5:30pm Friday 20th November 2009
By Dave Hockaday
THE games are coming thick- and-fast at the moment. Two tough back-to-back Blue Square Premier home games against Stevenage Borough on Saturday and leaders Oxford United on Tuesday.
The attitude of the players to a double session is as always excellent and we are definitely beginning to see the benefits of a much tougher training regime in the improved fitness and power of the squad.
Tomi Ameobi and Oli Thorne were still not quite fit for the trip to Altrincham and Lee Ayres has a jab in his hip to aid his recovery, so the team pretty much picked itself.
I do need to get to the point where there is competition for all places but that will have to wait for the moment.
The week`s training goes really well and the team seem well prepared for the game at Altrincham. We kicked-off and within 10 seconds should have been ahead as Stonehouse is sent clear but he pulls his shot wide.
But the home team then pull ahead, first with a free header from a corner, and then from a throw in down our left side - very poor defending and a mountain to climb away from home. However, this team is now a much different outfit from the start of the season and we start our comeback with a superb move and well-taken goal from Smith.
We dominated proceedings for the rest of the game with 10 shots on target to their none! Platt, Stonehouse, Powell, Smith and Rigg all test their goalkeeper who is quite rightly given man-of-the-match for the hosts.
The introduction of Powell on the right and the deployment of Smith up front give us even more impetus and it is only a matter of time before we equalise with a defence-splitting ball from Rocastle allowing Rigg to score.
Not content with a draw we then tried to win the game and in the final minute their goalkeeper somehow kept out a close range effort from McDonald.
Once again I can only be delighted with our performance and yet feel frustrated that we have not got our just rewards.
We must learn to be more clinical to add to our possession and territory and our improving fitness levels. We are definitely on the right lines and it can only be a matter of time before we really punish an opponent with a bag full of goals.
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