Staines v Sutton

[merseyu]

Just home and it looks like everything has been said; we were beaten by a much better side tonight and didn't really create much.
Very proud to be part of the travelling support, it's been worth points to us all season!
To echo some of the posts above, thanks Dos and the boys for a great season, some great memories.
We'll go up as Champions next year!
Enjoy your summer.

[Del]

Thanks Dos for a great season.

The match was too big for the ref to handle in my opinion.

Next season we to need to clear out the dead wood which is all too apparant and i'm sure Dos will find the right players.Staines played some very attractive football at times and their attack cut us to pieces. Nice to see Simon Downer at right back who had a good game also.

[Keith]

No lack of effort from our boys, but it just seemed to me that they didn't really have a plan, or not one that they managed to stick to anyway. Most of the long balls were aimed at Gavin which left him isolated too much, especially with Chukki looking not entirely up for it?...

All credit to Staines though, they are an excellent unit going forward and gave us a real attacking masterclass on a near perfect pitch. Good luck to them in the final against the bobbins.

Thanks to Dos and the boys for giving us some real high points this season, I think we all needed it - faith fully restored! Onwards and upwards next year.

[Kebab Belly Bob]

Can't agree with the comment about the ref being the worst this season.
You only have to look back at the game away to Hastings for your main culprit.
He made a few gaffs but was nowhere near as biased as a certain other official in black !

Congratulations to Staines and Carshalton on making the playoff final.

We will need to get close to the level of performances that Staines have produced if we are to progress from this league.

It won't be an easy task next season with the likes of Staines/Carshalton, Dartford, Tonbridge, Kingston etc.,
We will probably need to find 5-6 players to push on to the next level !

I have enjoyed this season on the whole and want to thank each and every one of the players, staff and supporters for making it exciting to the last.

KBB

[holmes]

The best footballing side in the league won last night, and good luck to them. We lacked strength and legs in midfield and they punished us hard for that. We definitely need someone in that midfield area that is going to protect the back line in games like this, and that is an area I feel we are weak in. But, we are only half way through the 'great plan', and PD will no doubt take stock of our shortcomings in this game and move forward (that's the type of manager he is!).

Still, after a long slog of a season, the lads did not give up, and it is a credit to them that we were still pushing for a consolation right up to the final whistle.

Ref? What ref? All I saw was a short spineless idiot who contrived to spoil what was set up to be a good competitive game. I could rant on for at least a day and a half about the little tw*t, but I don't have the time or the inclination. All I will say is that over all I don't think he really changed the end result.

One final word, the support there last night was absolutely brilliant. Well done everyone who turned up, I think the crowd was about 50:50, which is real credit considering we were way on a Tuesday night! The singing at the end was marvelous and I think PD and the lads really apreciated that. I couldn't feel down with backing like that.

Here's to next season everyone!!!

[angiepayne]

Apr 29, 2009 10:30:40 GMT angiepayne said:

Apr 28, 2009 22:53:11 GMT jr said:

Disappointing but the lads gave their all and we can't ask for more than that. Staines did a professional job continually fouling Gav on the blindside which rendered him pretty ineffective. The ref was a bit of a homer but apparently he's only 20 so no doubt will be in the FL soon and will be a top ref. Staines were just a class above and I do hope they go up, not because they're playing the Bobbins but because it will give us a better chance to go up next season.

Finally a word on their ground. It's surprisingly the first time I can remember visiting the place and it appears that they have a nice new bar and stand etc but how the hell are they allowed into the Conf South. A stand that holds 300 at most, standing behind the goal that is 2 deep, 1 turnstile open until late on they opened a second, very few programmes, the dugouts are vertually on the pitch! Surely they won't be able to go any higher.

Amessage to JR whole complained about our ground. I would like to clarify a couple of points. Our stand holds 438 ! NOt 300
Two turnstiles were open, but we only use 1 until the queue reaches to the bins. (about 25 people) and then the second is manned. The programmes were beyond our control the printers had let us down, and only delivered two boxes which arrived at 6.50 pm direct from Crewe by a courier. Regarding the dug outs - where should they be, if not by the pitch. Finally last season we hosted 3 sell out games to Stockport and Peterborough,with in excess of 2800, with only 1 complaint about a man spilling coffee over his hand that was too hot !! I think that our ground and turnstiles coped very well with the 738 people attending last night. 'How the hell will we be allowed into the Conerence South' ? Simple... by beating you last night and beating Carshalton on Saturday ! Sorry you did not enjoy the experience.

[Del]

No problem getting into conference south but with no space behind the goals you may struggle if you wish to go higher.
You have however made great strides with the ground over the last few years and i'm a little surprised that you haven't been after an alternative site that will allow you to expand.

[frakey]

Oh dear, someone has upset Staines' Angie. To be fair, she was very helpful with her posts pre-match and yes, Wheatsheaf Lane 2009 is 100% improvement on the previous incarnation, not that that would have been too difficult.

However, we do have a point. I believe the capacity is around 2,700 and while segregation is possible what is behind both goals is, in effect, a mere walkway. The ground is ok for Connie South but after that they surely have no chance.

The home support is lacking though & I dread to think what the wage bill is at Staines but then, since when has gate receipts alone sustained any club at this level in the past thirty years, save for Corinthian Casuals?

Staines deserved last night's victory but Angie your coment about beating us last night, if designed to cause a "rise" won't work 'cos the vast majority of U's fans knew it would be so anyway.

As for the U's team last night, they kept going throughout & whilst not having the drive of the athletic & talented Staines team portrayed some tremendous committment to the final whistle. Save for at Dover & possibly Wealdstone, it has been a trade mark of Dos team that they kep playing 'till the end.

Thans to PD and the lads for an enjoyable season that has put a smile back on the face of U's fans this season, just as he promised last summer.

As for last night's ref, well his performance did not affect the result but he was another poor, inconsistent official and while nowhere near the worst we've had this season he was probably just par for the course for the Ryman League.

Message to me though, I must stop getting so angry with ref's. I've been bad this season mainly borne out of being frustarted as how some can appear to get so much so wrong in a game. Last night Staines, knowing they had the height & presence to deal with our set pieces were happy to foul ten yards or so o/s their box constantly and not one yellow card was issued. That Mr Ref, means you've got MUG written all over you. If I can work it out as a mediocre Sunday morning official, then why the foo can't you? Oops, I'm getting angry again, LOL.

Oh well, 5th in the league & the play-offs. FA Cup 1st round & some enjoyable matches witnessed. All this without an allegedly dictatorial sugar-daddy running the show. I'm happy.

[Gareth]

Congratulations to Staines.....good footballing side that they've put together and I guess it was one game to far for us. Maybe if we'd been playing one of the other 2 sides we'd have had more of a chance of progressing but on the night they fully deserved the win.

Thanks to everybody on and off the pitch who's made this season so enjoyable. It was always going to be hard turning around the club almost full-circle in 12 months, but to have come so close can only spur everyone on for next season.

Last night was the last competitive first-team game I will see now until I get back from my travels in November so you lot had better make sure we've got the league won by the time I get back ;D

[1hughjaynus]

A enjoyable evening despite the result. My observations were that David Hughes looked spent (maybe Saturdays game and his testimonial were too much) and Deano looked like he was struggling first half, plus Chukki was ineffective so basically that was the backbone of the side. Against a team of Staines quality that was always going to put us on the back foot. We looked a bit more lively when Danny Phillips and Steve Watts were introduced but it was a bit late by then. Staines were quality, they broke quick, moved the ball round fast and seemed to have a yard of pace on us. Shame they get small crowds to appreciate their play.