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Post by Amber Aleman on Oct 9, 2021 20:54:40 GMT
I'd agree that Port Vale were the best side we've faced this season, and at 0-2 then 2-3 we looked to be out of this contest. But there's a tremendous spirit in this Sutton side, and once we'd got back to 3-3 there was enough momentum and self-belief to find the winner.
With all due respect to Matt Gray, this felt like a Paul Doswell result.
PV fans may well be aggrieved by some of the referee's decisions, but there were plenty of 'benefit of the doubt' decisions that went their way.
At the very least this was a hugely entertaining match, and one I'm sure that Quest TV are delighted to have picked for their highlights.
And we're up to 7th. And top of the form table. 😃😀😄
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kpinwp
1st team Player
Posts: 1,248
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Post by kpinwp on Oct 9, 2021 21:03:43 GMT
The only point at which I thought PV looked in any way lacking was when we went to 3-3. At that point a little something went out of them. I can't claim to have seen our winner coming but I wasn't fretting (too much) that they'd regain the lead.
Thought I'd check the PV fans forum to see what they made of us. Seems to have crashed.
(Edit). Back online. Apparently it was about them playing badly (which they didn't) and not about us playing well (which we did). And the Ref lost it for them. Football...
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Post by medyel on Oct 9, 2021 21:59:03 GMT
Double hats off to the team management for the stunning win today. The two key reasons are (a) the team spirit and attitude. Would have been easy for heads to drop at 2-0 and 3-2, but no. Never say die (b) inspired substitutions at exactly the right points; all changes gave Vale something different to comprehend and the cumulative effect of these rapier changes just got too much for them. What a joy to have such a squad full of potential game changers itching to get on. Well done management!
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Post by halftimet on Oct 9, 2021 22:02:25 GMT
Not sure our fans cover themselves in glory either.
It seems to me that rather than support the team they spend all their time dissing the opposition,
It’s not big and it’s not clever.
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Post by sufc18 on Oct 9, 2021 23:42:38 GMT
[quote author=" Amber Aleman" source=" With all due respect to Matt Gray, this felt like a Paul Doswell result. [/quote] I believe Craig Eastmond was the only player on the pitch from the Paul Doswell era. This surely has to be marked up as a massive result for Matt and his fantastic squad and management team. I don’t think that can be taken away from them with harking back to Doswell regardless of his history at the club. |
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Post by sufc1898 on Oct 10, 2021 5:22:54 GMT
This result has nothing to do with Dos. He will always be a club legend but we are in a new era now. If things continue as they are, then Matt might be a club legend sooner rather than later.
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markf
Top Performer
Posts: 3,317
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Post by markf on Oct 10, 2021 6:25:42 GMT
Up a bit early this Sunday morning; couldn't sleep - can't think why? So, having not posted for a few weeks my take on yesterday.
Wow, what an afternoon. Our best league attendance probably since the 1950's when I expect the Christmas/Boxing Day derbies with T&M and the like attracted fair size crowds. And the casual attendee would surely have left thinking they had got their money's worth and the few that I saw leave at h-t, what are they about?
Vale looked a bloody good side and although the two goal agvantage they built up was a bit harsh on U's, they certainly was the better team in the first 30 minutes. But then they stopped or perhaps U's rolled up their sleeves and collectively, said "this ain't happening". It was the resolve that helped win the NL last season.
Rob Milsom opted for the adage "if you don't shoot, you don't score" and netted with the benefit of a fair old deflection. Back in the game. Perhaps Vale should have put it to bed early in the second but a combination of last ditch defending and weak finishing allowed U's to stay in the match.
They were maoning about the throw-in award and maybe it did come off Tanto but my angle didn't make that clear even so, Clarke may have got booked for moaning about that but surely his angst should have been aimed at Garritty? With the choice of heading away or towards goal he chose the latter and found the top corner with a finish any striker would have been proud of.
Their no 6 should have gone for a second yellow as he stopped Tanto from getting away by illegal means. Fortunately for him Enzio picked up the loose ball and the advantage got the ref and Smith (no 6) off the hook, the ref bottled it basically.
Their third was a great strike through a crowd of players, Dean B no chance. But U's were not done. A brilliant cross and Will Randall met it with a header that I don't think any of us have seen him manage before. 3-3.
The lead up to our winner was an appalling peice of officiating. Not because I think the foul should have gone the other way but because the ref confused everyone by his failure to really make a definite show of which way it was going. The first anyone realised was when he carded their player.
But Vale were naieve to let Easty play square to Will to change the angle of delivery and he had time to dink a high ball in that led to confusion before falling to Coby to find the top corner with a brilliant finish. Queue pandermonium. Probably unwise for our players to give the visiting support the full view of their celebrations. This was observed on the Vale forum but it was ok for their guy to do similar after scoring the third. Anyway, our ground, we can do what we bloody well like on it.
I thought Vale got what they deserved; two booked for blatant time wasting at 3-2 (where was Jamie Butler for them when he was needed with his, erm, subtle approach to such shennanigans)? From what I hear,Clarke, who composed himself well for a decent post match i/v, will probably find himself on a misconduct charge while his assistant also got carded with Dean B after the final whistle. What an awful bloke Dean B must be for celebrating a fantastic victory. Jesus.
Another under par performance from this ref (seemed a decent fella btw), we had him in the NL many a time and Vale will say he affected the result although they inability to defend crosses was their ultimate undoing. However, the ref didn't do himself any favours with that f-k confusion and Vale should have been down to ten before they scored their third. No sympathy from this corner of the world.
According to some PV fans on the forum we are a limited side. Really? As I have said many a time, there is more than one way to win a football match and while their early passing and movement was a step up to what we were used to in the NL, U's dug in, showed some fantastic resolve and knocked the ball around at times pretty well ourselves.
Why is it that your team loses a match rather than the oppo wins it? Some people on here are the same. Northampton forum was the same last week; no credit to the oppo for totally dominating from start to finish. Collective myopia.
Vale arrived in their numbers and provided decent support to their team alongside the normal rubbish that all sets of fans are guilty of these days. Aparrently we were f'ing s**t at one stage of the match. That came back to bite, eh?
As for the comment re Matt G's status above. Don't you think taking us into the EFL for the first time hasn't afforded him legendary status already? I know what I think.
Great coverage from Quest by the way. I wasn't a fan of Colin Murray on MotD2 but a bit like his colleague Jonathan Pearce he his maturing into a decent broadcaster and not just on sport as my midweek drives home have helped me discover.
Onto Pompey and then Crawley where I have turned down free pre-match hospitality (my cousin's company is a major sponsor there) so I can continue to entertain the great unwashed behind the goal). Bet you're all happy about that!!
Our first visit to Fratton and our first competitive visit to Crawley's current home, the only other was a 1-1 draw in a PSF (mid 90's) I think. Matt Hanlan scored and it was a swelteringly hot day.
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Post by Amber Aleman on Oct 10, 2021 6:56:44 GMT
I just want to add a few words about the centre backs. I do think in the early stages of this match we missed the imposing presence of Ben Goodliffe, and he might well have prevented Vale's first goal. But Coby and Louis grew into the game, each making a tremendous block of a goal-bound shot, and of course Coby got that very late winner (reminiscent of the consolation goal he scored at Cardiff). I don't think Ben's out for long, and when he's back Matt will be faced with another of those nice dilemmas about who to pick for the starting XI.
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Post by toothman on Oct 10, 2021 7:49:38 GMT
I just want to add a few words about the centre backs. I do think in the early stages of this match we missed the imposing presence of Ben Goodliffe, and he might well have prevented Vale's first goal. But Coby and Louis grew into the game, each making a tremendous block of a goal-bound shot, and of course Coby got that very late winner (reminiscent of the consolation goal he scored at Cardiff). I don't think Ben's out for long, and when he's back Matt will be faced with another of those nice dilemmas about who to pick for the starting XI. You have to remember that Coby is young and relatively inexperienced having come from Haringey. Therefore he is less equipped at present to step straight into the breach. As he showed last season he gets better with a run of appearances. He will certainly play on Tuesday and be al the better for it . He is one of many that will ultimately leave us to play at a higher level unless we keep climbing as well. Ben has been outstanding and I’m sure the scouts have him under surveillance. We do seem to have the perfect squad with versatility around and goals that come from everywhere. Just wait until Tanto gets going. Somebody is going to get a proper pasting |
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Post by sallycat on Oct 10, 2021 8:38:25 GMT
I think his return has already made a difference! Btw, Sarah; loved the yellow tights + brown boots combo. Simple but clever (oxymoron). I do like it when people dress with imagination. Might have been a trfile warm, though... Thank you... I do get hot easily but was fine in that. They're thin tights and much lighter than the jeans I usually wear!  |
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jr
1st team skipper
Posts: 2,195
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Post by jr on Oct 10, 2021 9:14:58 GMT
In response to Cheshire comment re goading. I agree but also think the PV players did a fair bit of ‘goading’ themselves when they scored to make it 3-2, then immediately celebrated right by our fans. They didn’t have to do that but it’s part of football I guess. Also Bennett, as a former Vale player, was getting shed loads of abuse from the Vale fans so I think he was getting his own back at the end. |
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Post by paz on Oct 10, 2021 10:00:25 GMT
This result has nothing to do with Dos. He will always be a club legend but we are in a new era now. If things continue as they are, then Matt might be a club legend sooner rather than later. Dos is a club legend for taking the club into the Nat league, finishing at our highest ever league place at the time, giving us our best ever FA cup run, and turning the club into a competitive and ambitious outfit. Matt G made him self a legend when he did the unthinkable and won the Nat league and got the club into the league for the first time after rebuiliding the team. If he keeps us in this league he just makes his legend status even bigger. |
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Post by Amber Aleman on Oct 10, 2021 11:06:51 GMT
With all due respect to Matt Gray, this felt like a Paul Doswell result. I've always thought of you as a voice of reason AA but that's a strange statement!Would you care to elaborate please? I probably didn't express it very well, but Dos's and Matt's management styles are quite different. Dos was more 'heart on sleeve' and gung-ho, Matt is a calmer and more cautious presence. I'm not suggesting that one approach is better than the other, as both have delivered unprecedented success. Under Dos we experienced some crazy, high-scoring wins with late goals (against Bromley and Wealdstone, for example). All I meant was that yesterday's match was reminiscent of one of those. |
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Post by sallycat on Oct 10, 2021 11:11:04 GMT
That makes a lot more sense now you've clarified it AA - I was a bit puzzled too, given some of the results we've had from Matt!
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Post by Rupert Scallywag on Oct 10, 2021 11:19:33 GMT
AA can obviously post and defend himself but I think I knew what he meant.
You can all correct me if I am wrong but I believe Matt had indicated that as he and Jason were both centre backs it is important to both of them that the defence is strong and don't give many goals away.
When Dos first joined the philosophy was if they score 4 we score 5. Therefore yesterday had the feeling of a Dos game. Don't think any disrespect was meant. Both are absolute legends here.
On my 2 hour drive home one thought did pop into my head. If we are still an EFL club when Matt gets poached by a bigger club, how many of you would like Dos back if he was happy to come. His ambition was to manage at this level. Just a thought.
And while typing my response AA replied
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