And, after facing our third opponent from t'north this season it has become pretty obvious where the otherwise free flowing Poppies of 2024 come unstuck. Namely against any team that plies their trade north of the Trent.
Our victory over Stafford Rangers in the FA Cup should have been an early warning. Sure, we won. And played them off the park for 75% of the game. But we were forced to hold on at the end for a 2-1 win rather more than the initial 45 minutes would have suggested.
And then Cleethorpes came to Latimer Park and missed chance after chance before we squeaked home with a last gasp penalty. And now, Gainsborough have come along and well and truly made us pay for our earlier good fortune and avenged Cleethorpes by calmly putting us away with very little fuss.
The way both Cleethorpes and Gainsborough out-played us was very similar and very telling. Their football was simple but incredibly effective. Every time we had the ball one or two of their players nipped around our ankles until we either passed back or were dispossessed. When they got the ball from us they passed it forwards fast into channels or to feet and were having a shot on goal moments later. Nothing very clever.
But against Nu-Poppies, who are always looking to spread play or tip-tap prettily in the middle of the park, the tactics were overwhelmingly successful. This is how Northern teams play. A bit of steel. A lot of hassling. No fussing about when in front of goal. We've got to toughen up in these sort of games and perhaps have a Plan "B" when pretty, pretty isn't working all the time.
Suddenly, next week's FA Cup tie up at Farsley is looking a whole lot tougher than it did last week.
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| He's Northern He drinks beer He smokes tabs He has Poppies for breakfast |
no reflection on us having a full side and having one of the worst defenders on the half match but we were poor anyway
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