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Post by Boony on Nov 20, 2006 10:11:37 GMT
August 2009Our first season in the conference started with news that we'd been widely predicted to take the coveted 15th position in the league, come the end of the season. The league is so huge, however, that this is pretty much mid-table. 24 teams in the league? That's 46 games - we'll be playing until next Christmas, surely. The season couldn't have started much worse, as our first game was away at the once-mighty Notts County. They showed their superiority by scoring five goals to our none, and by the end of the game I had my head in my hands thinking "There's another 45 games of this shite." To our credit, though, we pulled back well, and held Cambridge United to a goalless draw at home, grabbing our first point of the season. Cambridge looked the better team, but last year's Gateshead defence showed up, and we looked much more solid. Unfortunately, we couldn't carry on the good form (ha!), as a trip to Chester and a home game against Weymouth both resulted in one-goal defeats. We played well in both, but indiscipline is causing us problems. We gave away two penalties against Chester (they only scored one), and the two goals we let in against Weymouth were both from silly mistakes at the back. From a team who conceded so few goals last term, I'm not sure what the problem is here - it's not like we're being taken apart by obviously better sides... There's bad news, too, as champion right winger James Earl is out for 3-5 months with a broken metatarsel. We change things up with a switch to a more traditional 4-4-2 for the away trip to Carshalton, and it pays off. Taylor, in for Earl, crosses to Rhodes on the left who puts is in the lead. Panther gets sent off for two yellows at half time, and Carshalton score from a direct freekick on 70. We had a fine chance to win this, but Dutton hit the bar in the 88th minute. Carshalton attack, time is ticking down, Dutton grabs the ball, punts it upfield, where striker Shaw is waiting! Bang, 2-1, and there's not enough time for Carshalton to kickoff. Our first win of the season! The last game of August was a home fixture against Morecambe. They come out firing, and take the lead in the first 5 minutes. There's no real coming back - Taylor was sent off in the second half, and our 4-2-3 isn't producing the chances. Morecambe level things up by losing a player to another red card, and right at the death Rhodes has a chance to steal a point, but a good save kept Morecambe ahead. More bad news on the injury front, as Briscoe, Rhodes and Palmer (our young left back who's fought his way into the team this season) are all out for the next month or so. Injuries may well kill us this season. League Record: P6 W1 D1 L4 F5 A12 Pts 4 ![](http://homepage.ntlworld.com/james.boon7/img/League%2020090831.png)
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Post by coffers on Nov 20, 2006 10:19:44 GMT
Ouch, but at least you aren't in the bottom 3. As for indicipline, what is your tackling set at, if it's hard, maybe you need to set it to normal?
There's a long way to go yet.
KUTGW! :thumb:
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Post by Boony on Nov 20, 2006 10:22:33 GMT
We're at normal already, I'm afraid. I could move down to Easy, but that might be asking for trouble...
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Post by Boony on Nov 20, 2006 10:41:36 GMT
September 2009There's a distinct lack of consistency in our team at the moment. The formation changes about six times a week, we have players coming in and going out of the team - poor form, injuries, suspensions and being wet behind the ears are four of the main causes for alterations. Taking this into account, it's not surprising that results on the pitch are just as inconsistent. September started with three draws, 0-0 at Ketting, 0-0 against Grays, and 1-1 at Hinckley. We took the lead against Hinckley with a third minute penalty, but they nicked a point-winner in the second half - their first point of the season, no less. So far so good, you might think. There was even good news on the transfer front, as an old star decided to join the club: ![](http://homepage.ntlworld.com/james.boon7/img/campo.png) Our tenth game of the season was at home against Lewes, and again we took the lead in the first half as striker Oliver pounced on a loose ball and placed it in the corner. Of the goal. I had to bring both my wingers off before half time as they were injured, and switched to a narrow 4-1-3-2. My motivational skills once again let me down, as I declare myself pleased with the performance so far. I'd been using the "don't get complacent" option for a while, and thought it might be losing effectiveness (see the second half equaliser for Hinckley last week.) Unfortunately, this worked even less well, as Lewes score two in the second half to take all the points. Taylor is injured and out for between three weeks and two months. Such precision from my physios... I said we were inconsistent earlier in this update, but we're actually consistently inconsistent, as a 2-1 loss at Sutton Utd proves. They took the lead on 14, and you can sense a complete lack of confidence in my strikers, as they need to stop fannying around in front of goal. Eagle gets injured, taking our injured winger count to 4. Another move to 4-1-3-2, but it doesn't stop Sutton taking a two goal lead on 53. We push on, trying 4-3-3, and it kinda works as Blackburn scores his first for the club in the 83rd, but we just can't score that equaliser. We stick with the 4-1-3-2 as St Albans come to play, with midfielder Billy Bingham making his debut as a creative man in the centre of the park. We struggle for most of the game - Shaw hit the bar, Oliver couldn't finish off - Moore comes on for Oliver, The Hutch comes on for an unhappy Bingham, and finally, in the 88th minute, a poor pass from the St Albans keeper let in a sharp-looking Shaw to score the winner. Finally, our second win of the season. Two more games to finish off the month, and we lost 2-1 to Woking, and also lost 2-1 to Hereford. Rightback Donoghue is picked for the Ireland U21s, and Cummins is picked for the just-as-prestigious Conference team of the week. League Record: P8 W1 D3 L4 F6 A9 Pts 6 ![](http://homepage.ntlworld.com/james.boon7/img/League%2020090930.png)
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Post by coffers on Nov 20, 2006 11:11:10 GMT
Oh dear that is not good reading but you did accumulate 6 points. You need to find a way of instilling some confidence in the team. Have you tried teh good effort option after a close run game. I found that worked once if used infrequently.
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Post by Boony on Nov 20, 2006 11:16:59 GMT
Yeah, it's one of the many things I've been trying. What we really need, is for less of our key players to be injured...
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Post by Boony on Nov 20, 2006 11:19:37 GMT
October 2009I'd thought September was quite a tight month - we didn't get slaughtered at all, we nicked a few points, but we still dropped into the relegation zone. October, on the other hand, was when we decided to completely capitulate. It started off with a trip to Forest Green, who ran away with a 3-0 win. The third goal was a shot which the commentators told me "would have needed 2 keepers to save that!" Nice. We were absolutely rubbish, and thoroughly deserved the arse-whipping we got. Time for another change, then, and it's a 4-4-2 with Cummins shifted over to right midfield as we face a decent Halifax side. The change makes no difference, though, and Halifax take the lead in the 10th minute after a mistake from winger Rhodes. A second goal appears just before half time, after a poor pass from winger Cummins. We push on, but there is absolutely no confidence in front of goal at all, and we crash to another defeat. Our next game is away at Tamworth, and the good news is that both Briscoe and Donoghue are fit, so we revert to the old favourite 4-1-2-2-1, desperately trying to find some grains of form from somewhere. We start well, and in the third minute Blackburn hit the bar. The midfielder produces a fine pass a minute later, setting Briscoe free to score his first of the season. Oh how we've missed him! Just after half an hour later, he made it two, and I confidently note down that we're all over this lot. Ten minutes into the second half, Tamworth grabbed a goal back, once again Cummins was at fault, but he made up for it with a decent finish from a Rhodes pass later on. 3-1 with ten minutes to go, and surely we can't fuck it up from here? Oh, sorry. Free kick - header - 3-2. Then, 89th minute, the equaliser is slotted home, and I'm absolutley gutted. News from the bag of random balls - we're drawn against close rivals Blyth in the FA Cup. But first, we have a trip to Gravesend to contend with. They took the lead in 5 minutes, and neither side can score again. Bah! Cup games against sides in lower divisions are always good for a bit of a morale boost, though, and a very timely 3-0 thumping of Blyth makes me very happy. Briscoe opened the scoring, and Rhodes knocked in a couple to seal a fine win. Unfortunately, that's all the good news we had for the month. Panther is out injured for about six weeks, Rhodes is drawing plaudits from the press, and will therefore be shite for the next couple of weeks, we draw League One opposition Exeter in the FA Cup first round, and Dagenham and Redbridge beat us 1-0 at our place, with a fine 30 yard shot. :moop: What a horrible month. League Record: P5 W0 D1 L4 F3 A8 Pts 1 ![](http://homepage.ntlworld.com/james.boon7/img/League%2020091031.png)
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Post by coffers on Nov 20, 2006 11:23:10 GMT
Oh dear, you need an influx of signings or loanees I think. Remember Chita judicial use of loans turned things around for me in the season after promotion. I had a start similar to the one you have here.
you could always look to try a totally defensive outlook, aiming to nick a goal on the break. No doubt you've thought of that though.
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Post by Boony on Nov 20, 2006 11:26:48 GMT
Yeah, new signings would be nice. I'm looking forward to Ivan Campo joining us, for example. I'm also looking forward to James Earl coming back from injury. I'd love to try a more defensive outlook, but I just don't trust the guys at the back not to fuck up and gift an easy goal in the first few minutes, making such an approach completely unfeasible. I'm still confident that we can turn this around, we just need to nick a couple of wins from somewhere, to start a run of decent form.
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Post by Boony on Nov 20, 2006 11:39:45 GMT
November 2009
As we move into the wintry months of the season, our poor form shows very little motivation for leaving us. It's become a close personal friend, clinging to us for warmth and comfort. I need to throw him out, heartlessly into the freezing streets, for some other poor bugger to pick up and nurture. It doesn't happen in November, though. Unsurprisingly, we lost 2-0 to Exeter in the FA Cup first round. The next game, at home against Kidderminster, was a shocker, though. We took the lead, with a Palmer pass to Shaw. Kiddy then equalise... oh no they don't, offisde! Shaw scores a second, this time from a pass from Quarm. Kiddy then score... no, they don't! Offside! Fifteen minutes left, and we were still 2-0 up, but obviously, obviously we don't hold on. Kiddy score on 76 and 78, and we really really find it an impossible task to hold on to a lead. It's shocking.
Rhodes is injured, Eagle is injured, and our wings are definintely clipped. Looking at the Conference table in previous years, it seems that we need around 50 points to stay up. We currently have 12, from 20 games. There are 26 games left, and I want 38 points from them. This is going to be a tough ask.
Burton is our next trip. We have a new keeper, called Potter, who I want to try out, so White gets the chop for some indifferent form. Potter doesn't get much of a chance to bed himself in, though, as he fails to save two penalties in the first 20 minutes. There are so many ways to throw a game away. A cross gets headed in to make it three, and there's small consolation when Briscoe scores his 50th goal for the club with just 5 minutes left. No end-of-game heroics from our boys, and it's a 3-1 loss.
We're really giving up the fight here - Macclesfield come to town and beat us 2-0. We barely offer a fight, and Taylor gets his second red card of the season. What joy.
League Record: P3 W0 D1 L2 F3 A7 Pts 1
There isn't a league table, as I forgot to copy it at the end of the month. It looks suitably depressing, though, so I think we'll just leave it at that.
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Post by Boony on Nov 20, 2006 11:59:46 GMT
December 2009We're almost halfway through the season, so it's time for Notts County to come and play at Gateshead. They thumped us 5-0 at their place at the start of the season, so it wasn't a game I was looking forward to. It's not like we've had a great run of form and are gaining confidence with every week that goes by, is it? Still, we put up a good fight, and after half an hour Louis Briscoe opened the scoring from a Hutch pass that came via a Notts Co defender. We then have a stroke of luck, as an equaliser for the home side is disallowed for an offside. Notts Co went down to ten men, and somehow, we managed to hold on to a lead and win a game. Three very valuable points indeed, my precioussssss. The Hutch was named in the Conference team of the of week, and might get a more prolonged stay in our first team as a result. It's time for the FA Trophy first round, as we visit lowly Altrincham. We're forced to play 4-1-3-2 again, as we only have one fit winger. We put up another good fight in this game - Briscoe scored the first, but we went 2-1 down before equalising through a Shaw penalty. 10 miuntes to go, though, and the Altrincham striker completes his hattrick. This displeases The Hutch, who kicks someone and gets sent off. The muppet. No more goals in this one, and we're out of the cups. Time on concentrate on the league... We're starting to show a bit of fight, which can only be a good thing. OK, it takes until a Cambridge striker has scored a hattrick for us to show up in the next game, but Briscoe is playing well, and he scored a couple of goals to make this game interesting. Unfortunately, Cambridge held on to a 3-2 win, but I'm pleased by the fight. Fight is definitely the way forward. Mansfield came to town, took a one goal lead, and took a one man advantage when Blackburn got sent off in just the 13th minute. Somehow, though, we kick on - Briscoe equalised on 33m from a Rhodes cross, and the star left winger went on himself to score the winner. Fantastic! A half-decent month there, and the team are starting to show me reasons why I shouldn't throw them all in the Tyne and have done with it. League Record: P3 W2 D0 L1 F5 A4 Pts 6 ![](http://homepage.ntlworld.com/james.boon7/img/League%2020091231.png)
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Nov 20, 2006 12:31:55 GMT
A nice uptick in form there Boo - it's important you don't let Morecambe get too far away, or it becomes a five time fight over four relegation spots. Your goal difference is too shaky to rely on at the moment.
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Post by coffers on Nov 20, 2006 12:43:59 GMT
A nice upturn in form Boo. Keep that up and you are in with a shout, oh and what Stu says about Morecombe.
KUTUIFW! :thumb: (Upturn In Form)
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Post by Boony on Nov 20, 2006 13:09:11 GMT
Aye, I keep looking at Kiddy and thinking that we're not too far from escaping. But you're right, there's a big gap to the next club, and a one in five chance of winning the dogfight isn't that great. I'll try and keep the form going in January...
s1ut - what is it with your avatar? It freaks me out.
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Nov 20, 2006 13:48:59 GMT
They watch you while you sleep.
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Post by Moo on Nov 20, 2006 14:41:50 GMT
Looks like it's a bit of a jump up to the Conference National Boony and the players you have there are struggling a little bit. It's going to take a fantastic effort to get you out of the shit, I fear. I know you're only a couple of wins from the form you need to get the winning habit back, but still, it's going to be tough.
GL and KUTGW! :thumb:
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Post by Sonic on Nov 21, 2006 1:19:53 GMT
Ouch, that wasn't pleasent reading. It was good, as everyone else is saying, getting a few wins in the last update.
Is Newcastle your feeder club? Time to ask them for players?
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