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JonInMiddleGA · 03-16-2012, 10:42 PM

August 27, 2011
Blyth (5th, 2-1-1) vs Harrogate (11th, 2-0-2)

Back home, would love a win to keep things rolling smoothly. Especially against one of our "other rivals". They're not Gateshead by any means but there's still some rivalry here.

Armstrong serves his 1 game suspension, Chinthengah & Matondo both out. Where do we find enough help for Mole to generate any offense?

My usually lukewarm assistants want me to tell the team they're expected to dominate, I settle for "expecting a win" and get no real reaction at all.

GK - Knight
D: Kendrick - Mellish - Jones - Purvis
MF: Phillips - Slaughter - Groves - Emms
F: Taylor - Mole

10:20 - Emms corner swings out high, Jones loses the aerial battle to a defender (which is kind of unusual for him). Harrogate gets out on a little fast break but Purvish broke it up.

15:45 - Harrogate is pressuring us more than we're accustomed to seeing, we're having problems making consecutive passes without them breaking the flow. Groves comes up with a lose ball in the midfield & turns, see Taylor down the middle & hits him with a little lob ... in space just outside the box & he fires ... GOAL !!! Taylor from some ways out for the lead (1-0)

19:30 - Groves again to Taylor, this time stationary from the opposite side of the arc & he puts it right into the keeper's gut.

22:33 - Slaughter to Phillips at about the spot where Taylor scored from, but he puts it wide to his left. Decent chance there

31:39 - Phillips from deep on the left plays one into the box for a sliding Mole ... it's about a foot wide to the left

37:49 - Slaughter plays one into the center of the box for Mole but it's tackled away ... Emms scoots in for the loose ball on the right edge ahead of a sliding Radcliffe ... finds Taylor in acres of space about six feet out ... GOAL !!! (2-0) Not too shabby there, not shabby at all.

44:00 - Taylor on a looong run from nearly midfield, into the box, takes a shot but it's punched out. Denied a hat trick but it was a fair crack at it

Halftime - 9 to 1 shot advantage, 58% possession, we're crossing well & denying them entirely. Would almost like to be up by more here but let's not get greedy. I tell them I'm pleased & to keep it up, to a man everyone looks delighted. I'd love a couple of early goals here in the half & a chance to comfortably go deep on the bench.

61:00 - Purvis & Phillips both pick up quiet yellow cards, we'll sub in White for his first action, replacing Phillips (Slaughter to LMF). Did I mention who the ref was today? Yup, you guessed it, our pal Stuart Duncan.

70:15 - They get a yellow for knocking Kendrick down. We'll bring on D'Laryea to replace Purvis, no sense letting him get a second yellow here. While we're preparing the change, White picks up a foul & after a stern warning avoids a card. See what I mean?

78:00 - Groves clears a spot of danger & the ball covers about half the pitch ... Mole actually catches up to it near the box but his lob goes high & wide.
Our star has looked a bit complacent so, even though he's fresher than Taylor, I'll sub Forster in for him at MF (White to DLF). Figuring they'll have to attack here, we'll switch to a Counter strategy for a bit.

82:54 - Harrogate doesn't appear too stressed here, pushing the ball upfield, suddenly Brayson finds himself in space in the box & leaves no doubt. (2-1). Let's make that strategy Defensive & not fall prey to disaster here.

90:00 - 3 minutes of added time. C'mon boys.
92:00 - Emms plays a corner long for Jones ... his header is ... over for a goal kick.

Fulltime - Good start, meh finish. We hang on but I'll just be neutral in the locker room. It's a win, and that's good. It wasn't pretty when it could have been, and that's not so good, especially our tendency to be lackluster after about the 80th minute. 12-3 shot edge, 52% possession edge.

Knight 6.6
Kendrick 7.1, Mellish 6.9, Jones 7.0, Purvis 7.1
Phillips 6.9, Slaughter 6.7, Groves 7.3 & 1 assist, Emms 7.4 & 1 assist
Taylor (MOM) 8.8 & 2 goals, Mole 6.7
Subs: D'Laryea 6.5, White 6.4, Forster N/A

Aug 27, 2011 (Post-match)
Nothing fancy in the presser, we move on, it's just three days until we visit Bishop's Stortford.

03-16-2012, 10:42 PM	#46
JonInMiddleGA Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA	August 27, 2011 Blyth (5th, 2-1-1) vs Harrogate (11th, 2-0-2) Back home, would love a win to keep things rolling smoothly. Especially against one of our "other rivals". They're not Gateshead by any means but there's still some rivalry here. Armstrong serves his 1 game suspension, Chinthengah & Matondo both out. Where do we find enough help for Mole to generate any offense? My usually lukewarm assistants want me to tell the team they're expected to dominate, I settle for "expecting a win" and get no real reaction at all. GK - Knight D: Kendrick - Mellish - Jones - Purvis MF: Phillips - Slaughter - Groves - Emms F: Taylor - Mole 10:20 - Emms corner swings out high, Jones loses the aerial battle to a defender (which is kind of unusual for him). Harrogate gets out on a little fast break but Purvish broke it up. 15:45 - Harrogate is pressuring us more than we're accustomed to seeing, we're having problems making consecutive passes without them breaking the flow. Groves comes up with a lose ball in the midfield & turns, see Taylor down the middle & hits him with a little lob ... in space just outside the box & he fires ... GOAL !!! Taylor from some ways out for the lead (1-0) 19:30 - Groves again to Taylor, this time stationary from the opposite side of the arc & he puts it right into the keeper's gut. 22:33 - Slaughter to Phillips at about the spot where Taylor scored from, but he puts it wide to his left. Decent chance there 31:39 - Phillips from deep on the left plays one into the box for a sliding Mole ... it's about a foot wide to the left 37:49 - Slaughter plays one into the center of the box for Mole but it's tackled away ... Emms scoots in for the loose ball on the right edge ahead of a sliding Radcliffe ... finds Taylor in acres of space about six feet out ... GOAL !!! (2-0) Not too shabby there, not shabby at all. 44:00 - Taylor on a looong run from nearly midfield, into the box, takes a shot but it's punched out. Denied a hat trick but it was a fair crack at it Halftime - 9 to 1 shot advantage, 58% possession, we're crossing well & denying them entirely. Would almost like to be up by more here but let's not get greedy. I tell them I'm pleased & to keep it up, to a man everyone looks delighted. I'd love a couple of early goals here in the half & a chance to comfortably go deep on the bench. 61:00 - Purvis & Phillips both pick up quiet yellow cards, we'll sub in White for his first action, replacing Phillips (Slaughter to LMF). Did I mention who the ref was today? Yup, you guessed it, our pal Stuart Duncan. 70:15 - They get a yellow for knocking Kendrick down. We'll bring on D'Laryea to replace Purvis, no sense letting him get a second yellow here. While we're preparing the change, White picks up a foul & after a stern warning avoids a card. See what I mean? 78:00 - Groves clears a spot of danger & the ball covers about half the pitch ... Mole actually catches up to it near the box but his lob goes high & wide. Our star has looked a bit complacent so, even though he's fresher than Taylor, I'll sub Forster in for him at MF (White to DLF). Figuring they'll have to attack here, we'll switch to a Counter strategy for a bit. 82:54 - Harrogate doesn't appear too stressed here, pushing the ball upfield, suddenly Brayson finds himself in space in the box & leaves no doubt. (2-1). Let's make that strategy Defensive & not fall prey to disaster here. 90:00 - 3 minutes of added time. C'mon boys. 92:00 - Emms plays a corner long for Jones ... his header is ... over for a goal kick. Fulltime - Good start, meh finish. We hang on but I'll just be neutral in the locker room. It's a win, and that's good. It wasn't pretty when it could have been, and that's not so good, especially our tendency to be lackluster after about the 80th minute. 12-3 shot edge, 52% possession edge. Knight 6.6 Kendrick 7.1, Mellish 6.9, Jones 7.0, Purvis 7.1 Phillips 6.9, Slaughter 6.7, Groves 7.3 & 1 assist, Emms 7.4 & 1 assist Taylor (MOM) 8.8 & 2 goals, Mole 6.7 Subs: D'Laryea 6.5, White 6.4, Forster N/A Aug 27, 2011 (Post-match) Nothing fancy in the presser, we move on, it's just three days until we visit Bishop's Stortford. __________________ "I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis