Nomads update

Although the score line was disappointing, the overall performance from the Nomads on Saturday was encouraging to say the least. Credit to Penn and Tylers they moved the ball quickly and took their chances well.

The timing of their goals were critical to the shape of the game. All but one of them were preventable though, as they emanated from errors that we made. We changed the shape at half time in an effort to get back into the game but the fourth goal coming so soon after the break killed us off. We played some really good football in the second half, once we got it down and started to pass the ball and could have scored at least another goal ourselves but in general our final ball let us down and we just could not get men forward into their box often enough.

On the plus side big Milan Barisic gave an almost faultless display in the home goal, making good saves, handling well and getting his angles spot on. There were some sublime glimpses of skill from young Aaron Williams, who was again the victim of some very close marking and Jon Hawkins made some fine attacking forays. Jon has a good size and is a good athlete. He is well balanced and has that change of pace and foot that enables him to go past people at will. I have spoken to Justin about a few of these lads and we intend giving them a run against the Japanese touring side that is visiting us next week, hopefully along with one or two of Duncan's talented youth squad. They will be supplemented by several first team players.

Tomorrow night the Nomads face the midweek journey to Stroud to take on Premier Division Shortwood United in the floodlight Cup. It's never easy to assemble players for midweek games and tomorrow has proved no different but we are confident that whoever pulls on the shirt will do so with pride and give a good account of themselves.

This weekend Justin and the boys travel to in form Bracknell and will be looking to get back amongst the points. There is no doubt that everyone in the division can pretty much beat anyone on their day and apart from the top two and bottom two the points are going to be very evenly shared.

The Nomads do have a game on Saturday after all, a rearranged fixture with Marlow United.
If you are not making the relatively short trip to Bracknell, try and get down and give them a cheer (at least it will get you away from the Christmas shopping!) the crowd was very sparse last weekend and this set of young players could really do with your support.

Pre-Taunton Match

Thankfully Justin and Fordy are back this week!! (so away with the coat and clipboard again)

This Saturday the lads travel to Taunton and must be in with a really good chance of getting something from the game. When we played them at our place they were very effective but this week they've lost striker Steve Cook to Chippenham. He did most of the damage when they came to us, so he will be a big loss to them.

I enjoyed being back amongst the lads again last week, they responded well and we were all disappointed not to win but that said we would have all taken the draw as the clock approached 89 minutes!

Dave Matzen, who has been managing the Nomads and running the social club at the same time, has found that a difficult juggling act and wants to now concentrate on building the social side of our business up. He has done a great job for the club both on the field and off after stepping into the breach at the eleventh hour.

Matty Hunt, who is the Nomads coach, will be assuming responsibility for the team now and in the short term i have agreed to step in and help him out, whilst we try and find a long term replacement.

Me and Matty went to school together and also played for Oxford Boys, Oxon County Youth, Oxford United (youth and reserves) and Witney Town together. He played behind me at left back and i guess, in those days, i was what you would now term a left sided wide player!!. He deserves the wholehearted support of the club as he's done great since he came in alongside Darren Davies last season. Together we will do our level best to continue to get the best from the young and highly talented squad that has been assembled.

If you are not venturing to Taunton, why not come down and give the Nomads your support, as they take on Penn and Tylers Green at the City.

Hanwell Match Reaction

As has always been the case in the Southern League, you have to grind and graft to earn every point that you win and that proved very much the case on Saturday.

The lads were well up for the game and thus started very brightly but we just could not find that quality or cutting edge in the last third and as the half wore on you could sense the confidence growing in Hanwell and indeed they had the better of the last fifteen minutes.
As was mentioned (and rightly so) on the message board, we really didn't get going in the second half until Hanwell scored. It was de ja vous of the Paulton and Beaconsfield games, when former Slough midfielder Metcalfe let fly some 25 yards out.

I didn't feel that either the referee or the linesman were in good enough positions to award the goal, as the shot dropped from the underside of the bar and i politely made that point to them after the game. I quickly looked to the linesman when it happened and he was half way between the half way line and the goal line. That said it all resulted from a poor defensive header from us and a failure to press the ball as it dropped to Metcalfe. After that i thought we really grasped the mantle and worked hard to get ourselves back in the game.

In the last ten minutes we got a real head of steam up and enjoyed some good vocal support from behind the goal. I always felt that we might grab a goal and there was no doubting that we deserved at least a draw. Alex Stewart's thunderous free kick was indeed a worthy equaliser. Another five minutes would, i feel, have seen us win it and we went very close when Anthony Alleyne broke away and both Ray Spence and Lee Rendell just failed to make contact as the ball squirmed across the face of the goal.

It was one of those games where the substitutions did make a difference with Billy Beechers, Rendell and Alleyne all giving us an extra edge, particularly when we went to 3-4-3.
Football has always been and will always be a game of opinions and we will all have players that we prefer, or that are easy on the eye and quite rightly people make their feelings known. I have always believed it to be important that supporters at least know the managers perspective, even if not agreeing with it!!

I would never substitute Ray unless he was injured or in danger of being sent off, because with his pace and finishing capabilities he can always nick you a goal. On Saturday it wasn't quite happening for Stretch or Ray but then again we weren't providing much in the way of ammunition for either striker. When there is no real pattern to a game you are always likely to leave a big lad like Stretch on because he's always capable of creating aerial problems in the opposition box, where second balls can drop off him and create openings for others.
On Saturday i was also mindful of the fact that he was doing a good marking job on Hanwell's giant centre back Mark Stevens at defensive set pieces.

Stevo played for me at Witney, Newbury and Wantage and i thought did a really good job for Hanwell on Saturday. All the players adapted well to me being in charge again, despite us having to make late changes from the team that Justin Merritt had left me to play.
The senior players, like Mark Jones, Adam Durrant and Mark Avery all stepped up to the plate and gave a little extra to the cause. Omar Takriti i felt had a fine game alongside Aves and Liam Malone had a steady debut. Once he adjusts to the quicker pace of Southern League football he will doubtless prove a real asset. He's a neat continuity passer and gets about the opposition and the pitch well.

Any team are going to miss the likes of Justin, Fordy and Crakes if only for their leadership and guidance out on the park but i felt the lads attitude was good, they all put a shift in and stuck at their task.

Interesting watching Salisbury and Notts Forest in the F A Cup yesterday.
Luke Prince did well, you may remember him from the period where me and Paul Lee worked together here at City? and on the opposite side was Danny Cullip, a great lad, who me and Pete Foley had with us at Marlow. I was pleased for former Bashley boss Barry Blankley, who is now a part of the Whites coaching set up.