One Game at a Time:
Accrington Stanley (A) March 21st
So, apologies for the late arrival of this OGAAT. I mean not as late as the confession that Ipswich don’t have enough players called up to actually justify calling of the Barnsley game, but late none the less.
Sometimes it is worth just taking some time to think about what is happening before our very eyes. At this time of the season last year, we had just defeated Pompous at home and were about to take on Accrington Stanley (who were to be mercilessly despatched four nil).
Spirits were high, and even though we faced a tough run in there was every optimism that we could have an unexpected shot at a play-off campaign.
Nine games later a dispirited Home Park watched as a triumphant MK Dons side were equally as merciless in crushing those play-off hopes.
Roll forward to the same point of the season this time around and once again, after 37 games we are well in the mix. Nine points better off than the same point last season, with the top teams all played and with the best head-to-head of all those teams in the bank. Were it not for the relentless form of three other good sides, all with substantially better financial support behind them, we would be close to confirming our automatic promotion challenge. As it is we sit a massive seventeen points ahead of the team chasing the last play-off space, Posh.
Once again Accrington are on the horizon, as we play our last league game for a few weeks, with the players able to rest as well as enjoy a rare trip to Wembley for the EFL trophy against T’Wanderers of Bolton.
After the disappointment of a long and fruitless trip to Barnsley, a very different style of opposition arrived at Home Park for this week’s fixture. If Barnsley were all high press and action, FGR arrived content to set up a defensive barricade along the edge of the six-yard box and try and hold out for a point. Once that option was removed, courtesy of a thumping first headed goal for the club by the recalled James Bolton, then option two for the less than adventurous FGR appeared to be to make sure their already desperate goal difference didn’t become too badly damaged for the remaining eighty minutes.
With Bali Mumba steering home another early second half headed goal which effectively ended the non-contest as a contest, the only surprise was the assist coming from the adventurous wide play of James Wilson.
Two on target efforts, two goals were easily enough to secure the three points for Argyle, which gained two on the Champions elect (c Sheffield Star) and maintained the distance to the pursuing Ipswich and Barnsley. Barnsley play one of their games in hand on the same night as the Accrington trip, when they take on the current leaders Wednesday for the bragging rights in South Yorkshire (as long as you exclude the Blades and Rotherham). In fact, to give them their due Barnsley will be looking to complete a league double over the Wendies, which, given they have remained undefeated for a half season is no small achievement.
By the time Argyle return to league action, with a Good Friday trip to Morecambe, the fixture list will have unwound somewhat. Wednesday will have played their two games in hand on us, away trips against a hopefully less passive FGR and a handily resurgent of late, Alfie May inspired, Cheltenham Town. While we stroll around Wembley, they will have Lincoln visiting. Currently they are managing a slight injury crisis, as Byers may be out for the rest of the season, and Windass left Saturdays game in a moon boot, although in Sheffield that may be a fashion statement. As ever Darren Moore reckons all his injury doubts could be fit for tonight. As ever the Wendie fans thinks that means they are all in intensive care.
Ipswich will be having the weekend off, courtesy of that suspect international break, before a trip to stumbling Derby. Sheep versus Farmers. Where is Dave Walter when you need him? Hopefully the “immutable law of the ex” clicks in for McGoldrick who spent some time at Portman Road.
Barnsley follow their game against their local rivals with a long old poke down to the other six toes of the division, Exeter. Too much to hope for our county cousins to do us a small or large favour I suspect. They will be saving themselves for the big game coming at the end of the Easter weekend. They then enter their run of eight games in 29 days through April, so if they maintain their form through that run of games, one will reluctantly have to tip their hat to them. It starts at home to Derek’s Morecambe, who need the points and will be set up not to concede, so fingers crossed.
Derby have a trip to Posh to warm them up to for the Ipswich game. In reality, they are out of the automatic picture along with fellow Wembley travellers Bolton, so the only other real significance for them will be if, and it is a big if, they could do us a favour on the final day at Hillsborough.
All of which will be somewhat more academic if the right result isn’t accomplished at the Wham Stadium tonight for Argyle. With the way the pursuing clubs keep grinding out results, the only game we can be assured they don’t both get three points is when Ipswich finally pluck up the courage to play their fixture at the Dingledome. Of course, just as we look at their fixtures, they are obsessing over our immaculate home form (those two errant results aside), but just as one day the Wednesday run will come to an end, the One Game at a Time mantra has never been more pressing.
Stanley come into the game with a number of long term injuries and also a crop of suspensions, as well as having lost their last two home games. With two wins in their last eleven league games (home wins though, against the Shrews and FGR) pressure is mounting on John Coleman as they have slipped into the bottom four at the weekend, leapfrogged by MK Dons who took the three points at the weekend.
Stanley have already accumulated seven red cards this season. One of which came in the bizarre double sending off at Home Park that involved Dan Scarr being dismissed for being fouled. Two of the cards belong to on loan keeper Brian Jenson, who managed the fairly impressive stat of being sent off twice, ten minutes apart, at the end of the game at Ipswich, and then early in his return after a one match ban at home to Pompey.
That has meant the recall of reserve keeper Toby Savin , who was on loan at Stevenage, and who himself saw red at Home Park in a four nil defeat last season.
Coleman called the sending off at Ipswich, a circus, where away teams like his do not get the rub of the green, although from highlights it looked a nailed on red card. Whilst two reds in ten minutes, albeit eight days apart is good going, it is our old friends the Wendies who hold one record, when in their Premiership days they had Kevin Pressman dismissed after a mere thirteen seconds.
No-one however would envy now retired Tomassi Berni, who was sent off from the bench twice during his days at Inter Milan, against Cagliari for sarcastically applauding the referee for a red card against someone who was actually on the pitch, and then later the same season, against Parma, for dissent. It is perhaps not surprising, that his only stint in English football, despite never making an appearance, was for the Crazy Gang of Wimbledon.
If that was taking the pee, then Connor Maseko hit the headlines earlier this season when sent off for literally taking a leak in a bush during an FA Cup qualifying game, whilst playing for Blackfield & Langley against Shepton Mallett. The offence took place whilst retrieving the ball for a goal kick so expect it to be added to the Why Come roster of delaying tactics any day now.
Argyle are on a run of four straight wins against Stanley, notable in the main for being the source of Niall Enniss’s first Pilgrims goal as a starter, ten days after his first ever club goal, also against Stanley in a draw at Home Park, and, to date Jordan Houghtons last one. But we all know, as no doubt our confident and consistent pursuers also understand, that having had success does not guarantee it will continue.
Bill Gates said, “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” As we saw last Saturday, success comes in many forms. It isn’t always comfortable or pretty but Winston Churchill, who knew a thing or two about persistence and winning against the odds, nailed it.
"It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required."
That’s all we need for the team and our magnificent travelling support tonight. To do what is required.
COYG!!
Accrington Stanley (A) March 21st
So, apologies for the late arrival of this OGAAT. I mean not as late as the confession that Ipswich don’t have enough players called up to actually justify calling of the Barnsley game, but late none the less.
Sometimes it is worth just taking some time to think about what is happening before our very eyes. At this time of the season last year, we had just defeated Pompous at home and were about to take on Accrington Stanley (who were to be mercilessly despatched four nil).
Spirits were high, and even though we faced a tough run in there was every optimism that we could have an unexpected shot at a play-off campaign.
Nine games later a dispirited Home Park watched as a triumphant MK Dons side were equally as merciless in crushing those play-off hopes.
Roll forward to the same point of the season this time around and once again, after 37 games we are well in the mix. Nine points better off than the same point last season, with the top teams all played and with the best head-to-head of all those teams in the bank. Were it not for the relentless form of three other good sides, all with substantially better financial support behind them, we would be close to confirming our automatic promotion challenge. As it is we sit a massive seventeen points ahead of the team chasing the last play-off space, Posh.
Once again Accrington are on the horizon, as we play our last league game for a few weeks, with the players able to rest as well as enjoy a rare trip to Wembley for the EFL trophy against T’Wanderers of Bolton.
After the disappointment of a long and fruitless trip to Barnsley, a very different style of opposition arrived at Home Park for this week’s fixture. If Barnsley were all high press and action, FGR arrived content to set up a defensive barricade along the edge of the six-yard box and try and hold out for a point. Once that option was removed, courtesy of a thumping first headed goal for the club by the recalled James Bolton, then option two for the less than adventurous FGR appeared to be to make sure their already desperate goal difference didn’t become too badly damaged for the remaining eighty minutes.
With Bali Mumba steering home another early second half headed goal which effectively ended the non-contest as a contest, the only surprise was the assist coming from the adventurous wide play of James Wilson.
Two on target efforts, two goals were easily enough to secure the three points for Argyle, which gained two on the Champions elect (c Sheffield Star) and maintained the distance to the pursuing Ipswich and Barnsley. Barnsley play one of their games in hand on the same night as the Accrington trip, when they take on the current leaders Wednesday for the bragging rights in South Yorkshire (as long as you exclude the Blades and Rotherham). In fact, to give them their due Barnsley will be looking to complete a league double over the Wendies, which, given they have remained undefeated for a half season is no small achievement.
By the time Argyle return to league action, with a Good Friday trip to Morecambe, the fixture list will have unwound somewhat. Wednesday will have played their two games in hand on us, away trips against a hopefully less passive FGR and a handily resurgent of late, Alfie May inspired, Cheltenham Town. While we stroll around Wembley, they will have Lincoln visiting. Currently they are managing a slight injury crisis, as Byers may be out for the rest of the season, and Windass left Saturdays game in a moon boot, although in Sheffield that may be a fashion statement. As ever Darren Moore reckons all his injury doubts could be fit for tonight. As ever the Wendie fans thinks that means they are all in intensive care.
Ipswich will be having the weekend off, courtesy of that suspect international break, before a trip to stumbling Derby. Sheep versus Farmers. Where is Dave Walter when you need him? Hopefully the “immutable law of the ex” clicks in for McGoldrick who spent some time at Portman Road.
Barnsley follow their game against their local rivals with a long old poke down to the other six toes of the division, Exeter. Too much to hope for our county cousins to do us a small or large favour I suspect. They will be saving themselves for the big game coming at the end of the Easter weekend. They then enter their run of eight games in 29 days through April, so if they maintain their form through that run of games, one will reluctantly have to tip their hat to them. It starts at home to Derek’s Morecambe, who need the points and will be set up not to concede, so fingers crossed.
Derby have a trip to Posh to warm them up to for the Ipswich game. In reality, they are out of the automatic picture along with fellow Wembley travellers Bolton, so the only other real significance for them will be if, and it is a big if, they could do us a favour on the final day at Hillsborough.
All of which will be somewhat more academic if the right result isn’t accomplished at the Wham Stadium tonight for Argyle. With the way the pursuing clubs keep grinding out results, the only game we can be assured they don’t both get three points is when Ipswich finally pluck up the courage to play their fixture at the Dingledome. Of course, just as we look at their fixtures, they are obsessing over our immaculate home form (those two errant results aside), but just as one day the Wednesday run will come to an end, the One Game at a Time mantra has never been more pressing.
Stanley come into the game with a number of long term injuries and also a crop of suspensions, as well as having lost their last two home games. With two wins in their last eleven league games (home wins though, against the Shrews and FGR) pressure is mounting on John Coleman as they have slipped into the bottom four at the weekend, leapfrogged by MK Dons who took the three points at the weekend.
Stanley have already accumulated seven red cards this season. One of which came in the bizarre double sending off at Home Park that involved Dan Scarr being dismissed for being fouled. Two of the cards belong to on loan keeper Brian Jenson, who managed the fairly impressive stat of being sent off twice, ten minutes apart, at the end of the game at Ipswich, and then early in his return after a one match ban at home to Pompey.
That has meant the recall of reserve keeper Toby Savin , who was on loan at Stevenage, and who himself saw red at Home Park in a four nil defeat last season.
Coleman called the sending off at Ipswich, a circus, where away teams like his do not get the rub of the green, although from highlights it looked a nailed on red card. Whilst two reds in ten minutes, albeit eight days apart is good going, it is our old friends the Wendies who hold one record, when in their Premiership days they had Kevin Pressman dismissed after a mere thirteen seconds.
No-one however would envy now retired Tomassi Berni, who was sent off from the bench twice during his days at Inter Milan, against Cagliari for sarcastically applauding the referee for a red card against someone who was actually on the pitch, and then later the same season, against Parma, for dissent. It is perhaps not surprising, that his only stint in English football, despite never making an appearance, was for the Crazy Gang of Wimbledon.
If that was taking the pee, then Connor Maseko hit the headlines earlier this season when sent off for literally taking a leak in a bush during an FA Cup qualifying game, whilst playing for Blackfield & Langley against Shepton Mallett. The offence took place whilst retrieving the ball for a goal kick so expect it to be added to the Why Come roster of delaying tactics any day now.
Argyle are on a run of four straight wins against Stanley, notable in the main for being the source of Niall Enniss’s first Pilgrims goal as a starter, ten days after his first ever club goal, also against Stanley in a draw at Home Park, and, to date Jordan Houghtons last one. But we all know, as no doubt our confident and consistent pursuers also understand, that having had success does not guarantee it will continue.
Bill Gates said, “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” As we saw last Saturday, success comes in many forms. It isn’t always comfortable or pretty but Winston Churchill, who knew a thing or two about persistence and winning against the odds, nailed it.
"It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required."
That’s all we need for the team and our magnificent travelling support tonight. To do what is required.
COYG!!
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