18-09-2016, 17:11
Defeat at the Death
Everyone will have seen it. We were the better side but didn't make it count. We dominated the first half but only created (& missed) two good chances - Fessi's shot blocked when one on one with the keeper and Abdi's header going just over.
We took the lead when Fletcher cleverly flicked the ball on and Hooper outpaced the Birmingham defence and finished adroitly. We allowed them back in the game when Westwood had a rush of blood to the head & brought down Donaldson to give away a penalty. Despite Donaldson's record of hitting his spot kicks down the centre, Westwood dived out of the way.
We then allowed an injury time winner when Reach allowed Maghoma too much space to get in a free cross.
We are close to being a very good side but we still have weaknesses that stop us being a team challenging for automatic promotion.
We need to create more & better chances. Two or three half chances isn't enough for the dominance that we had.
Westwood - 4
Palmer - 7
Lees - 6
Loovens - 6
Reach - 7
Wallace - 6
Lee - 7
Bannan - 7
Abdi - 6
Fessi - 6
Fletcher - 7
................................
Hooper - 7
Nuhiu - 4
Buckley - 7
Stat Attack:
Goals: 1 - Hooper
Assists: 1 - Fletcher
Touches: 85 - Reach, 77 - Lees, 75 - Bannan, 63 - Palmer, 53 - Fessi, 52 - Loovens, 48 - Fletcher, 43 - Abdi, 41 - Westwood, 39 - Lee, 36 - Wallace, 11 - Nuhiu, 8 - Buckley, 6 - Hooper
Tackles: 5 - Fessi, Lee, 3 - Palmer, Reach, Abdi, 1 - Lees, Wallace, Bannan, Fletcher, Buckley
Interceptions: 6 - Bannan, 5 - Reach, 3 - Lees, 2 - Palmer, 1 - Loovens, Lee, Fessi, Fletcher
Clearances: 8 - Lees, 4 - Loovens, 1 - Palmer, Reach, Abdi, Fletcher, Hooper
Attempts: 3 - Fessi, 2 - Bannan, Abdi, 1 - Wallace, Nuhiu, Hooper, Buckley
Attempts On Target: 1 - Fessi, Hooper
Key Passes: 5 - Fletcher, 2 - Fessi, 1 - Palmer, Reach, Bannan, Abdi
Dribbles: 2 - Reach, 1 - Bannan
Dispossessed: 3 - Lee, Fessi, 2 - Reach, 1 - Bannan, Abdi, Nuhiu, Fletcher
Bad Control: 4 - Fletcher, 2 - Reach, Wallace, 1 - Palmer, Abdi, Fessi, Nuhiu, Buckley
Crosses (Accurate in brackets): 5 - Reach (2), 4 - Fessi (1), 3 - Palmer (2), 2 - Buckley (1),
Passing Accuracy (Total Passes in Brackets):
100% - Hooper (3), Buckley (2), 92% - Lee (26), 90% - Wallace (29), 89% - Loovens (45), 88% - Bannan (67), 85% - Fessi (34), Reach (47), 77% - Lees (64), 75% - Abdi (32), 70% - Fletcher (37), 67% - Palmer (42), 43% - Westwood (30), 25% - Nuhiu (8)
I mentioned last season about Nuhiu's inability to head the ball down and it appears that there has been little improvement and here it probably cost us all three points. Palmer's 91st minute cross was perfect and had Nuhiu just nodded it in, we would be looking at everything very differently now.
Our home form is fine & we will get enough home wins but we haven't got off the ground in away matches yet and need to find 10 away wins if we want automatic promotion. That is CC's challenge.
Everyone will have seen it. We were the better side but didn't make it count. We dominated the first half but only created (& missed) two good chances - Fessi's shot blocked when one on one with the keeper and Abdi's header going just over.
We took the lead when Fletcher cleverly flicked the ball on and Hooper outpaced the Birmingham defence and finished adroitly. We allowed them back in the game when Westwood had a rush of blood to the head & brought down Donaldson to give away a penalty. Despite Donaldson's record of hitting his spot kicks down the centre, Westwood dived out of the way.
We then allowed an injury time winner when Reach allowed Maghoma too much space to get in a free cross.
We are close to being a very good side but we still have weaknesses that stop us being a team challenging for automatic promotion.
We need to create more & better chances. Two or three half chances isn't enough for the dominance that we had.
Westwood - 4
Palmer - 7
Lees - 6
Loovens - 6
Reach - 7
Wallace - 6
Lee - 7
Bannan - 7
Abdi - 6
Fessi - 6
Fletcher - 7
................................
Hooper - 7
Nuhiu - 4
Buckley - 7
Stat Attack:
Goals: 1 - Hooper
Assists: 1 - Fletcher
Touches: 85 - Reach, 77 - Lees, 75 - Bannan, 63 - Palmer, 53 - Fessi, 52 - Loovens, 48 - Fletcher, 43 - Abdi, 41 - Westwood, 39 - Lee, 36 - Wallace, 11 - Nuhiu, 8 - Buckley, 6 - Hooper
Tackles: 5 - Fessi, Lee, 3 - Palmer, Reach, Abdi, 1 - Lees, Wallace, Bannan, Fletcher, Buckley
Interceptions: 6 - Bannan, 5 - Reach, 3 - Lees, 2 - Palmer, 1 - Loovens, Lee, Fessi, Fletcher
Clearances: 8 - Lees, 4 - Loovens, 1 - Palmer, Reach, Abdi, Fletcher, Hooper
Attempts: 3 - Fessi, 2 - Bannan, Abdi, 1 - Wallace, Nuhiu, Hooper, Buckley
Attempts On Target: 1 - Fessi, Hooper
Key Passes: 5 - Fletcher, 2 - Fessi, 1 - Palmer, Reach, Bannan, Abdi
Dribbles: 2 - Reach, 1 - Bannan
Dispossessed: 3 - Lee, Fessi, 2 - Reach, 1 - Bannan, Abdi, Nuhiu, Fletcher
Bad Control: 4 - Fletcher, 2 - Reach, Wallace, 1 - Palmer, Abdi, Fessi, Nuhiu, Buckley
Crosses (Accurate in brackets): 5 - Reach (2), 4 - Fessi (1), 3 - Palmer (2), 2 - Buckley (1),
Passing Accuracy (Total Passes in Brackets):
100% - Hooper (3), Buckley (2), 92% - Lee (26), 90% - Wallace (29), 89% - Loovens (45), 88% - Bannan (67), 85% - Fessi (34), Reach (47), 77% - Lees (64), 75% - Abdi (32), 70% - Fletcher (37), 67% - Palmer (42), 43% - Westwood (30), 25% - Nuhiu (8)
I mentioned last season about Nuhiu's inability to head the ball down and it appears that there has been little improvement and here it probably cost us all three points. Palmer's 91st minute cross was perfect and had Nuhiu just nodded it in, we would be looking at everything very differently now.
Our home form is fine & we will get enough home wins but we haven't got off the ground in away matches yet and need to find 10 away wins if we want automatic promotion. That is CC's challenge.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.