Just in from a v cold Home Park where the entertainment was better than expected especially in the first half. Argyle started brightly with Banton in a more central role to partner the still hapless Reid with new boy Bryan on the left wing and Wotton slotting in his once familiar position in the center of defence. Argyle pressed the ball pretty well against a Bradford side who allowed plenty of room and the greens also adopted a "shoot on sight" policy, although in all honesty most efforts were high, wide or not so handsome. The players (most) were certainly up for it and seemed to be enjoying themselves for once. Whilst resisting the temptation to call the linesman on the Lyndhurst side a "one eyed pleb" (but he had a shocker in the first half) there were a couple of clear offsides which he failed to give, one of which led to a clear chance on goal but Cole brought out a top drawer save whilst Baz (I think) had a curling shot cleared off the line. Apart from the lino, the only blot on the first half was a very late old fashioned tackle by Branston which resulted in a yellow card. Second half less good but Banton hit the post and Bradford hit the bar near the end. In fairness Bradford looked the likelier to score esp as Branston was now clearly afraid to tackle and risk a second yellow and Blanchard collected a yellow for bring down their attacker (just) outside the box. Bryan was replaced by Cowan-Hall but he had nil impact whilst sinner Chadwick(only a few boos) replaced Reid, and Tyler Harvey replaced the energetic Gurrieri, but the latter two subs were far too late to make a real difference but at least we had 11 on the pitch instead of 10+Reid. Still cant see where the goals are going to come from except Banton who had his best game at HP. No-one had a bad game except Reid and the lino and there were more positives than negatives. Had we not been desperate for 3 points I guess most would gone away thinking it was a well earned point. It could easily have been 3 as with the final touch of the match (after 6 mins overtime) Chadwick and Harvey got in each others way and contrived to miss from 12 inches. With results elsewhere not doing us too many favours it makes 3 points against Fleetwood even more important.
In my humble opinion the match last night had nil nil written all over it from a long way out. It was average at best and, sorry lyndhurst, there were few positives that I saw. The new boy looked average at best and isn't going to be an answer to the scoring or giving of opportunities. In fairness to him the rest looked average and our MOM was without doubt Cole. He is an outstanding shot stopper and it was just as wel he is. When the MOM is your own keeper at home then for me it says it all. We could and should have won it at the death. How 2 players could contrive to miss an open goal from a foot when a fart on the ball would have put it in is just bizaar. You could have scored it, I could have scored it, my dead grannie could have scored it. The lino was, in a long list of rubbish officials, top of the class last night. He could win the worst title this season. Ref not much better in my view but neither were to blame for our ineptitude. I took nothing out of the game last night apart from even more frustration and gloom. We look doomed. The walk to the car after the game down through Barn Park says a lot about the mood for me. It was virtually silent with a thousand people unable to fathom what they just saw and with nothing to say. There was nothing good about one point in any shape or form.
oh well sensible we seem to have watched different things for two matches in a row- just thought they looked more confident and less afraid in the first half-perhaps my new tablets have taken hold. In the cold light of day even I can see we are in mire but for some reason I still think we will escape (somehow). We (son and I) have even renewed our season tickets today- time for another pill or bottle of something!
If you have bought your season ticket now then it is time you either took a break from Home Park or sought help lyndhurst. I will be going wherever Argyle end up but I'm damned if I'm going to give Brent my money now when it is likely it will be for the BSP rather than league 2. If he thinks he will sell tickets at that price, which is supposed to be cut price, for the BSP then the man is deluded. I did say that it is all about opinion. I don't think Argyle looked like losing it was that they didn't much look like winning and even when gifted the chance for a stonewall goal they passed it up. The end to the match was simply unbelievable. Yes plym even you could have scored it with an eye patch on both eyes and your legs tied together. It was almost impossible to miss. All I can say to you lyndhurst is you carry on thinking things will right themselves and somehow we will escape. Keep thinking that a 0 - 0 was an ok result and that the team are doing well play wise. If they played well and were unlucky I would say so even though it has the stench of death about the place. I just don't see it as unlucky is all. They did some things right last night and were ok most of the time it's true but nowhere near enough to be called good and nowhere near enough to warrant a result and points.
