Post by Sons FC on Jan 2, 2019 16:25:53 GMT
This was the first game I had been able to attend for a few weeks and blimey, what a game!
Going into the game I feared for the worst given our poor run of results. We had been playing well but we weren't getting the results and we were losing some of them by the odd goal. Confidence was low in the team and didn't think this would be any different. We were talking about losing 4,5 or 6 nil before the game.
Someone in the ticket queue mentioned Rene Gilmartin and said that he held a most unusual statistic when he played for us - he played six games and didn't make a single save - every shot on target went in. I don't know if that is true of not but it was certainly the case yesterday.
Colchester were a man-mountain team, I couldn't believe the size of their players and I thought that when the crosses started coming in there would be easy goals - the thing is, the crosses didn't come.
I can't comment on the sending off - I was at the wrong angle but the referee was not going to give it at first - referees are instructed not to play advantage or let the game proceed if there is a red card offence - they must stop the game. He let play on and I suspect he got a call in his ear from another official.
I also thought that when we went down to 10 men we played our best football. We reverted to our away form and tried to hit on the break with our fast players and it worked.
Colchester's response was a lesson on how not to play against 10 men. Turgid, slow and ponderous build up allowed our defence to re-set and defend down the middle with ease. Instead of widening the play and stretching our defence, the plodding wingers checked, turned back or turned inside almost every time. Their number 7 (Senior) had a game to forget - every time he got the ball we relaxed - he was no threat and did very little with the ball.
The strikers were strong, tall but my goodness they were woeful in front of goal. They had nothing that worried us all game. Frank Nouble looks a great player, he is lightning fast, strong as an ox but as soon as he got to the penalty area he seemed to run out of ideas. The number 9 (Norris?) was no threat at any point. At no time in the match did I think they were going to score. Colchester had about four shots on target in the first half, all comfortably into Morris' midriff and even when they hit the bar, the keeper was right there. I did think though that if that had gone in it would have been 4 or 5.
I don't recall a single shot on target in the second half, which is very poor against 10 men - they seemed to lose their shape and ended up playing with four strikers, so while their ineffective wingers were turning back or inside they had four players standing around doing nothing in and around the box.
I thought every one of the players were magnificent - they played their hearts out and looked good going forward. Special mention for Grego-Cox, Poleon, Luke Gambin and Panutche - they were absolutely outstanding. Very well done also to both Francombe for filling in so well at centre back and Sesay, who looked very accomplished at full back.
The goals were as electric as they were unexpected - this is why we follow the Reds - unbelievable scenes!
I thought the referee was excellent but he did seem to favour us after the sending off, as if he was trying to make up for it.
What a game.
What a result.
GABRIELLE CIOFFI'S RED ARMY!
Going into the game I feared for the worst given our poor run of results. We had been playing well but we weren't getting the results and we were losing some of them by the odd goal. Confidence was low in the team and didn't think this would be any different. We were talking about losing 4,5 or 6 nil before the game.
Someone in the ticket queue mentioned Rene Gilmartin and said that he held a most unusual statistic when he played for us - he played six games and didn't make a single save - every shot on target went in. I don't know if that is true of not but it was certainly the case yesterday.
Colchester were a man-mountain team, I couldn't believe the size of their players and I thought that when the crosses started coming in there would be easy goals - the thing is, the crosses didn't come.
I can't comment on the sending off - I was at the wrong angle but the referee was not going to give it at first - referees are instructed not to play advantage or let the game proceed if there is a red card offence - they must stop the game. He let play on and I suspect he got a call in his ear from another official.
I also thought that when we went down to 10 men we played our best football. We reverted to our away form and tried to hit on the break with our fast players and it worked.
Colchester's response was a lesson on how not to play against 10 men. Turgid, slow and ponderous build up allowed our defence to re-set and defend down the middle with ease. Instead of widening the play and stretching our defence, the plodding wingers checked, turned back or turned inside almost every time. Their number 7 (Senior) had a game to forget - every time he got the ball we relaxed - he was no threat and did very little with the ball.
The strikers were strong, tall but my goodness they were woeful in front of goal. They had nothing that worried us all game. Frank Nouble looks a great player, he is lightning fast, strong as an ox but as soon as he got to the penalty area he seemed to run out of ideas. The number 9 (Norris?) was no threat at any point. At no time in the match did I think they were going to score. Colchester had about four shots on target in the first half, all comfortably into Morris' midriff and even when they hit the bar, the keeper was right there. I did think though that if that had gone in it would have been 4 or 5.
I don't recall a single shot on target in the second half, which is very poor against 10 men - they seemed to lose their shape and ended up playing with four strikers, so while their ineffective wingers were turning back or inside they had four players standing around doing nothing in and around the box.
I thought every one of the players were magnificent - they played their hearts out and looked good going forward. Special mention for Grego-Cox, Poleon, Luke Gambin and Panutche - they were absolutely outstanding. Very well done also to both Francombe for filling in so well at centre back and Sesay, who looked very accomplished at full back.
The goals were as electric as they were unexpected - this is why we follow the Reds - unbelievable scenes!
I thought the referee was excellent but he did seem to favour us after the sending off, as if he was trying to make up for it.
What a game.
What a result.
GABRIELLE CIOFFI'S RED ARMY!