I've been reading comments on another site regarding our record of conceeding goals this season. We have let in 8 goals in 14 matches in the league. Now I knew our defence had tightened up but to be honest I didn't know how good it was. I know we have mentioned clean sheets in match reports and that we had the joint, now best defensive record in the league but hadn't really taken in that info fully. I have to say that in previous seasons over recent years I have cringed when the opposition had a set piece out on the wing or a corner or something similar. Sometimes I almost cringed if they crossed the halfway line thinking this was bound to end in a goal we were that poor at the back. Now I find I'm quite confident of the defence and for me it is down to 2 factors. The first is the acquisition of Hartley. I think he is the best defender overall we have had since Coughlin. The second is the influence I think he's had on Nelson. As a partnership they are pretty good. Nelson still can't distribute a ball very well from the back but he is there where he should be to block and tackle and win a ball in the air. Most impressive. I find it hard to believe that the Coach of the defense is Wotton. A novice in coaching terms but he also must be doing something right.
I agree sensible... about Hartley and his influence on Nelson.....he's a talker.....also I was impressed on Tuesday night by McHugh's performance.....getting to every ball first....and in where it hurts many times.....he has had bad reports in the past....but on the evidence I saw last Tuesday he is a good asset and a team player......oh why can't it rub off on Banton....who showed great promise when he first came.....I saw him score a great individual goal last time I was at Wimbledon cutting in from the left and curling the ball around the goalkeeper into the corner by the righthand post. Wotton does seem to be getting some of the praise for drilling into them good defensive practices.....long may it last. Who can do the same for the attackers.....now that would make us into a promotion team.
Thing is no matter how crap you are at scoring or more to the point only getting one a game, if the back line is holding out then you aren't going to lose many. I think I read somewhere that we had 11 wins at 1 - 0 in one of the Sturrock promotions.
