Mintcakes: Kendal Town FC (FM15)

[Greyfriars Bobby]

I never buy the newest Football Manager game until it's been out for several months. By then, the patches have been released, fun new databases have been created, and I've had a chance to read about the new features and figure out if I'd like to use them enough to buy the game again.

Last week, I decided it was time to purchase Football Manager 2015, and I downloaded an edited database that extends the English football pyramid down to Level 11 (the game offers 5 levels out of the box). I must have spent two or three hours simply looking at the teams, their kits, their grounds, etc. Finally, I chose the team where I will hope to leave my mark as a manager.

Kendal Town Football Club play in the Northern Premier League Division One North, which at Level 8 on the pyramid. I often start with a smaller club, but I picked this one because I visited this particular town on a vacation with my wife and kids two summers ago. Kendal is located just south of the Lake District, and it's often called "The Gateway to the Lakes."

This is a Kendal Mint Cake, covered with dark chocolate. This treat has been made in Kendal for over a century. It's popular with hikers and climbers, who enjoy it as a source of quick energy. The local football club is known as the Mintcakes in its honor.

I'll be taking over the Mintcakes at the beginning of the 2014-15 season. They are a semi-professional club, but with a wage budget of only £250, I won't be able to afford to offer contracts to more than a few players.

Will I spend decades with the Mintcakes, guiding them up the pyramid...or maintaining their position a few steps from the bottom? Will I decide to leave the Gateway to the Lakes and pursue a dream of managing at the highest levels...or will the board at Kendal Town sack me before my first season is over?

I guess we'll see. I hope you'll follow along, and please feel free to comment.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Mid-July 2014

Kendal Town were founded in 1919 by employees of the K Shoes Factory. Originally named Netherfield AFC, they built their grounds at Parkside Road, near the factory. They won the first piece of hardware for their trophy shelf in 1925, when they captured the Westmoreland County Cup.

In 1945, the club joined the semi-professional ranks, playing in the Lancashire Combination. The next two decades were the club's golden era, as they won several championships and drew large crowds to Parkside Road. Mintcakes supporters thrilled to the exploits of striker Tom Brownlee, who bagged 76 goals during the 1963/4 campaign.

Leaner days followed those golden years. In 1980, Netherfield set a record many believe will never be broken, when they duelled with Bridlington Trinity for seven matches in the first round of the FA Trophy. After over thirteen hours of football, Bridlington Trinity finally prevailed, 0-2. Netherfield supposedly lost over £1800 during this seemingly endless round of replays.

The club's name changed twice around the turn of the millenium, first to Netherfield Kendal and then to Kendal Town. Preston North End and England legend Sir Tom Finney served as the club's president until his death in 2014.

Kendal Town still play at (renovated) Parkside Road, which holds 2490 spectators. The club's setup is far from fancy; the training facilities are Poor and the youth facilities are Basic. I always like building a club from the youth on up, but that will be a challenge at Kendal Town. Our junior coaching is Minimal and our youth recruitment is Limited.

[bbgunn]

Mmmm... mintcakes.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Originally Posted by bbgunn

Mmmm... mintcakes.

Right there with you on this one. We ate Kendal mintcakes while we were there, and all of us thought they were delicious. Thanks for stopping by; you've always been supportive of all the Football Manager dynasties on the forum. I hope you'll keep following along.

[Grover]

Awesome. Are Mintcakes like... superpowered Andes Candy's?

[Greyfriars Bobby]

9 August 2014

When I took over the reins at Parkside Road, I inherited a squad that seemed way out of balance. I didn't have nearly enough decent defenders, and I had way too many strikers for any formation that didn't go out of style in 1920. I've tried to fix these issues over the last month. My low wage budget makes that a challenge, so I've been looking for good players who will accept "pay as you play" deals...but not too many of them, because I learned a while back that they are a path to financial disaster if they're given out too freely.

Here are the players from our senior team, along with the best of the U21 and U18 sides. I'll look at the squad one position group at a time, starting with the men between the posts.

Goalkeepers


As reflected in the star ratings, Turner is my assistant's clear choice in goal, but I think Murphy is nearly as good. Turner is more polished, but Murphy is outstanding in the air and four years younger. My preferred style of football calls for a keeper who can distribute the ball well, and Turner has the edge there. Corner is an even younger, crazily athletic version of Murphy.

P.S. You might see me disagreeing with my assistant's star ratings quite often. Let's just say he's not the most astute judge of talent in England.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Defenders


I've done some pretty extensive overhauling here. I needed a left back VERY badly, and at least one center back, too.

I quickly identified Bridger as the leader of our back line. He can play anywhere along the back, and I'll use him most in the center rather than his more natural right back position. Taylor is also a natural D(R), and when he recovers from a hamstring strain, he'll be the first choice there.

I was delighted to bring Peacock in last week. I want the board to allow me to bring in young players and develop them, and signing Peacock was a perfect implementation of those goals. Newton and Love will provide depth at center half.

Grosvenor, another new arrival, is expected to fill the once-massive hole at left back. He's undersized, but he can flat-out fly.

McLoughlin and Richards are more suited to the middle of the park, and Knight is a spare part who might be on his way soon.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

The midfield is where my different tactical considerations can affect the way I fill out my team sheet each match.

What I like to do: Control possession with a short passing game. That's not to say I want my players passing the ball around the park without purpose. I like my teams to play at a quick tempo until they have a lead, at which point I usually have them take fewer risks, especially playing away from home.

My favorite formation is a 4-1-2-2-1. I station a defensive midfielder in front of my back four, with two M(C) on the next level. Attacking midfielders on each side flank a single striker.

What Kendal Town's players seem to know how to do: Hammer the ball up the pitch at the earliest opportunity, hoping a forward will run onto it.

They have some familarity with the good ol' 4-4-2, so it's the second formation I have them training with.

That means I need a wide variety of midfielders. Here's what we have:

Midfielders


Richards, the captain, is the starter at DM(C). He can play D(C) or M(C), too. Logan and the versatile Simpson are his understudies, and can fill in there if the skipper is playing another position or needs a rest.

My first choices at M(C) are both new to the club. O'Neill is quick, and a slick passer with very good vision. Sawyer is even quicker, and might be a slightly better all-around player. I'd like to find a player named Huck Finn to pair with Sawyer, if possible.

Our team had no real option on the left wing until I brought Irons in on a year-long loan from Chorley (Conference North). He's the best fit at M(L) or AM(L), and one of the two or three best players in the team. On the right side, the best options are Polack and Clinton. Polack offers lots of pace, while Clinton, who can also play up top, is crafty and secure on the ball.

The other guys are young, and some of them have exciting potential.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Forwards


My backroom staff agree that Wynn is the team's best striker. His best roles are Target Man and Poacher, which take full advantage of his strength and finishing ability.

Clinton can handle many of the roles I'd ask a forward to fill, from scoring to distributing. As I mentioned, he's equally comfortable as a wide man.

Marsh, who is hobbled with a sprained ankle right now, is comfortable as a Deep-Lying Forward, hassling opposing defenders and hoping to make them cough up the ball.

I almost released Carter, but he scored two nice goals in our preseason friendlies, and I decided to keep him in the team as a reserve forward.

Flashy McGarry and pacey Macha have a future with the club. I'm not sure about the others. I'm keeping them around for now if I can, while we're playing in the league and in three different cup competitions.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Originally Posted by Grover

Awesome. Are Mintcakes like... superpowered Andes Candy's?

I would describe them as thicker than Andes mints, with more texture than a peppermint patty. The ones I've eaten weren't exactly crisp, but they weren't mushy, either. My older daughter (6 at the time) said they were kind of "crumbly," which she wasn't expecting.

I haven't had them since I was in England, though. I'm suddenly craving one...

Thanks for stopping by, Grover.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

9 August 2014

Our Northern Premier League First Division North season begins today, away to Spennymoor--a club with a payroll that looks like it's ten times the size of ours. It seems there's a wide gap between the talent in the top teams in our league and that in the weaker clubs. Here are the pre-season predictions:

There are 22 clubs in our league, but they wouldn't all fit in the screen at the same time. We're predicted to finish smack in the middle of the table.

The board has its sights set fairly high, and I'm hoping to deliver the results they expect. I think I'd like to stay in Kendal Town a while.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

1 September 2014



The top of the league table is still very closely packed after the first four rounds of matches.

Goodbye: We lost one player this month, and he was an important one: striker/winger Trevor Clinton, who left on a free transfer to Trafford (one level higher) on 14 August. It's hard to blame a player for wanting to try his luck with a bigger club.

Hello: Five teams are courting goalkeeper Kenny Turner, and three others are chasing his deputy, Dean Murphy. That situation made me nervous, so I started looking at custodians who might want to come play for us. I ended up finding two: Andy Andrew and Sam Loughton.

Andrew is 20, with very quick reflexes and a solid set of skills. His one weakness is an almost ridiculous inability to deal with any ball that comes in high, which is strange, since he's 6'2". Loughton is younger (18) and much better in the air than Andrew, and he has a knack for putting himself in the right place at the right time. His hands aren't quite as good, and he lacks Andrew's gift for the spectacular save.

Right now, both new players are battling Turner for the number one shirt.

In the League


A tough opening fixture saw us away to Spennymoor Town, one of the league's big spenders. In our Parkside Road opener, we tossed away a two-goal advantage to Prescot Cables, but bounced back with a big, 2-1 victory away to top club Salford City, whom the pundits tipped to win the league. Brighouse Town gave us a scare, but we held on after conceding a late goal.

Since one of my best players, defender Will Taylor, still hasn't seen the pitch yet, I'm pretty happy with how things are going so far.

Mintcakes Morsels: I'm still looking for a central midfielder, because I only have two players in the senior team who are truly comfortable there and who aren't needed to play elsewhere. My scouts found two lads who are willing to play on a non-contract basis, and I've offered them both a contract.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Tactical Talk

I'm now about a month and a half into my first season at Kendal Town, and I thought it was time for a brief look at the tactics I'm using.

First of all, I am FAR from an expert at Football Manager tactics. I think I'm slowly getting better, but I by no means feel like I'm qualified to provide advice to anyone but the newest newbies. That's one reason why I don't write for the "dedicated" Football Manager forums anymore. The guys who hang out there are hard core. You could say they're international footballers, and I'm a non-league player.

My tactical approach (such as it is) at Parkside Road is largely inspired by the work of a tactician called "Dr. Hook." He has some great ideas about lower league tactics that I've tried on earlier editions of Football Manager, with some success. Now it's time to see if they work with FM15.

My goal with the Mintcakes is to keep things simple, with a solid defensive shape. We're at Level 8 of the English pyramid, and that means our players have fairly limited skills. I would love for them to play beautiful, flowing football, keeping possession 55% of the time and completing 80% of their passes. Kendal Town's players really can't play beautiful, flowing football. They prefer to belt the ball up the park and chase it, because that's what they can do fairly well. Fortunately, the vast majority of the teams I've faced so far are a lot like Kendal Town, and they can't play beautiful, flowing football, either. They belt the ball up the park and chase it, too.

Here I'll say that it's completely realistic for teams at Level 8 to play that way. From what I've read, that's how teams in the lower English leagues actually play.

Given those limitations, our mentality will usually be fairly conservative. Hopefully I have enough players on attacking duties that we'll generate some offense, too. So far, we've done fairly well in that regard.

Our Formations

The 4-1-2-2-1 I personally prefer wasn't too well suited for our players, and it's now my third choice. The shape that's worked best for us so far is a simple 4-4-2. Here's how I've set it up:

I am being a litle stubborn and playing with Central Defenders rather than Limited Defenders in the middle of my back line. Limited Defenders simply try to clear the ball from their own end any way they can, while Central Defenders will look for a way to pass to a more creative player.

Sometimes I switch the Box-to-Box Midfielder to a Central Midfielder with an Attack duty when I need a goal.

The other formation I've been using is a flat 4-5-1.

When this one works, it's a lot of fun. The striker is a False Nine, which means he'll drop deeper, while the Wide Midfielders and Central Midfielder on attack duty run at the box.

You might notice a new name or two in those diagrams. I'll introduce you to those players in the September monthly report. One of them, in particular, looks like he's going to be a star for us.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

1 October 2014

Goodbye: At our level, the transfer window remains open almost all season long, so players might come and go at any time.

We sent six young players out on loan this month, so they could get some first team experience with clubs at lower levels. We also lost two to bigger clubs: right back Will Taylor and center back/defensive midfielder Adam Richards.

Taylor barely saw the pitch for us, because of a nagging injury. He would have been a regular selection if his health had been better. He signed with Frickley Athletic, where he's in the first team.

Richards was hard to let go. He was our captain, and the lads seemed to like him and respond well to his leadership. He's now with Witton Albion.

Hello: The losses of Taylor and Richards would have left us very thin on the back line if I hadn't brought in some talented new players.

Center back Steve Foster, 20, signed with us on a free transfer, and immediately moved into the first team. He's tall, strong, and has lots of pace, and he's secure on the ball for a player at our level. He seems very happy with Kendal Town, which might increase our chances of keeping him for a while.

Billy Hunt, age 18, and Dan King, age 21, are the central midfielders I mentioned earlier. I would have been happy to get one of them into the team, and I'm delighted to get them both. Hunt is right footed. He has exceptional mental attributes for a player his age, and he is a fantastic passer. King can literally play almost anywhere; he is only truly uncomfortable as a sweeper or a striker. He's left footed, and he possesses outstanding determination, work rate, and teamwork. In other words, he's a footballer.

I can't resist adding versatile players like King to my team, and when I found two more who would join the Mintcakes, I quickly brought them aboard. Paul Weaver, 26, is a tough, tenacious footballer who is nominally a central midfielder, but might feature anywhere I need him. He is now our club's vice captain, since Mark Griffiths has been promoted to the captaincy. Gary Munday, 24, is a natural defender, but he can also fill a vast variety of roles. He's probably not talented enough to play regularly in the first team, but he's plenty good enough to step in when I need him to.

I'll be back with an update on our season in a little while.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

1 October 2014



Look who's top of the league!

Salford City has a game in hand, so it's probably a temporary thing, but it's still fun to see.



The defeat at home to King's Lynn Town in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup was the only blemish on our record during September. We were expected to advance at least one more round, but we were unfortunate to draw a larger club for our first match.

Ollie Carter has been a pleasant surprise for us. He spoke to me about getting more playing time; not wanting to alienate him, I gave him a start in the FA Cup tie and he banged in a goal. I called Ollie's number again against Harrogate Railway, and he scored again. I'm not quite ready to give Ollie a permanent spot in the first XI, but I'm planning to give him plenty of opportunities to prove he can keep knocking them in. He's a veteran with a good first touch and a sense of what to do with the ball.

New arrival Steve Foster has already proven dangerous on spot kicks. Harrogate Railway discovered that fact, as he headed in Paul Irons' corner and fired a laser past the keeper to complete his brace. Foster equalled Tom Sawyer's performance from the match before, as he scored twice from the penalty spot against Radcliffe Borough.

Mintcakes Morsels: I'm trying to keep three talented goalkeepers happy now, as neither Kenny Turner nor Dean Murphy has left the club. Turner, Andy Andrew, and Sam Loughton are taking turns between the posts, while Murphy keeps goal for the U21s. I'm still fully expecting one of the 'keepers, probably Turner, to sign for a bigger club, as he gets tired of sharing the number one shirt.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

I've discovered I feel more connected to my stories when I post about each game. I hope that won't be too much post-overload.

4 October 2014

Ossett Town v. Kendal Town

4-4-2
GK: Loughton
D: Grosvenor, Foster, Peacock, Bridger
M: Irons, Sawyer, O'Neill, Logan
ST: Marsh, Wynn

This was an ugly, ugly match. We had as many good chances to score as they did, but they converted theirs, and we did not. Simple as that. Jack Grosvenor and Tom Peacock were horrible. Steve Foster had 26! interceptions, which says more about the pressure we faced from Ossett Town than it does about the quality of his play.

Scott Logan's foul in the area drew a penalty, which they converted.

At least our goal was the result of a pretty move. Stuart Wynn took a pass from Paul Irons at the edge of the box, and side-footed it onto the run of Andy Marsh. Ossett's 'keeper, Mick Mellor, parried away Marsh's shot, but the ball richocheted off defender Glyn Burns and back into the net.

Ossett Town 4-1 Kendal Town

The result drops us down to fourth.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

18 October 2014

A fortnight has passed since our last match, but it wasn't exactly quiet at Parkside Road.

On the 10th, midfielder Keith Simpson left the club, signing with Liversedge. He hadn't gotten any games with our senior team, and dropping down a level will allow him to get onto the pitch.

Four days later, Scott Logan accepted an offer from Pomefract Collieries, a Level 10 club. They're a semi-pro outfit, and they're paying him £30/week.

I decided to add a Director of Football to the staff, and hired Irishman Conor McNamara, 54. McNamara is a very good judge of talent for a team at our level to have on board. He's already identified three players for us, and if we manage to sign one of them, I'll let you know.

18 October

Warrington Town v. Kendal Town

4-4-2
GK: Andrew
D: Grosvernor, Foster, Peacock, Bridger
M: Irons, Hunt, Sawyer, Polack
ST: Wynn, Carter

Warrington are currently trying to stay above the drop zone, although their talent would seem to be sufficient for a mid-table finish. They have four players on part-time contracts, which is four more than we have.

One of them, striker Evan Clarke, scored right before the half. Stuart Wynn leveled for us on the hour mark, taking a pass from Paul Irons and tucking it inside the near post.

Irons (7.9) was Man of the Match, winning all six of his aerial battles in addition to setting up Wynn's goal.

I would have rather taken all three points, but as mediocre as our morale was after the heavy defeat at Ossett Town, I'll take the draw.

Warrington Town 1-1 Kendal Town

[Greyfriars Bobby]

21 October 2014

Kendal Town v. Bamber Bridge

4-4-2
GK: Loughton
D: Grosvenor, Foster, Peacock, Bridger
M: Irons, O'Neill, Hunt, Weaver
ST: Griffiths, Marsh

With such a short interval between matches this time, I rotated the squad somewhat. Mark Griffiths got his first start for the senior team, and he rewarded my confidence with a very well-taken goal. He got the ball from Paul Irons about 30 yards out, jinked past a defender, slid to his right to make some space, and lashed the ball past the keeper from 23 yards out.

Man of the Match Billy Hunt also scored his first Kendal Town goal--a score the commentator called "pure inspiration"--and the defense kept a clean sheet. We're back to third in the table, three points off the lead and three points clear in the promotion playoff "race," if it can be called that with so much football left to be played.

Kendal Town 2-0 Bamber Bridge

The victory was costly, however. Center back Steve Foster and striker Andy Marsh both left the match with injuries. Both players twisted their knees, and both will be out until mid-November at the earliest.

Those are big, big losses. Foster has been terrific since he joined the club, and Marsh is our leading scorer, with five goals in league play.

On another note, I really like Bamber Bridge's veteran midfielder, Leigh Shaw. He's 37, which totally runs against my preference for younger players, but he's got every attribute you'd want in a midfield boss at this level. I'm going to keep an eye on him, and if we need a late-season boost while we pursue a playoff berth, I'll keep him in mind.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

25 October 2014

Droylsden v. Kendal Town

4-5-1
GK: Andrew
D: Grosvenor, Weaver, Peacock, Bridger
M: Irons, King, Sawyer, O'Neill, Hunt
ST: Carter

Another tough fixture, away to one of the better teams in the division.

It didn't start well, as we found ourselves down 2-0 within 33 minutes. However, one of their center backs, Liam Marshall, had already picked up a yellow card, and on 35', he got another one. Literally, within 30 seconds, we pulled one back through Ollie Carter. The vociferous group of away supporters who came to The Butchers Arms Ground promptly made up a new chant:

"Ollie Carter, he scores when he wants!"

Midway through the second half, Duncan Peter clattered Carter in the penalty area, and Tom Sawyer's spot kick was on target. We applied nearly constant pressure the rest of the way, and I have to give Droylsden credit for the way their defense stepped up.

Drolylsden 2-2 Kendal Town

Next, we'll face Mossley, a First Division rival, in the Preliminary Round of the FA Trophy.

I had been expecting goalkeeper Kenny Turner to find a new club; he hadn't been getting playing time here. On the 23rd, he accepted a deal with Jarrow Roofing FC, a Level 9 club which can give him first team football and pay him £50/week. We weren't in a position to do either one.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

1 November 2014



It seems as if we've played a lot of the stronger sides so far this season, and we're doing very well. I'd be very happy with a spot in the promotion playoffs at season's end.

We'd recently lost a couple of midfielders, and on Hallowe'en, we addressed the situation in a big way. We brought in Russell Jarvis, 23, on loan from Barrow of the Conference North. He's not big, but he's strong as a bull, and if his marking skills were just a little better, he'd be the perfect ball-winning midfielder for this level. As is, he's going to help us a lot. He can also play on either wing, or as a fullback in a pinch.

He'll cost us £45/week, but he's worth every penny. I put him into the first team right away.

FA Trophy, Preliminary Round
Mossley v. Kendal Town

4-1-2-2-1
GK: Andrew
D: Grosvenor, Love, Peacock, Bridger
DM: Sawyer
M: Hunt, Jarvis
AM: Irons, Polack
ST: Wynn

I gave Billy Love, a 17-year-old local lad, his first team debut today, and he acquitted himself well. He'd recently signed his first professional deal, a pay-as-you-play arrangement.

This was a tough match, played on a soggy pitch on a blustery, strangely warm evening. Mossley packed their defense in, playing two defensive midfielders in front of a back four. I've always had difficulty figuring out how to breach that kind of defensive wall.

On 78' we finally broke through on a goal by Oliver Polack. I went to a defensive mentality, and on the 82' mark, I instructed the lads to waste time. It looked like we had it won...

Then, in stoppage time, hapless Jack Grosvenor went up to head a cross away from the far post and ended up knocking it in for an own goal. Poor Jack has been taking it hard from the supporters, and this won't help any.

The replay will take place on 4 November, at Parkside Road.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

4 November 2014

Apparently the good people at Prescot Cables FC liked Oliver Polack's goal against Mossley, because the very next day, they signed him. Polack was just rounding into form after pulling a hamstring in late August. Now he's with a team that's currently one point clear of the relegation places. Good luck, Oliver.

I'm going to buy Conor McNamara a pint or two. The DoF quickly located Polack's replacement: Dennis Lewis of FC United. In six appearances there, he'd set up three goals and earned a 6.84 rating. He's 22, and he is a definite upgrade from Polack in every way, save his pace. Dennis is extremely responsible defensively. I envision him tracking back to cover Alan Bridger as he comes forward--another possible way to make our offensive play a little more diverse and unpredictable.

FA Trophy, Preliminary Round Replay
Kendal Town v. Mossley

4-5-1
GK: Loughton
D: King, Weaver, Peacock, Bridger
M: Irons, Hunt, Sawyer, O'Neill, Lewis
ST: Carter

Some weary Mintcakes took to the pitch at Parkside Road today. Once again, we concede a VERY late, very costly goal.

Substitute Ray Hulse scored the game's first goal at 53', and I urged the lads to push forward and bag an equalizer. It finally came, three minutes from time, courtesy of Ollie Carter. He took a pass from Tom Sawyer, stepped into a opening and tucked the ball inside the post with his left foot.

Not a minute later, before my shout to "concentrate" could take effect, Mossley earned a corner. Paul Irons was in position to clear it, but a Mossley player fell to the ground between him and the ball, blocking his path. Mossley midfielder James Haigh got there first and beat Sam Loughton at his near post. A lucky goal, perhaps, but it counted, and we're out of the FA Trophy.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

11 November 2014

Andy Andrew and Sam Loughton have both been playing fairly well between the posts, so we didn't desperately need to add a goalkeeper to replace Kenny Turner. Conor McNamara found one anyway.

Billy Roberts, 18, was without a club before McNamara spotted him. He's the same age as Loughton and two years younger than Andrew, so his arrival gives us a stable of three very good young 'keepers. In fact, Roberts might be the best of the lot. Our staff certainly thinks so.

He's better in the air than either of his new teammates, and his touch on the ball is much surer. His reflexes aren't quite as quick as Andrew's, but that's no real criticism. Roberts will play for £20 per game, so he's worth a try.

Kendal Town v. Padiham

4-4-2
GK: Roberts
D: Grosvenor, Weaver, Peacock, Bridger
M: Irons, Hunt, Sawyer, Lewis
ST: Carter, Wynn

Roberts got the number one shirt today, as we return to our 4-4-2.

I liked the way Alan Bridger and Dennis Lewis worked together on the right flank. Just as I'd hoped, Lewis held up play and waited for Bridger to bomb forward before getting the ball to him, or slid back when his teammate moved up to into an attacking position. Their teamwork didn't result in a goal, but if they keep doing what they're doing, it will soon enough.

We took a 1-0 lead on a beautiful free kick from Paul Irons, who put the ball into the upper right corner from 25 yards out. It was Paul's first goal for us, after setting up a league-best eight goals for other players.

Then, we conceded the equalizer on a long ball over the top, which their striker got to first and deftly put past a charging Roberts.

We're really missing Steve Foster back on defense. With him at center half, I don't think we concede that goal. He and Andy Marsh should both be back in training this week.

Still, despite taking a draw in a match we should have won, we held our position in the table. Mossley, who are playing some very good football, got a surprising 1-0 result at home to powerful Salford.