Darren Sarll very honestly admitted Woking were beaten by the better side. We might have scored 5. It was the unlikeliest of 0-1 games!
Players who played very well for us
This would usually an empty category, but I'd praise Colclough, Dallas, King and Maguire.
Colclough and Dallas should have scored at least two each, but they were far too hot for Woking to handle throughout.
King was far more cerebral than usual, not launching himself into attack until he thought our dodgy defence had settled.
And Maguire lacks pace, but he can defend and pass and his height was a great advantage when Woking tried to switch to the back post. The bravery he used to show when captain of our Juniors heading in from dead balls was in evidence over our penalty. He stuck his head, took an accidental kick from Kellerman and won us the game.
Decent performers
Mandeville did well in helping our advanced midfield three produce a genuine potent goal threat.
Banks, despite looking ponderous at times, largely did his job and slotted home his penalty with assistance from their over-eager keeper.
Palmer looked laboured when sprinting, but is brave, committed and has positional sense.
Jones does his job, once even made it into a scoring position and was ignored, but is essentially insurance against some shaky defending.
Question marks
Quigley did his job, worked, tried and set some problems, but as ever, wherever he is, you just don't expect him to score and he's a striker.
Grimes, the National League Paper awarded him 7, for me 5 was stretch. He's brave and committed AND clearly a leader, but his reading of the game is poor. In the opening minutes he didn't seem to trust Maguire. First he covered across when Maguire was in position to do the job and when Grimes lost out we were in trouble, and minutes later he appeared to be going to do the same again, Maguire backed off to try and cover, then Grimes himself retreated too, allowing a dangerous cross to be swung in mid height to which our keeper's ejector-seat dive for cover suggested a lone-wolf Lee-Harvey Oswald might be firing from the crowd.
Which leads me to FITZSIMMONS - the window closes in 4 days - going into a play-off final with him between the sticks would be a white flag. Whether he is shaky because he can't read Grimes' random defensive efforts, or whether he is always that flaky I don't know. He does everything in a rush and exudes panic. He grabs at the ball as though it's a chicken's neck in needing of wringing. He looks a wreck. And he came up with a clean sheet ........ there must be a divine presence. Between us, Notts County, Wrexham, Chesterfield and Woking we haven't a reliable keeper. Whatever you do, don't monitor your heart rate when the ball is near our box.
My opinion was that we were very good, especially when going forward. Cookie's formation can work well with these players, especially if McCallum comes in at centre forward. I'd have to exchange Mandeville for Dobra despite the idiot boy rolling around on the floor again pretending to be hurt and having to be told by the ref' to get up, upon which he jumped up and RAN away - roll away the effing stone.
Unfortunately our defence entirely lacks pace, and is not astute enough to cover it in front of a flapping keeper.
But we looked a team and were way better than the team in third place in our league.
Players who played very well for us
This would usually an empty category, but I'd praise Colclough, Dallas, King and Maguire.
Colclough and Dallas should have scored at least two each, but they were far too hot for Woking to handle throughout.
King was far more cerebral than usual, not launching himself into attack until he thought our dodgy defence had settled.
And Maguire lacks pace, but he can defend and pass and his height was a great advantage when Woking tried to switch to the back post. The bravery he used to show when captain of our Juniors heading in from dead balls was in evidence over our penalty. He stuck his head, took an accidental kick from Kellerman and won us the game.
Decent performers
Mandeville did well in helping our advanced midfield three produce a genuine potent goal threat.
Banks, despite looking ponderous at times, largely did his job and slotted home his penalty with assistance from their over-eager keeper.
Palmer looked laboured when sprinting, but is brave, committed and has positional sense.
Jones does his job, once even made it into a scoring position and was ignored, but is essentially insurance against some shaky defending.
Question marks
Quigley did his job, worked, tried and set some problems, but as ever, wherever he is, you just don't expect him to score and he's a striker.
Grimes, the National League Paper awarded him 7, for me 5 was stretch. He's brave and committed AND clearly a leader, but his reading of the game is poor. In the opening minutes he didn't seem to trust Maguire. First he covered across when Maguire was in position to do the job and when Grimes lost out we were in trouble, and minutes later he appeared to be going to do the same again, Maguire backed off to try and cover, then Grimes himself retreated too, allowing a dangerous cross to be swung in mid height to which our keeper's ejector-seat dive for cover suggested a lone-wolf Lee-Harvey Oswald might be firing from the crowd.
Which leads me to FITZSIMMONS - the window closes in 4 days - going into a play-off final with him between the sticks would be a white flag. Whether he is shaky because he can't read Grimes' random defensive efforts, or whether he is always that flaky I don't know. He does everything in a rush and exudes panic. He grabs at the ball as though it's a chicken's neck in needing of wringing. He looks a wreck. And he came up with a clean sheet ........ there must be a divine presence. Between us, Notts County, Wrexham, Chesterfield and Woking we haven't a reliable keeper. Whatever you do, don't monitor your heart rate when the ball is near our box.
My opinion was that we were very good, especially when going forward. Cookie's formation can work well with these players, especially if McCallum comes in at centre forward. I'd have to exchange Mandeville for Dobra despite the idiot boy rolling around on the floor again pretending to be hurt and having to be told by the ref' to get up, upon which he jumped up and RAN away - roll away the effing stone.
Unfortunately our defence entirely lacks pace, and is not astute enough to cover it in front of a flapping keeper.
But we looked a team and were way better than the team in third place in our league.
