Don't know how the game actually went but do know the score now. A draw. Not particularly satisfactory for either side and especially with the other results around us. Is one point away enough out of this one? Not from where I'm standing but at least it was something I suppose. It makes Saturday's game alll the more a cup final now. Anything less than 3 points on that one and for me it's game over for the season.
I agree its a must win saturday so was tonight? Well i think the crowd will be good saturday! I fear us and Torquay could be leaving the league at this rate!!
I think Torquay will scrape it but they are looking like a stone at the minute. As for us, well you run out of things to say don't you. If the other sides weren't winning or picking up points now then I might think we have a chance but we need a win just to get us back into the mix whilst still being bottom. That of course is assuming the other sides don't pick up points again. The way it is going it will be all over soon and maybe it will be a blessing. At least the pain won't be long and drawn out.
Just got in from the match.....and up early tomorrow for a day at Kew........share my thoughts on tonights match when I've got some spare time. What I will say is that Banton looked a handful....but had to go off injured in the first half......real disappointment that.
Not only was this result not good enough, especially given the home defeat on Saturday, but received opinion was that we we lucky to get the draw particularly after a very poor second half. We've swung from getting poor results but the majority thinking we deserved more to getting poor results and being lucky to do so, with at least two abysmal home results recently, as Sensible has confirmed. As somebody said last night, we might well not get a single point in March. I'm going back to "We're Doomed" status.
A wise choice notdistant. Actually there were very few reasons to even leave "we're doomed" in the first place if you think about it. It's typical of football supporters to grasp at the slightest straw isn't it and that is probably what we did for a brief moment. There are those that will cling on to the slender hope until it's mathmatically impossible to escape but I genuinely think that the majority have already gone through the trap door and even closed it behind them before they have to listen to the fat lady singing. Even if we win on Saturday, and that is far from me being the slightest confident, then I don't think my mood towards this will change much. A couple of wins on the trot and I might flicker a bit but I'm probably going to think this is armagedon for the rest of the season. I can't do green tinted anymore it has worn me down that much.
Come on chaps, keep the faith- slightly less confident than a month ago but am targeting the following as wins. BARNET(H) FLEETWOOD(H) SOUTHEND(A) EXETER(H) YORK(A) ROCHDALE(A) and if they don't work there are still six others to get results from! Need to play to win all of the next 6 matches, would rather win half and lose half rather than a string of draws (and it obviously gives more points). Either way book yr tickets for Rochdale as that match may well be the one that ensures survival, or will be the last in the FL for a couple of years.
Well, Lyndhurst i am glad you are mor optimistic than most.. I so hope we win the next 6 ? but i can't see 6 wins for the rest of the season, i think i will join the doomed club and pray!.
What total crap notdistant........I was there and it was unlucky that Banton had to go off....he was causing panic down the left wing and having scored one it looked like he would dominate their defence all evening. So this "received opinion" that you talk about is a bit of a mystery to me......cos it aint true. PS ......True report to come.
Believe me lyndhurst I would dearly love to remain optimistic I really would. My problem with that is that I have seen absolutely nothing for quite a while now that gives me anything to be optimistic about. The last few matches I watched, and apparently the one I missed, have been total pants. Not a spark of anything to get me worked up. Even the fact that they were pants did little to get me angry anymore. I left the stadium with just a shrug and a sort of "I expected that" feeling with nothing much to say on the way to the pub. We as supporters have been hammered for the last few years and the stuffing has been knocked out of most. My feeling is that even if we did by some miracle manage to get away with it this season, and I don't think we will, then next season will be more of the same until the inevitable happens eventually. The sad thing is it shouldn't be that way at Argyle. We have a decent support base and the club has managed to hang on to most supporters despite the farce. I cannot see any reason why we are where we are other than somebody not giving a monkeys about the football and the people supposedly in charge not having a clue what they have been doing. Why the club wasn't cleared out by Fletcher in the first place and why he was allowed to go on wasting his and everyone else's time by staying in the job. I understand the story prior to Brent and there is no point in going over old ground again. What I cannot understand is the story with Brent. Hence the deep suspicion that he doesn't give a flying fig for us or the football and never really did. He seems to have got his wedge out of it all and I would not be shocked to see him bail sometime soon.
Sensible, Greenarmy et al, I agree there has been nothing in recent home performances that suggests we will stay up; but there is still almost a quarter of the season left, and as often happens in football my heart is ruling my head and I have to remain optimistic other we may as well all pack up now and not bother. As I have said before I've been watching the Greens for almost 30 years now so have seen some good times and experienced more bad (though not as bad as this). Spare a thought for my youngest who has had a season ticket for the last four and has only known a dramatic slide and witnessed some very poor fare. He lives and breathes PAFC when it would be so easy to follow a high profile prem team. Whilst I suspect he will support them whatever league we end up in (as I will), I also think he is very much in the minority and a whole generation of potential supporters could easily be lost forever. So, what I am really saying is that the time for picking over the bones is after the Rochdale match (or when we are safe or down), but until then we all have to believe, because if we don't, no one else will.
I've been there and done that lyndhurst. I've been going for the best part of 50 years now and I to inflicted PAFC on my son. Good job Social Services can't touch you for that crime isn't it. I'm not deserting the club and I will still go whatever league they are in. It isn't my loyalty that is in question it is the insanity of thinking all will be well when there is not one glimmer telling me this in reality. People will cling on to the vain hope that we can get out of this. It's true that we might but that is mathmatically rather than in what I have witnessed with my own eyes certainly recently. We have had some bad sides and players in my time but I have to say never as bad as this. People criticised Dan Macauley in the past but even he wasn't as bad as I fear Brent will turn out to be. His was ego rather than a lack of caring. I admire your resolve I do honestly but I cannot join you in that I'm afraid. I so desperately want to be wrong but I need to see some hope coming from the pitch to even begin to believe and I don't see it happening anytime soon.
Plymborn This really is "received" opinion - I "watch" away games particularly on Twitter (#pafc) where there are, I don't know, several dozens of fans, maybe more, a proportion of whom are at the game. Not as they say a scientific sample, some Greenitis sufferers, some string the Board up extremists, but the comment on Tuesday was definitely adverse and that's not the only time recently. There has also been a clear shift over a dozen games or so - from before Fletcher's fatal bad run to the present date. Before that, the received opinion was that we were generally not getting the results our performances deserved - and I think that correlates with Sensible's comments, in which he reported a better style of play even if the results weren't coming. Now the same non-scientific sample is saying that we're lucky to get nil in some games and again that ties in with what Sensible's been saying. Opinions differ and all have some merit (usually). I look forward to your report Plymborn but I think you're one of those who've said "Only results count" when others have felt we were unlucky. Well, the fact is, we've ballsed up a relatively easy sequence of recent games and now face a very hard run. That doesn't give a lot of hope and we can't draw much comfort from one player (Banton) who's on a short loan. Is he even available for Saturday? His loan expires on 2nd March.....
Come on Plym I'm still waiting for your report. It can't be that bad you have made us wait 2 days for it surely. The thing about football is it is very much in the eye of the beholder. I've read reports on certain players given by others saying they were good in a match and I've thought they were pants. And of course vice versa. I've seen some terrible performances that others have thought unlucky or reasonable. All I can ever do is give an account according to my own opinion and try not to be biased about it. That's all anyone can do. It is a funny old game though where different people see different things.
sensible..... wrote it earlier and I seem to have lost it in the system somewhere......typical amateur.
Here we go again. AFC Wimbledon 1-1 Plymouth A. Pell 28 Banton 26 This match was never going to be anything but a hard fought encounter between to teams fighting for league survival. Sheridan's choice of starting eleven included Ronan Murray who's time at PAFC has not been encouraging, Paris Cowan-Hall being dropped to the bench. Argyle started brightly and it soon became evident that their attacking would be down the left flank using quick long balls for Jason Banton to run on to. This started to show success with Banton getting the better of their right back continually and being well supported by Reuben Reid. Argyle where definately the more adventurous team using two up front with Reid and Gozie Ugwu as the front runners. Banton nearly scored from one of these moves when he cut inside and brought a good save from their keeper,you could see that their defence was having problems containing Bantons movement, it was becoming obvious that he was the class act on the field. Spaces were evident in Wimbledon's defence as they drifted towards the left to try and snuff out Banton's threat. In the 26th minute Plymouth eventually took the lead from a quick break from defence,feeding Banton down the left, the winger beat his defender and cut inside running into the box and placing a shot wide of the keepers left hand, the ball going just inside the foot of the left post. Ok Argyle haven't been scoring to many goals lately but even I thought that the celebrations were over the top with players running three quarters of the pitch to congratulate Banton by the lefthand corner post. Sheridan later said that after the goal the team had turned off momentary.......that was possibly why within two minutes Wimbledon were level, Cole parrying a ball away into the path of Harry Pell who gratefully lashed the ball into the back of the net. The green army who were in good voice after Argyles goal suddenly went quiet as if a switch had been turned off. The most significant moment of the match in my mind came on 33 minutes when Banton pulled a thigh muscle going for yet another quick ball down the left. He set off after the ball but it looked as if he couldn't get out of first gear, he received treatment on the pitch for his thigh but was immediately taken off. He was surprisingly replaced by Jamie Richards,gaining his first league start......he fitted into the left back position releasing Bhasera up field to take over Bantons wing spot. This was a definate turning point for Wimbledon's stretched defence....Argyles plan B just didn't have the same potency as Banton brought.....but as the half came to an end it was obvious that Argyle had bossed most of the half and Wimbledon must of felt pleased that they were still level. Wimbledon started the second half by swapping their two new loanees, Jessie Darko coming on for Brennan Dickenson, they did start to come more into the game but Jake Cole was well protected by Branston and Charles who dominated the middle of defence. Argyle do concern me how easy they give away corners, which was bringing unnecessary pressure on the defence, Branston and Charles dealt with everything that came their way. I was sitting just behind their goal and I cannot remember either of them missing anything. Argyle had chances to score but the cutting edge was not there now that Banton had left the pitch. Nick Chadwick came on for Ugwu without too much enthusiasm shown by the green army.....he was given a few opportunities,one good one he hit directly into the keepers hands. Coming up to the 90 minute mark Wimbledon did try hard for a breakthrough but they coudn't get past the Branston and Charles brickwall. Five minutes of extra play was signalled by the fourth official and Argyle spent much of that in Wimbledon's half. but no joy from a last minute winner came. A draw was probably the correct result....but neither team played a defensive game which would have suggested that they were both scared of losing....so it was reasonably entertaining. We did have one Cole moment when he dropped the ball into the net, it did look like they had scored at first,the referee running up field seemingly pointing to the centre spot. He had given a foul against Cole,I was only 15 yards away and I honestly didn't see it.....but I wasn't complaining. Paris Cowan-Hall managed to get booked near the end of the ninety minutes and he wasn't even on the pitch. The dug-out was very near the pitch and Argyle had cleared for a Wimbledon throw, the ball was in the Argyle dug-out area and Cowan-Hall made it difficult for the Wimbledon player to recover the ball, a little scuffle developed and both players ended in the Referee's book. Memorable moments. Never knowingly turned up late for anything, I was in my seat behind the North Stand goal rather early, I was entertained by Romain coming out with Cole and Chenoweth for their warm up procedure just 20 yards away. It was interesting to watch and it must of gone on for about 20 minutes,very comprehensive and thorough. It was noticable that however hard the ball came at them their reflexes and catching where excellent.....not the same as match pressure of course. The green army had the whole of one side, opposite the so called mainstand,plus a quarter ot the seating in the North stand to my left. this area was cordoned off from the home fans (where my seat was) by a bit of flimsy green netting draped over one row of seats from top to bottom, this couldn't have stopped a new born baby breaking through, you can see this in the GoS photos and also I could pick out myself in my seat from those same pictures. The cheering in this green army seating area was led by someone who I assume is Mr LOUD standing in his seat directing responses to his powerful shouting of "green army" in a voice that turned everyones heads in his direction. To this was brought comedy and farce by a man standing in the centre of this area banging his metal crutches together over his head. This drew the attention of a steward in the gangway who obviously was getting wound up by his dangerous looking crutches,he kept telling this man to sit down.....with no joy of course,the man was totally oblivious to the stewards arms waving and his shouting.....this brought laughter from the main part of the sitting North Stand.....it was a "Dads Army moment".......the steward being the ARP warden who was being made to look stupid yet again, brilliant moment. One other moment was the Referee going back to Wimbledon's dressing room before the second half started looking for them so he could restart the match,Argyle had been waiting 3 or 4 minutes for them to appear. Player Ratings. Cole.....adequate performance.....but I wouldn't put him in the slips in my cricket team.....6/10. Bhasera....ok at full back......but disappeared when moved on the wing after Banton went off.....6/10. Branston.....excellent game,a brute of a defender,the opposition would have the bruises to prove it,.....9/10.....my man of the match. Charles....excellent game,not vocal at all,maybe too quiet........8plus/10. Blanchard.....ok game, got flattened by Branston when both went for same ball.....needed treatment.......7/10. Murray.....had to check starting line up....yes he was playing.......4/10 Cox.......ok game,settling into the team........7/10. Hourihane......started well....but disappeared into his pretty sidways/back passing game.....seemed to be posing for a photo shoot...no penetration....6/10. Banton.......too good for this league.....a match winner if he had stayed on,....he would have been man of the match......9/10. Ugwu......same as Murray, disappointing......4/10. Reid......hard working,linked well with Banton......but no shooting joy and didn't scare the keeper once,.......7/10. Sub one......Jamie Richards gained his first league start, nervous to start but settled in well.......7/10. Sub two.....Nick Chadwick,not greeted with enthusiasm.......a couple of chances,the best was straight at the keeper.......6/10. There was rumours going around (from travelling greens) that Sheridan was up Oldham Monday....surely not job hunting ? One point from an away match is not the end of the road........but London greens on the train back into Waterloo were checking on the internet the other results that went against us, and being 3pts adrift caused despondency,especially the Barnet result which is now a win at all cost encounter........will Banton be fit to play....doubtful.....although they took him off quickly so he might not of done too much damage.
