Hyde

An ugly win, but three important points nonetheless.
We missed Connie,but any side would & obviously we'll just have to deal with that until he's fit.
My worry would be the midfield. As someone pointed out a while ago, again today we had four very good players in the middle of the park, but it just didn't work. Also Simon Wills playing fullback & Craig Carney screening the back four? Really? We looked better after the substitutions when we then had players in positions that would seem more natural to them.
I thought that Billy Akrigg was MOTM & that Louis Mayers put a good shift in.
Hyde's defence was excellent & their midfield very strong

I wasn't at the game but when I saw the team sheet thought it a bit odd that Scholesie was listed at full back when there were three full backs (Henry/Hudson/Clark) on the bench.

It sounds like an improvement after the rejig.

The game was, for the most part, horrendous to watch.

Absolutely forgettable win. We won't get promoted relying on deflected goals. Very few players actually played well. Waters, Sumner and Carney were okay. It's amazing how good we can seem one game and then completely fall apart the next.

I think we need less square pegs in round holes and a generally more balanced line up. Agreed the changes second half made us play like a half decent football side. When our midfield collectively leave their brains in the dressing room we always end up with these grim games.

Hyde aren't a great side. They're not far off relegation and I thought we made their defence look good. It might seem harsh but given our position we need to start being realistic about any shortcomings.

When we played at Brighouse in November they were top of the league, but didn't look anything special, for the most part flinging high balls into the area without causing too many problems.

It sounds from reading the above reports that we too don't seem to be anything special at the moment, yet we are (just about) top of the league.

Perhaps then as good a season as any to be making a determined promotion push, with seemingly no outstanding team in the league.

It was disappointing that despite "Marshy's match" being a high scoring game with plenty of action, than none of the extra 300+ or so who came that night turned up yesterday.

Shrimpsmakemeill wrote:It was disappointing that despite "Marshy's match" being a high scoring game with plenty of action, than none of the extra 300+ or so who came that night turned up yesterday.

The atmosphere was pretty flat yesterday all around until late second half, but it may just be a symptom of what's been a long and sad week for many I think.

Hyde also disappointingly brought next to no fans. Given how cold it was as well, I think 203 isn't too bad.

Hyde weren't a good side, but defensively they were very strong & organised. The fact that they looked the more likely winners in the first half emphasises how poor we were. There were one or two supporting them, but they have fallen from their place as one of the foremost non league in the north-west.
Square pegs in round holes, players lining up in the wrong positions, or however else you care to describe it is our problem

It didn't help that Jacob Gregory, so often outstanding, was out of form.

Let us know when Ryan Winder is IN form !!