Brief Synopsis sponsored by Bromleigh House

[Lesley Somerville]

If we're serious about promotion we need to learn to be a team of 2 halves.

Far too often our performance is not great in 1 half or the other.

Today we got away with it but against better sides we would almost certainly have dropped points again.

Amazing first half performance though.

I mean, clearly we're not serious about promotion because we've been beaten once and are only top of the league because we've played an extra game. Lowe out!

 

[greensalt]

two brilliant halves of football by us,the first a scintillating attacking show and a stoic rearguard battle against a tough,determined side in the second half.well done to all players.my ratings;Cooper 9, Wilson 10, Scarr 10, Gillesphey 9, Houghton 10, Garrick 10, Camara 6, Broom 9, Grant 9, Hardie 10, Argard 9. my man of the match was wilson

blimey - what scores will you give them if they play well for both halves !!!

 

[slingsbypobble]

We continue to improve, at least in terms of results. Fantastic first half performance, a joy to listen to. Marauding forwards in numbers and should have got more than two.

Second half was harder than it should have been. We lost the upper hand somehow, I guess RL and team will look at what can be done in a future situation like that. A little gamesmanship might have helped our nerves... dare I suggest?

Sitting pretty in first place although Wigan and Blunderland have 2 games in hand.

Absolutely can't complain about things at the moment, it's one of those rare purple patches that reminds us why we follow the Greens through thick and thin.

Massive thanks to RL and the team, and well done Green Army who made themselves impossible to ignore for 90+ minutes.

 

[memory man]

What a strange game football is.

First half, with the freedom of space Burton allowed us to play, we played some delightful football. should have scored more goals. Yet the 2nd before half time was crucial.

Hardie and Broom stood out. Grant took his goal well. Really there was more goals in this game for Argyke.

Then Hasselbaink changed his formation. He made his team press more as a unit and closed down the spaces. Argyle carried on in the same manner.

Atkins took his goal very well. Then the game momentum really swung in Burtons favour. We started to lose any control of the game. We became frantic and similar to Portsmouth and Lincoln. Burton had a glorious chance a few minutes from the end. The player did all the hard work then slid it wrong side of the post.

Don’t get me wrong. Based on the chances in this game Argyle deserved to win. I’m finding though that our game management in the second half needs improving if we want to maintain a high position in this league.

There is one issue which l feel we also need to rectify. A target man / physical player who’s good in the air. Hardie will run the channels for us all day long. However, we need someone who is an alternative to what we have. When we play it long we have nobody strong enough to battle for that ball in the air. Today also we had countless crosses. There simply isn’t a presence in the opposition penalty box for all those crosses.

Onwards and upwards. I’m not convinced we will be top 6 at the end of the season though unless we get smarter in the later stages of games. That’s players and manager with tactics. Also if we don’t bring in a target man into this team then opposition teams will allow us to cross it all day knowing we don’t have much chance of hurting them. Look how Scarr has changed us physically at the back. Now we need that option up front.

Not often I go to a game but today I was there. Not sure it was solely Burton's inadequacies that "allowed us to play". My view was that it was us being so much on the front foot that never allowed them a chance to play. They certainly controlled exchanges immediately before their goal but I felt we then fought back for a while, It then swung their way again towards the end. Yes they missed an easy chance but, as you say overall we deserved it.

 

[Devongreenowl]

Good to see Broom get on the scoresheet. I watched him during shooting practice in the warm up and he couldn’t hit a barn door.

Some really good stuff in the first half, but Argyle really need to put some of these teams to bed. 3 or 4-0 would not have been unrealistic at half time. Sure enough, different story second half and Burton could have nicked a point which would have been ridiculous.

Good crowd bearing in mind only a couple of hundred from Burton. Sterner tests on the horizon at HP with Bolton and Ipswich visiting this month. Great start to the season for Argyle though.

 

[Mannamead Green]

First half outstanding - it really should have been out-of-sight for Burton before half-time. Second half wasn't too good. Burton came out of their shell and put us under a lot of pressure. We dealt with it better after Edwards came on, but still failed to create chances with the regularity we did in the first half. Overall, we deserved to take the three points, but we need to finish games off when we have the chance in future.

Cooper - 9 - Didn't have many saves to make but his distribution was absolutely superb. How good is his throwing? In total command of his penalty area, too.

Wilson - 6 - Mostly very good, but I think it was him who got turned for the goal. Let Akins past a bit too easily.
Scarr - 7 - A typically snot-nosed, battling performance. He isn't the most comfortable player on the ball but others can do that work.
Gillesphey - 7 - I don't think he has the defensive instincts of his two partners, but his confidence in playing out from the back is important in Galloway's absence.

Garrick - 6 - He's made a little go a long way. His height and pace is useful, but poor decision-making lets him down. Far from the most technically gifted player we've ever had.
Camara - 6 - Not his best game today. Put himself about as always but most of what he tried didn't quite come off. His drive makes him useful even when he isn't having the best of games, like today.
Houghton - 8 - Very good performance. Used the ball very intelligently and showed a range to his passing that we've seldom seen before. Breaks up attacks efficiently through smart positional play.
Broom - 9 (MOTM) - He impresses in many ways, but one thing that always strikes me is how comfortable he is with both feet. Always plays the right pass in the final third. The best creative player we've had since Carey and Lameiras.
Grant - 9 - Love how he comes inside from left-wing-back. Puts him in more dangerous areas and creates space for the left-centre-back to charge into. Lovely finish for the goal.

Hardie - 8 - Wasn't his best in front of goal but his waspishness was crucial in stretching the Burton defence.
Agard - 5 - Tried his best but off the pace, not surprising considering he's barely played in the last year or two.

Edwards - 6 - A mixed bag: thrown into battle with a dangerous Burton winger and wounded a couple of times, but unlike Garrick he kept the ball and slowed the game down thanks to his phlegmatic character.
Mayor - 5 - All the tricks in the book, but sometimes it feels like he's auditioning for the Harlem Globetrotters rather than trying to win football matches. Needed to be more careful with the ball given the game situation.
Randell - N/A

 

[Silent50]

The phrase 'game of two halves' has been used a lot in this thread, and rightly so. First half we were excellent, the passing, the counter attacking, the pace, winning every second ball, the best football I've seen at Home Park for years. A special mention for Coops throw that led to the 2nd goal, top drawer stuff, we'll be lucky to keep that young man at HP.

The moment the 2nd half started, Burton harassed us, didn't let us settle, chased down every pass we made, and we struggled by reverting to long balls that their defence gobbled up. All of a sudden they were winning every second ball and we did well to hang on.

Still, top of the league, long may it continue.

 

[wemburygreen67]

First half was great as we were given the space, and our passing and build up play was precise. Second half they closed us down, and if we are trying to learn from the match, should we have changed our tactics?. I thought the substitutions of bringing on Edwards and Mayor were right, although I felt both could have been done 10 minutes earlier. My main concern was that with 15/20 minutes to go, our front two were causing no problems, both seemed tired , (understandably so as Hardie had made a lot of runs first half an Aggard had not played 90 minutes for 18 months). If we had substituted one of them for Randell would this have shored up the midfield, made us a more solid unit, less liable to bring broken down and able to see out the game more comfortably.?

 

[Devongreenowl]

First half outstanding - it really should have been out-of-sight for Burton before half-time. Second half wasn't too good. Burton came out of their shell and put us under a lot of pressure. We dealt with it better after Edwards came on, but still failed to create chances with the regularity we did in the first half. Overall, we deserved to take the three points, but we need to finish games off when we have the chance in future.

Cooper - 9 - Didn't have many saves to make but his distribution was absolutely superb. How good is his throwing? In total command of his penalty area, too.

Wilson - 6 - Mostly very good, but I think it was him who got turned for the goal. Let Akins past a bit too easily.
Scarr - 7 - A typically snot-nosed, battling performance. He isn't the most comfortable player on the ball but others can do that work.
Gillesphey - 7 - I don't think he has the defensive instincts of his two partners, but his confidence in playing out from the back is important in Galloway's absence.

Garrick - 6 - He's made a little go a long way. His height and pace is useful, but poor decision-making lets him down. Far from the most technically gifted player we've ever had.
Camara - 6 - Not his best game today. Put himself about as always but most of what he tried didn't quite come off. His drive makes him useful even when he isn't having the best of games, like today.
Houghton - 8 - Very good performance. Used the ball very intelligently and showed a range to his passing that we've seldom seen before. Breaks up attacks efficiently through smart positional play.
Broom - 9 (MOTM) - He impresses in many ways, but one thing that always strikes me is how comfortable he is with both feet. Always plays the right pass in the final third. The best creative player we've had since Carey and Lameiras.
Grant - 9 - Love how he comes inside from left-wing-back. Puts him in more dangerous areas and creates space for the left-centre-back to charge into. Lovely finish for the goal.

Hardie - 8 - Wasn't his best in front of goal but his waspishness was crucial in stretching the Burton defence.
Agard - 5 - Tried his best but off the pace, not surprising considering he's barely played in the last year or two.

Edwards - 6 - A mixed bag: thrown into battle with a dangerous Burton winger and wounded a couple of times, but unlike Garrick he kept the ball and slowed the game down thanks to his phlegmatic character.
Mayor - 5 - All the tricks in the book, but sometimes it feels like he's auditioning for the Harlem Globetrotters rather than trying to win football matches. Needed to be more careful with the ball given the game situation.
Randell - N/A

Thats a very generous score for Cooper on the strength of one (admittedly) good throw out.

 

[Lennygreen]

Really enjoyable game. Over 90 minutes against a decent team you won’t get it all your way and they completely reorganised second half. However, for me the big thing this season is that I don’t sh!t myself when we concede a goal or go a goal down. We have a genuinely strong squad that play for each other and clearly feel proud putting on a green shirt. Happy days at Home Park and to be top of the league a quarter way through the season is something to savour. COYG.

 

[djg145]

I would give the Radio Devon commentator 8, really enthusiastic and knew his stuff and Steve Davey 7 has his sidekick.

 

[monkeywrench]

Good game, great atmosphere.

 

[Dorset Green]

First half Argyle were fantastic with the pace and passing and the superb second goal. Best half I can remember watching from an Argyle side for a long time.

Second half I thought that most of the side looked tired early on. The subs were perhaps needed a little earlier. Tense watching and although Argyle came back towards the end the final whistle was welcome - cue celebrations.

 

[Duncanrice1]

Super 1st half, Burton, from 4 at the back to 3 denied us space in the 2nd, and maybe a draw at best last season. Will go to bed tonight replaying that truly sensational throw from Coops. Would be all over MOTD if it was a Prem keeper.....
but then again prob only Pickford would be as capable.

 

[PL2 3DQ]

Super 1st half, Burton, from 4 at the back to 3 denied us space in the 2nd, and maybe a draw at best last season. Will go to bed tonight replaying that truly sensational throw from Coops. Would be all over MOTD if it was a Prem keeper.....
but then again prob only Pickford would be as capable.

Funnily enough Johnstone did similar today for England.