Glovers to test our metal

Mid-table Yeovil roll into SE7 tomorrow for a match that has assumed far more importance than perhaps anyone would have thought a month back. It's a game we really need to win ahead of what looks like a very tricky trip to Huddersfield who will be all out to avenge their defeat at the Valley which ended their record -breaking unbeaten sequence and started their slip from the automatic places.


Mid-table sides should be easy meat at this time of the season at home in midweek. They have least to play for and are beginning to think of the Summer and possible player experimentation as they look ahead to next season. Trouble is, Yeovil are on a hugely upward trend and current form would put them at the top end of the table. They have taken 13 points from their last 15. They have won 8 of their last 12 which has seen them move out of the relegation places and up to twelfth.


So tomorrow evening has to be about us. Bradley Wright-Phillips need to see plenty of the ball and the midfield needs to get forward in numbers when we attack. We have to leave the back four to do their job and snuff out what I suspect will be a lone striker (Williams or Obika). Attack really should be the best form of defence tomorrow.


It would be good to see a bigger than usual gate and some noise from the stands but I fear another disappointing gate and a gloomy atmosphere. There won't be many Yeovil in attendance. It will really be up to our players to get the crowd going with an early goal or some free-flowing football. 


Chris Powell needs to be prepared to make changes much earlier if we aren't playing well enough. It might be an ideal time to put one of the attacking youngsters into the squad. We have struggled to get any change from the bench in recent weeks, especially going forward and Sho-Silva or Azeez have the sort of pace to encourage the crowd if they are given a go.


There's every chance we can extend our lead again tomorrow evening if we win and the trip to the Galpharm on Saturday could effectively see us make it a three horse race with the Steel Town if we avoided defeat after picking up the points tomorrow. 

Scunthorpe 1 v Charlton Athletic 1

I didn't listen to much of the game this afternoon as I have been watching all of the rugby. However, from what I did hear and from following the match read on Charlton Life, it sounded like another stuttering performance but we picked up a point which enables us to keep pace with Sheffield United and Huddersfield who both drew. It was only the mighty Sheffield Wednesday who managed to make ground with a 2–1 win at Notts County. The cycle of delusion will beginning again in the northern half of Sheffield. It's cruel really but let's enjoy it nonetheless.

We are still three wins clear of the Sheffield pair and they would both happily swap places with us. We face mid-table Yeovil at the Valley on Tuesday and must be ambitious in search of three points which will ease the nerves and prepare us for the visit to Huddersfield next Saturday.

Good to see Bradley Wright-Phillips notching his 20th of the season. I am sure he will have 25 in his sights.

On the 6 Nations front, Scotland were truly disinterested in Rome today and it was a disgracefully half-hearted showing for those who travelled. They left off where they did at after half-time in Dublin. In spite of the result it was great to see 70,000 in the Olympic Stadium to watch Italy foist the Wooden Spoon onto Scotland in bright sunshine. Andy Robinson sounded surprisingly philosophical and looked relaxed after the match. Perhaps he has resolved his future having set his stall out before the Championship that he expected Scotland to deliver this time around.

The Contrast from Rome to Cardiff was stark. Excellent technique, smash tackling and superb handling as Wales closed out the Grand Slam. As I write, England are 3-3 with the Irish who will be celebrating St Patrick's Day this evening come what may. England have over-performed under Stuart Lancaster but I suspect Ireland might just shade it this evening.

Farewell Leon

Journeyman Leon Clarke's brief spell in SE7 came to what looks like an end yesterday as he was loaned out to Crawley Town for the rest of the season. I am encouraged by this news. It's more evidence that Chris Powell can see when something is not working and is willing to act. Too many managers in similar positions persevere in a bid to be proven right in their initial decision to take a player and to prove their point to their Board. It would have been easy for Powell to say "I'll give him to the end of the season" but an opportunity has obviously presented itself and he has been big enough to take it. It's also a sign that he is actively preparing for next season.


It will also send a signal to the rest of the squad that players need to perform and deliver when they represent the first team. Clarke, I am sorry to say, simply didn't do anything in his seven appearances. Maybe harsh on the basis that six of those were from the bench but he didn't manage to add to the 9 goals he scored for Chesterfield earlier in the season and I can't even remember one telling contribution. 


Perhaps with more games he might eventually have begun to score for us but he looks like another lower league striker in the shape of Benson, Hayes & Co, none of whom could be relied upon to plunder the goals we will need in the Championship.

League One Weekend Preview, Game 37

Last ten hove into view and there may be a bit of relief in our camp that we are away from home. We have picked up more points away in what has been our best ever season on the road. With five left to play away from the Valley we can smash the previous best and probably chalk up a record in the process that will out-live most of us (happy thought). Scunthorpe have been no great shakes at home, having only managed four wins. It all points to some welcome relief and with Yeovil at the Valley on Tuesday, it's time to start counting chickens.


AFCBournemouth v Carlisle United
Carlisle remain in touch with sixth and with two games in hand will be targeting Notts County or MK Dons. This looks a touch too much though.
Prediction; 2-0


Bury v Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe's away form looks like it will cost them their place in League One unless Paul Hayes and Co can inspire some point-winning performances. They are away again after this one. Can't see them doing it.
Prediction; 3-1


Chesterfield v MK Dons
The Spireites continue to scrap and another morale-boosting home win would be most welcome. Trouble is, MK Dons have Notts County and Carlisle breathing down their neck and will be looking to close out their play-off place. 
Prediction; 0-2


Colchester United v Huddersfield Town
Match-of-the-Day on the cards here. Town are five points off the automatic pace and the U's are seven adrift of Notts County. A draw is not much good to either and both should go for this. It could be a day when the Huddersfield board rue the ridiculous decision to sack Lee Clark.
Prediction; 2-1


Exeter City v Preston North End
Precious opportunity for the Grecians and with Wycombe coming next, this is their big chance.
Prediction; 1-0


Hartlepool United v Stevenage
Stevenage continue their battle for an unlikely looking play-off finish that their season probably deserves. This is a game they can win.
Prediction; 1-2


Leyton Orient v Brentford
London's lowest profile derby. Brentford should be too good for their East London rivals but the O's have greater need. A classic 1-1 derby?
Prediction; 1-1


Notts County v Sheffield Wednesday
Another rival for Match-of-the-Day. Notts County can put a large and timely spanner in the Wednesday wheels. I expect them to do just that. Enjoy!
Prediction; 2-0


Rochdale v Oldham Athletic
Damp derby and Oldham can inflict serious damage on "League Two" Rochdale. 
Prediction; 1-2


Scunthorpe United v Charlton Athletic
Come on you Reds! Let's get off the battle bus here and beat this lot. They deservedly won a point at the Valley earlier this season but I fancied us to win at their place after that and timing couldn't be better. Individual lack of confidence is probably the biggest risk if Powell doesn't make any changes. I am encouraged that we fought back in the second-half last week and I am taking us all the way here.
Prediction; 1-3


Sheffield United v Tranmere Rovers
United need to focus just like us here and this looks like a banker home victory. 
Prediction; 3-0


Yeovil Town v Walsall
Yeovil look safe for a change and Walsall should have more to play for. Having scalped Sheffield United and have been hard to beat of late. I fancy them here for a point at least.
Prediction; 1-1

Don't Panic Captain Mainwareing!

OK, so I missed it. Mrs Peeps was none too complimentary and Pete was thinking of going shopping before half-time. Now is the moment the truly fickle have been relishing. Players they have been getting overly excited about all season have now become inept and they are even questioning the manager.


Get some perspective, for heavens sake. We may have dropped another three points and suffered our second successive home defeat but we remain ten points clear and this is a record-breaking season. We even recovered after the break to "win" the second-half.


I have been more critical than some about our home performances this season but only in terms of the quality of the football being well short of a top side and one that has won so many points home and away. We have still deserved to win the majority of the games we have played at the Valley, if not in the style I would have liked.


Look at the sides around us. They have all spluttered and none have been as ruthless as us, that's why we have such a big lead.


Time for a cup of tea and a considered look at the matches left:


Scunthorpe (a) - tough game but one we can get a result from.
Yeovil Town (h) - can't see us losing this.
Huddersfield Town (a) - would be the first defeat to a Top 4 challenger 
Leyton Orient (h) - season over and not a great side
Oldham Athletic (a) - could be a tough game but nothing to play for
Walsall (h) - should know what we need to do points wise
Carlisle(a) - tough game but expect us to rise to the challenge but should be there or very close by then
Wycombe (h) - leak goals and not great away from home
Preston (a) - disastrous season finishing for them
Hartlepool (h) - Party Time.


Having done that, we should also look at the games our challengers face. Sheffield United have to go to Notts County as well as Mk Dons and face Stevenage on the last day. Sheffield Wednesday have to go to Notts County and Huddersfield. Huddersfield face us and Wednesday at home.


Now is not the time to panic Jones.

Ireland 32 v Scotland 14

Fourth successive 6 Nations defeat for me but at least I missed the aberration at the Valley. I am not travelling for the Wooden Spoon decider in Rome next week, so my rugby is over for this year. What a disappointment. Scotland promised so much and I believe they are ten per cent better than they have been for a few years. Trouble is, everyone else has moved up a notch too. We are too short of genuine class and real character to turn games. I was highly impressed with Ritchie Gray's performance yesterday. He was two classes above everyone else in a blue shirt and capped his performance with a fine three-quarters try. He is the shining light for next year. Perhaps he can set a new standard that others will aspire to join. That might just be enough to turn good performances into winning displays.
Dublin was great again and we enjoyed a good four hours in Doheny and Nesbitt's before the game. I was recommended this pub by Dermott from the Rose of Denmark and it was a ten out of ten. Fantastic genuine old Irish bar which puts most of our pubs to shame in terms of beer, food and customer service. Also a huge reminder of why so many "Irish" theme bars are so crap and yet your Brit abroad gravitates to them?

I am enjoying a glass of Zinfandel as I write and watching an encouraging England performance against the French. I really hope Stuart Lancaster gets the job - his influence of the squad has been blindingly obvious.

Looking ahead to next Saturday, Scunthorpe looks a potential banana skin, but I am backing our boys to get their act together. Continuing our sequence this season was always expecting too much, especially given the way we have played, so we have to face the music and knuckle down and get a result. I am sure we will do it.

Charlton Athletic 2 v Notts County 4

Dave has asked me to compile the report of todays game. An honour sir, an honour (sort of).
Dave himself was off in Dublin to watch the egg chasers in the forlorn hope of witnessing a Scotland victory. As I'm writing this at 1045 in the evening, I know he has faced the double disappointment of defeat for both of his favourite teams.
Can't say I took enough notice of todays game to be honest, so as usual, my report is based on my opinion of the quality of the entertainment on show and not on the tactical nous shown by the respective managers or the subtleties of the cut and thrust of division 3 football.
Haynes in for Green in an otherwise unchanged side (I think), I missed Tuesdays defeat by the way as I was otherwise engaged in  La Belle France, so I wasn't sure whether Green played in that game.

After 12 minutes or so, Haynes was replaced by Waggy, I'm assuming through injury. Now waggy's not my favourite player, and I'm sure it could only be coincidence that within five minutes of his arrival we were two down? I'm being unfair of course in suggesting any blame could be laid at his door, especially as I missed those County goals, having been distracted by questions from Dave's stepdad and nephew respectively. Not looking good so far, but things were to get worse when a mix up between Hamer and Morrison on 35 minutes, led to County's third. I was just contemplating whether to leave to meet my wife in the Retail Park so that we could travel up to Stansted to pick up her father, over from Tenerife for the week, when zap! in goes the fourth on 40, with Forte getting his hat-trick to add to the opener by Judge. A chance at the away end for Wagstaff with an overhead kick that fell tamely into the keepers arms, and not much else to report in the first 45, except to say that the best defence in the league was looking anything but. Midfield not effective and BWP again being unable to read Kermorgant's intentions. It was only the fact that I had bought a couple of draw tickets that I stayed for half time. Well, not the only reason, I also thought that given our season so far we may just be capable of staging the greatest comeback since comeback's were invented.  Just an aside, but I saw Glen Tilbrook at half time , what the bloody hell is that beard all about? Is he auditioning for a remake of Catweasle? Apologies to those youngsters who don't have a clue what I'm talking about.

On to the second half and the first ten minutes we huffed and puffed and all the football was played in County's half but we gave no indication that we that we were capable of doing the impossible until some neat work down the rightt ended with Waggy crossing for Bradders to score with a neat overhead kick. Five minutes later and roles reversed as BWP crossed for a goal from Waggy's head. I was beginning to feel glad that I'd stayed and did actually believe for a little while that we may just get to parity and may be capable even of snatching something more. Suffice to say that the huff and puff continued , but the end product was sadly lacking in quality. We had a couple of reasonable penalty shouts turned down, , but to be honest our performance, especially in the first half deserved nothing more than a defeat by two goals. We seem to make a habit of going one or two down before we start playing, but FOUR!!, ridiculous. Chrissy spoke in his programme notes about how we bounce back from defeat, in the past we have shown character, today we just looked tired and really not up for it.

Notts County played some neat passing football, albeit without any pace, and we should have been capable of getting something from this game. Once again we were susceptible to being pressed when in possesssion and gave the ball away too easily, without being able to apply similar pressure ourselves. No need for panic stations of course, but we must be careful that we do not let this type of performance end up defining our season, we've seen to many similar showings at home, luckily without the disasterous consequences we experienced today.

Dave, hope you had a good trip, despite the result at Landsdowne Road. Thanks for asking me to compile this report, but when you next text me to do so, please leave off the little kiss at the end of your message, I know I'm a good looking boy, but methinks you may have been knocking back a little to much of the black stuff. Night night!
 
Peter