don’t hear the keeper shouting, it makes them nervous and prone to errors. His error in handling a long punt was truly awful. Yes he may have been blinded by the low sun angle, but that’s why the Bristol keeper brought a cap with him! It will be interesting to see how Trott reacts. When Rambo made a howler last season, he immediately did a “mea culpa” to the crowd. Yesterday Trott retreated into the large hole he’d dug for himself, only to wish he’d dug it ten foot deeper.
Folivi needs to grow a foot, put on abut five stone to be a effective striker. He tried hard, but effort gets you very little in League One against much bigger and stronger players. By the way, when was the last time we’ve played the same two strikers in consecutive games? It stinks of a feeling of not having the right players, and not knowing what to do with the ones you’ve got.
Forrs’s goal was a cracker. Real quality after a quick break. The booking for the celebration was slightly unfair, but it gave the officious twat a decision to make. Shame the officious twat didn’t see fit to make the same decision when the Bristol equaliser came, as running ten yards up to the home end to give an “incredible hulk” celebration seemed much more deserving.
Talking of their equaliser, it perfectly highlights the problem with a 3-5-2 formation. With both our wing backs high up the pitch, a long ball into the corner forced Nightingale over to defend. Suddenly he has two Bristol players on him, he’s all alone, loses the ball, a good cross is delivered to the very spot Will would normally be, no Dons player had tracked back, and thank you very much. Wally and Glyn should have been spitting blood. How Hartigan or Reilly (who had a good game) didn’t see fit to plug the gap, heaven knows.
Forr’s dismissal obviously kicked any chance of us winning the game into the long grass. What was really upsetting about it, was its timing. We’d just brought on Pigott to play three up front, and had two really good chances to go ahead for a second time. One particularly good save low down to the keeper’s left from Wagstaff was real class. Forss’s foul was silly, petulant, and completely unnecessary.
Lots of negatives, so where are the positives? It’s pretty hard to find any after yesterday. Kevin Gage’s midweek intervention seemed to say loud and proud what everyone is thinking. At best we’re a League Two club that has somehow managed to beat the odds for the last few seasons. The problem with this, is that sooner or later your luck runs out.
onyadon 15 hours, 24 minutes ago.
Adam Dodds.
