Aldershot v Barrow match thread

[Lancaster Branch]

http://www.shotsweb.co.uk/phpbb/viewtop ... =1&t=44591
Haha bitter bunch.
I've lived in Barrow and Aldershot. Only one winner.

That's just a lie. A shame people have to make things up but there you go.

Superb mentality.

[DIXIE]

Good result today, keep going we can still do it.

[whitty1969]

Missed Paul Cox's interview. What did he have to say?

[Moribund]

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/sport/footba ... l-12592604

[SKIPPER]

Missed Paul Cox's interview. What did he have to say?

Loved his comment "Nobody wants us in the play offs. They hope we'll just fade away but we are hanging around like a wart on their nose. This group don't know when they're beat.

[K_BFC]

Missed Paul Cox's interview. What did he have to say?

Listen yourself on iPlayer here (At approx. 20:15)

Summery...
Thought we were still on the bus in the first half.
Aldershot had fair amount of possession but look at some of the chances we had, after 10mins Aldershot keeper made world class save to keep it at 1-0.
Shows character of players never say die, so we have to be pleased with a point.
Since Gateshead erratic with results, don't seem to have that sort of consistency, games like today can reignite you.
Questioned one or two things at half time and our ability to take the game to a good side.
We had nothing to loose, go get something out of the game rather than just accept a defeat.
We played a little bit more like our old selves.
This group baffles me sometimes.
Massive plus to get a result given the clubs we are rubbing shoulders with, sides were recently or could be back in the FL.
No one wants us around them, I think they see us as a wart on the nose of this league.

Regarding red cards..
Need to have to look at DVD but...
We were on top ball goes out, Beeley goes to get ball, their lad instigated whole thing.
Ref could have just flicked both their noses and said just get on with it.
Ref under pressure from crowd baying for blood, if Harvey was a booking then Anderton is not a booking.
League is very professional now and needs proper officials to come in and up to scope.

Regarding squad...
Should have had a couple of players in for today but were let down, we are now looking to move on them.
Won't talk about names, if word gets out £50 in the hand and they go other places or take another 2-3 weeks.
Paramount we get some bodies in, even before today.
Couple of defenders coming in, that could be more after today.

[saltcellar]

Official match highlights from Aldershot Town v Barrow... including Ross Hannah's amazing last minute strike! https://t.co/SFfcl9sJWD

What a goal from Ross Hannah.
Free kick must have been 40 yards from goal.

[Middleton Nick]

Our goals are even better second time round. Contenders for goal of the season. Just a word on our keeper,Flatt. Although the defence should have cleared the first goal, he could have done better originally. The second goal was scored from the edge of the six yard box. That is Flatt's area and I think he should come off his line more and command that area. In other matches he seems to stay on his line. Glad for the point yesterday.

[whitty1969]

2 superb goals, defending poor for both their goals
Barrows celebrations were superb when Hannah's strike went in. Right in front of Aldershot's dug out......IN YER FACE....
Good on Flatty....great celebration too after getting stick all afternoon.....

Beeley not a red.....Guess we may appeal that one? Tried to get the ball whilst the team that had battered us first half hung on and were time wasting

[Moribund]

Won't have a chance appealing that red - he ran over to the lad and stuck his studs on his knee. The ref has clearly seen it all, so if anything his ban would more likely be extended.

[Suffolk Blue]

Well the highlights speak for themselves. However the post-match with PC reveal a man deeply disappointed with our first half performance. For those who weren't there it is really difficult to overstate how rank we were. They slept walked onto the pitch, allowed the opposition as much space as they wanted, conceded virtually everything in the air, were completely dominated by a positive, mobile and versatile Aldershot, played hoof ball extremely badly and when they did break the defensive line (in truth the Aldershot defense looked a little brittle when tested) couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo (Bennetts header excepted). The mood amongst the travelling support at half-time was funereal and the consensus was that based on that performance our play-off hopes could be laid to rest. We were expecting 3,4 or god forbid even worse. I was steeling myself with memories of numerous thrashings at Rushden & Diamonds, remembering Bromley last season, and how miserable those days were.

However this was not an ordinary day. As a supporter, you can have some good days, certainly many pretty uneventful ones and definitely many poor or bad ones. But on rare occasions, very rare, the experience transcends the normal and becomes emotional. That's what happened in the second half. Don't get me wrong, in truth we weren't that great in the second half - though we couldn't get much worse. But the mixture of bile, frustration, anger, disappointment and embarrassment began to build an atmosphere that enveloped players, management and supporters (both home and away) alike. When this happens things can go off script and you end up with something completely unpredictable. That's that's what happened in the last thirty minutes. It become a match played to a different set of rules.

The Tuton goal was pivotal in this and typical of what I mean. The move started with Diarra shanking the ball in front of Flatt to a howl of anger from the BAFC contingent and jeers of derision and laughter from the home fans. What happened next as you can see from the highlights was so out of keeping with our previous efforts, that I think even we in the away end struggled with a bit at first. Out of chaos came one of the best individual efforts I've ever seen from a Barrow player. This really stung Aldershot who until then were in total control. It changed their approach to the game. What they should've done is to keep coming forward - we were still the same team they had outclassed in the first half. However they chose to hold on to what they had and began to play keep ball.

My view is that it was this combined with the BAFC players continuing frustration with themselves that created a very tetchy physical last 20 minutes - though it has to be said that we agreed at half time that we wouldn't end the game with 22 on the field. The referee contributed to all of this obviously at one point appearing to wander along the touchline trying book members of the BAFC subs bench. 10 men then nine. God knows how many minutes injury time. The game was now well out of anybody's control. But Aldershot sat back - 11v10, 11v9 - the game was in their pocket. Only they had forgotten the law of sod - which says that in these circumstances what should be highly unlikely is almost bound to happen (does anybody remember Red Dwarf and their improbability machine)? Hannah's strike (which most of us were screaming for him to lump it on to Bennetts head in the box) was probably a 1 in ten, maybe even a one in 20 - from 30 yards minimum he actually puts it over the keeper into the top corner - just about the only place he could score. Cue pandemonium, the away end in meltdown, the home fans in shock. The little cameo that lasted a minute or so after the re-start illustrated just how bizarre this game had ended up - Aldershot making a cavalry charge straight down the pitch trying to barge their way like a rugby pack towards the barrow goal. Completely nuts. If that game had lasted five or ten minutes more I really believe we might have won it - probably by means of an Aldershot own goal from outside the box.

I will let others pick the bones out what was otherwise a dire performance and what happened in the end should not in any way disguise this. But its a very long time since I got so wound up that I actually ended up having a man hug during a game which might seem a little pathetic......but then again you just had to be there.

[Jonty]

For as good as our two goals are, the two conceded are absolute stinkers again. If we don't stop this lack of aggression in the air at set pieces we will continue to concede these poor goals and it will be our downfall this season. However, don't want that to overshadow two goal of the season contenders.

[McMark]

Those Aldershot grapes are very sour, they definitely left a bitter taste in some Aldershot supporters mouths.

There was an exchange of words between supporters from both clubs nothing more, both giving as much as they were getting, happens at every club in the country so don't see what the song and dance is about from some of their supporters.

We were shoddy as a side especially in the first half, but we stuck at it and ultimately got our reward with two superbly taken goals.

The deficiencies of the officials were there for all to see, but it was us that payed the price of loosing players whilst the Aldershot players antics and play acting were largely ignored. But some of our tactical nous and naivity at times leaves a lot to be desired.

We have got to be hungrier from the off, get back to being that tight unit at the back, although that's not going to be easy with vital players missing.

And us as supporters keep backing the team all the way.

[The Tomahawk Kid]

Any truth in the comment from an Aldershot fan?

Also a special mention for their keeper goading the East Bank at the end and their lovely supporters trying to provoke fights with Aldershot fans by their bus on Redan Hill after the game.

Flatt, yes. He turned to their home end at full time and goaded them, brilliant stuff.

Outside the ground, Barrow fans in high jinx, Aldershot fans taking exception and calling us "dirty northern [SwearFilter]" and "get back to your northern slums" etc so plenty of verbals exchanged but nothing to write home about.

As for the game, in general we were poor and need to be much much better if we're going to make the play offs. Fantastic attitude though and it's been a good while since I've celebrated that much. Still bouncing now, felt like a last minute winner.

Never attended the game but on both of the occasions Aldershot have visited Holker Street I sat and had the craic with a few of their fans in the Tallyho. A decent bunch - I think one of the geezers works for a Rail Company - he's visited twice.

I've studied and worked 'darn sarf' on a couple of occasions - being called a Nothern Monkey is part of the course. I, and other Northerners, were always treated decently down there. They have their own share of Gob Sh*tes - as we do up North.

[Optimism]

Fabulous report, Suffolk Blue. Very evocative, feel like I was there! A huge point against the odds to drag back a playoff rival. Ross Hannah, what a hit!