Sutton 1 Tonbridge 2

[johnnie1]

Expect Tonbridge to be really up for this, especially up front where they have struggled recently. We should beat them if on our game though

[localboy86]

From the Tonbridge forum previewing the game tomorrow...

"As a rule we generally save one of our better away performances for this bunch of over confident ponces"

They seem nice!! Hope we continue our winning run and stuff this lot. I believe we will go second if we win.

[Amber Aleman]

With Eastleigh and Ebbsfleet involved in the Trophy today, three points for Sutton would take us 2nd.

Let's hope we can keep the winning run going.

[garethl]

Afraid it was another dire home performance. Missed opportunity. In slight mitigation the wind made it a difficult day for football but we have to find a way to win in those conditions. We looked lacking in drive and energy, as well as lightweight at times. Never looked on it or sharp enough at the back either and all in all we got what we deserved. Didn't get our attacking players involved anywhere near enough. No difference on the day between 3rd from bottom and 3rd in the league. Disappointing, especially following closely on from Dorchester debacle, but we move on. Hope we can remain in and around the play offs but we are not helping ourselves by failing to turn up at home.

[bornatotter]

As the wind picked up just before kick off it was clear this wasn't gonna be a classic and it was a question of who would adapt best. Tonbridge's physical bullying game came out on top. I was surprised we didn't start with the more solid line up that finished so well on Monday night as the conditions seemed to suit the five across the back with the wingbacks pushing on. Charlie took the first goal well from a good cross in from Mitch but there were already warning signs as the angels front two pressed our defence hard with their pace and running and we looked to be exposed a bit to easily. And so it proved as they levelled and continued to press us hard all over the park. We just didn't seem to be able to cope with either their strong arm tactics or the fierce wind. As they took the lead we took slabbs off and for a while cloughy went up front but our service to the forwards either from open play or set pieces simply wasn't good enough. One fine free kick off the post and a couple of scrambles in the six yard box were really the sum total of our efforts to pull this around and as we pushed up there was a constant threat at the other end and we could easily have ended up further behind. Did we maybe look a bit leggy as the game drifted away from us? Possibly. Disappointing day for us and again our home form let us down on a day we could have gone second. Work to do. Not a disaster but with Tuesday at gosport off the tough trip to Ebbsfleet on Saturday looms large. That should be a decent game.

[markf2]

Firstly, apologies to the ref as I was convinced he was issuing a second yellow to their fella in the second half: still, the measure of belief in his own ability was that he checked with both assistants to make sure I was wrong.

Back to him later. Fair play to Angels who continued their fine form at GGL in the CS with this win. Bizarrely we played better in the second half but conceded what was the winner after losing possession on the edge of Angels' box. No argument with the finish though, excellent.

Like the Dorchester match, I thought we lost this in the first half though as we failed to really master the conditions with the wind on our backs and except for Mitchell's cross for Cloughy's header, which he attacked brilliantly, our delivery was not great all afternoon.

Angels were lively up front with 9, 10 & 11 prominent but the goal we conceded was scored by Pipes sneaking in behind and as a result, probably onside for a simple finish.

Was Ali fouled inside or out, should it have been a red card as had the tackle not been made Ali would have had only the'keeper to beat? Ok, Mitch probably got away with one on Monday night but this ref didn't even issue the Angels defender with the softer option. But then, the use of cards at this level this season has been quite awful, so he is not alone.

I'm not sure we did enough to win even if you count the three clearances off the line and Ali's free-kick hitting the woodwork care of the slightest touch from the 'keeper but even though we struggled to impose ourselves I thought we should have got a point.

Bromley are now 13 points clear of U's and while everyone waits for them to blow up they keep striding on, transferring their unerring home form into two away wins on the trot. I think we must accept they are the real deal this season, which shows how well we can play having beaten them at home earlier this season.

We need to start getting back to that level, or near it and I suspect Gosport drawing may be a blessing in disguise bearing in mind the amount of footy coming up over the Christmas/NY period.

Ebbsfleet will be tough but let's hope for a calmer afternoon weather wise as today's conditions certainly did not suit our purpose. No excuses though, Tonbridge took their chances we didn't.

[os]

Although we created enough to win the game today, the final ball again wasn't great and the crosses were over hit time and time again. Yes the windy conditions didn't help but why not simply have someone running in at the back, he would have had 4 or 5 easy headers back into the danger area instead of the ball just sailing out of play.

We had a man on the corner camera today so that should tell us if it was in or outside the box? My view it was just inside.

That's 2 wins from our 4 matches against bottom sides in the last couple of weeks and 2 home defeats. Today TA had the ball in our net 4 times which tbh shows our defensive frailties along with scrapping home against Maidenhead and being somewhat fortunate at Boreham Wood to get all 3pts. Defensively we were a complete shambles today, Tom's distribution was poor throughout and our defenders dwelt on the ball often failing on regulation clearances and simply picking men up. Yes there front were a handful but if they were that good TA would not have been 3rd from bottom before start of play.

I couldn't be more disappointed in the way we defended with players who are more then good enough looking like they met 10mins before KO. Downer if fit has to play and maybe we need to look at reestablishing the back four that went 5 or 6 games without conceding?

I still question JT's move to Eastbourne on loan, its one thing losing one of your best players but its another scoring against yourself!!!!

[markf2]

Having seen Paul's photos (excellent clarity by the way), it looks like initial contact was outside. So, no pen.

[dof]

.....with the promise of going 2nd in the table proved too much today. I thought it was a lack lustre display especially in the fist half, although a big improvement in second. The defence seemed suspect against a quick breaking Tonbridge attack, who generally seemed up for it today. Our long ball approach, often over hit in windy conditions, and with playing surface very slippery with players loosing their foothold when promising positions. Yes we did have shots kicked off the line and hitting the post, but they also had several very good opportunities to add to the two they scored. Must now look forward to a rewarding Christmas period, and hope that the teams above us have mini periods of loss of form. Onwards and upwards.

[wellie]

We were crap and deserved what we got.F**k all!PLay offs no chance and to blame the wind is stupid (same for both teams)What is worse i live in bloody Tonbridge and the E-Mails have already started!

[os]

Dec 14, 2013 21:41:25 GMT wellie said:

We were crap and deserved what we got.F**k all!PLay offs no chance and to blame the wind is stupid (same for both teams)What is worse i live in bloody Tonbridge and the E-Mails have already started!

You are just down the A21 from me then, the Chronicle will be full of it next week but its nice to know I am not alone in my Kent suffering

[Amber Aleman]

Just when we thought the team had got through its sticky patch, the lads put in what must be a strong contender for worst performance of the season. I agree with Wellie that we can't blame the wind! Yes, Tonbridge were a bit physical but so were a few other sides we've met lately. Our defending was shambolic at times and our attacking play had little fluency. Our best chances came from free kicks but we squandered most of those.

Most of us accept a poor performance from time to time, but what's starting to look worrying is our miserable home form since October. We've now lost four of our last five games at GGL, and all those defeats were to teams some way below us in the rankings. That's not going to do a lot for attendances.

To rub salt into our wounds, Jamie Taylor scored again for Eastbourne whose win takes them above us in the table. If Stortford beat Staines on Tuesday we'd slip another place to fifth.

The latest postponement of the midweek trip to Gosport at least gives the team a week to prepare for what I reckon is a really important match at Ebbsfleet next Saturday.

[SpiderBee]

.

[Andy K]

I have to admit that I agree with Wellie. The surface wasn't that slippy compared to other games recently, and the wind played no factor in our defeat, and certainly had nothing to do with the 2 goals we let in. It may have helped the dropped catch from Tom which rolled into the net and luckily got ruled out for offside. But the reason we lost was because we were very very poor today. Terrible defending for their first goal, and McCallum losing possession cheaply in their half allowed them to attack, and from what I remember, we certainly outnumbered that attack and had plenty of opportunity to deal with it and failed to.

In the league I think we've looked unconvincing since the Eastleigh game - sometimes we've done enough to win, whilst other times we've let ourselves down. Today we let ourselves down badly.

[baboonfish]

To me the defeat was down to a shambolic defensive display. We created enough to win the game IF we had turned up defensively. Credit to Tonbridge who repeatedly exposed our weaknesses (especially our right side), but there is simply no excuse for allowing a team from the other end of the table to come to GGL and create 6 or 7 clear cut chances. The back 4 was very poor today but they got no protection. AS soon as Rivs went off they were completely exposed, and Mitch, with no wide player in front of him, was in for a truly torrid time. Still, the defence looked lazy and if Skip was a racehorse I think he might have been taken out and shot after repeatedly losing the battle with Tonbridge's attacking players. However, In defence of the defence I just dont think its ever wise to play without a holding midfielder, even if going all out for goals. Ali should have dropped in to give us some cover and thats down to some poor tactics on the day. You can point to a distinct lack of luck in front of goal (how on earth Ali's rebounded free kick and Binns' crisp half volley stayed out I do not know!) but the fact is we deserved a point at best.