| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot 12:53 - Nov 14 with 2567 views | RSCOSWORTH | After last Saturday’s defeat against the Bromley bullies and Tuesday’s comfortable victory against Fulham kindergarten we now have a trip to Walsall to face the current League Two leaders. I’m not sure we could have a much tougher game right now, maybe Notts County away and that’s to come next week, but Walsall have had a little wobble with a draw against Crawley followed by defeats against Barrow and Cheltenham. They have won their last two games though including a comfortable FA Cup win at Eastleigh and a 4-2 win on the road at lowly Newport County. With Mbick away on England U20 duty I’m expecting the U’s to line up as follows: Macey Vincent Young Tucker Araujo Iandolo Bishop Read Lisbie Williams Anderson Goodwin Subs Smith Hunt Tovide Flanagan Oni Powell Edwards (Gordon if Edwards unfit) I think Goodwin will get the nod over Tovide despite the latter’s sublime finish against Fulham U21’s in the week. The number 10 is a difficult position for us to fill when Payne isn’t available and we definitely didn’t get it right with Mbick playing there against Bromley. I think Cowley trusts Williams in that position more than anyone else right now although personally I’d prefer Read or Bishop in there with either Oni or Harvey coming into midfield. I wouldn’t be against playing Tucker in midfield either and having Flanagan drop in alongside Araujo. Tucker has been on the whole very good this season though and probably one of our most consistent performers so I’d be surprised if that’s even something that’s being considered. According to the BBC in 39 previous meetings it’s 14 wins to both the U’s and the Saddlers with 11 draws. We haven’t won at Walsall in seven games since a 1-0 win in May 2014 but we did win the last meeting between the two teams with Edwards scoring a brilliant second half winner after we’d gone behind just nine minutes earlier. The weather is set to be wet and cool at the Bescot tomorrow with a maximum temperature of just nine degrees and in the spirit of Durham I’m predicting a 3-1 win for the U’s with Lisbie, Anderson and Goodwin getting the goals. Up the U’s! |  |
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| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 19:47 - Nov 14 with 1922 views | wessex_exile | Excellent preview RS, a perfect homage to Pete's inimitable style, and his unrelenting optimism - he would have enjoyed that! After Tovide's wonder goal against Fulham, I think he will get the nod to start, but otherwise reckon you're not too far off the starting line-up. Given he was on pre-match interview duty, I'd expect Flanagan to make an appearance at some time too, just trying to work out how we fit him in if so? Having volunteered myself out of the match preview roll call for tomorrow's game, I might have been a bit previous. Picked up my pre-paid tickets from the train station this evening to discover major flooding disruption on the Paddington to Bristol line, with most trains cancelled and travelers diving into taxis just to get to Bath (a 12 minute hop away from Chippenham). I will have to assess in the morning, but it's looking likely I might have to bail out (pun intended) if the rain doesn't ease significantly overnight. Fingers crossed |  |
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| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 12:35 - Nov 15 with 1807 views | wessex_exile |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 19:47 - Nov 14 by wessex_exile | Excellent preview RS, a perfect homage to Pete's inimitable style, and his unrelenting optimism - he would have enjoyed that! After Tovide's wonder goal against Fulham, I think he will get the nod to start, but otherwise reckon you're not too far off the starting line-up. Given he was on pre-match interview duty, I'd expect Flanagan to make an appearance at some time too, just trying to work out how we fit him in if so? Having volunteered myself out of the match preview roll call for tomorrow's game, I might have been a bit previous. Picked up my pre-paid tickets from the train station this evening to discover major flooding disruption on the Paddington to Bristol line, with most trains cancelled and travelers diving into taxis just to get to Bath (a 12 minute hop away from Chippenham). I will have to assess in the morning, but it's looking likely I might have to bail out (pun intended) if the rain doesn't ease significantly overnight. Fingers crossed |
Well, that was fun whilst it lasted. Sadly, it only lasted as far as Chippenham train station, where fun goes to die. Through a combination of multiple cancellations, significant delays for the few still running, and when the next train to Bristol finally arrived, it was only 5 carriages, already rammed to the rafters and no chance for most of us on the platform to even get on. By then, there was basically no chance to get to the Bescot before kick-off, so home I went. Still, the abortive trip had one high point as my taxi driver home was a Plymouth supporter, whose first game was our '96 play-off game at Home Park, so we spent the journey reminiscing about that and other football-related memories. We had a particular laugh recalling the time our scallywags broke into St James Park and captured the Exeter Red Legion's colours the night before our game, which I recall forced them to disband in dishonour (muppets). |  |
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| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 12:56 - Nov 15 with 1801 views | Daniel | Unlucky Wessex. Because it's an international weekend, the game is on Sky Sports+ and ifollow, so you can still watch it even if you can't be there in person. |  | |  |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 13:10 - Nov 15 with 1796 views | wessex_exile |
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| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 13:58 - Nov 15 with 1770 views | wessex_exile | U's line up in what I assume is something like a 5-4-1?: Macey Vincent-Young Tucker Flanagan Araujo Iandolo Lisbie Bishop Read Anderson Tovide Subs Smith Hunt Gordon Goodwin Edwards Powell Mbick The surprising and most welcome inclusion is Mbick, despite playing half an hour for England last night! |  |
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| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 14:44 - Nov 15 with 1741 views | bwildered | Tucker to play in the hole frees Read and Bishop up. |  |
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| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 14:57 - Nov 15 with 1733 views | gerry_us |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 13:58 - Nov 15 by wessex_exile | U's line up in what I assume is something like a 5-4-1?: Macey Vincent-Young Tucker Flanagan Araujo Iandolo Lisbie Bishop Read Anderson Tovide Subs Smith Hunt Gordon Goodwin Edwards Powell Mbick The surprising and most welcome inclusion is Mbick, despite playing half an hour for England last night! |
Did Mbick actually play last night? He wasn't in any England U21 team sheet I could find? Hopefully we can have plenty of him today. |  | |  |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:07 - Nov 15 with 1723 views | wessex_exile |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 14:57 - Nov 15 by gerry_us | Did Mbick actually play last night? He wasn't in any England U21 team sheet I could find? Hopefully we can have plenty of him today. |
He did, came on after an hour, but I think it was the U20s. |  |
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| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:08 - Nov 15 with 1723 views | TheOldOakTree |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 14:57 - Nov 15 by gerry_us | Did Mbick actually play last night? He wasn't in any England U21 team sheet I could find? Hopefully we can have plenty of him today. |
He came on after 60 mins for the U20's who drew 1-1 with Japan. It's not the 30mins footy he has to recover from, it's spending the day in Doncaster! |  | |  |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:16 - Nov 15 with 1715 views | TheOldOakTree |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 14:44 - Nov 15 by bwildered | Tucker to play in the hole frees Read and Bishop up. |
I don't have access to the match today, but BBC Sport has us as 4-2-3-1 with Tucker and Read infront of the back four? |  | |  |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:17 - Nov 15 with 1714 views | gerry_us |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:08 - Nov 15 by TheOldOakTree | He came on after 60 mins for the U20's who drew 1-1 with Japan. It's not the 30mins footy he has to recover from, it's spending the day in Doncaster! |
Ahh, night life in Donny well known. |  | |  |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:21 - Nov 15 with 1707 views | TheOldOakTree |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:17 - Nov 15 by gerry_us | Ahh, night life in Donny well known. |
I went to the St Ledger about 10 years ago and I can confirm they certainly know how to enjoy themselves!!!! I'm always amazed how people oop north can get legless and have a good time without wanting to fight everyone. |  | |  |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:22 - Nov 15 with 1705 views | wessex_exile | TOVIDE!!!! 1-0 |  |
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| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:23 - Nov 15 with 1701 views | TheOldOakTree |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:22 - Nov 15 by wessex_exile | TOVIDE!!!! 1-0 |
£10 says it's his first of a hattrick! |  | |  |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:24 - Nov 15 with 1699 views | gerry_us |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:22 - Nov 15 by wessex_exile | TOVIDE!!!! 1-0 |
Park the bus now U's. Oh we can't, apparently it's broken and the team had to take taxis to the ground today. Park the taxis U's |  | |  |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:24 - Nov 15 with 1699 views | wessex_exile |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:21 - Nov 15 by TheOldOakTree | I went to the St Ledger about 10 years ago and I can confirm they certainly know how to enjoy themselves!!!! I'm always amazed how people oop north can get legless and have a good time without wanting to fight everyone. |
Yes, a night out in Donny is quite an experience! |  |
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| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:44 - Nov 15 with 1691 views | wessex_exile | Loving this - wonderful assist from Samson, and what pace and vision from Lisbie, but all made from Read! 2-0 to the U's! |  |
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| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 16:03 - Nov 15 with 1665 views | TheOldOakTree |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 15:44 - Nov 15 by wessex_exile | Loving this - wonderful assist from Samson, and what pace and vision from Lisbie, but all made from Read! 2-0 to the U's! |
Mat Saddler is no fool, so this could all be down to who gives the best team talk. Wessex: Have you been to the Bescot by train before? ….cos it’s a weird station and a dodgy walk under the M6 if you’re alone. I don’t think I’d do it again. When I went several years ago, I came up on the train from London and the shammers were playing Villa, so I had to endure their scum in both directions, (lucky I speak Mockney) and when I got the train to Walsall, there was just me and about 12 Walsall ‘lads’ that got off at the deserted station, which is just a platform in some railway sidings. The short walk to the ground under the motorway seemed like miles. |  | |  |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 16:19 - Nov 15 with 1646 views | TheOldOakTree | Looking at the stats on the BBC it looks like it's backs against the wall time already. I guess you are all watching from behind the sofa? |  | |  |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 16:45 - Nov 15 with 1605 views | wessex_exile |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 16:19 - Nov 15 by TheOldOakTree | Looking at the stats on the BBC it looks like it's backs against the wall time already. I guess you are all watching from behind the sofa? |
With a cushion to cover my eyes at times, but we're holding them at the moment. Yes, been to the Bescot station many times, and is a novel experience, but I haven't yet had any problems in either direction. I might suggest that maybe because I'm bigger and uglier than you, but you're definitely bigger than me, and perhaps?... |  |
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| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 16:51 - Nov 15 with 1603 views | TheOldOakTree |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 16:45 - Nov 15 by wessex_exile | With a cushion to cover my eyes at times, but we're holding them at the moment. Yes, been to the Bescot station many times, and is a novel experience, but I haven't yet had any problems in either direction. I might suggest that maybe because I'm bigger and uglier than you, but you're definitely bigger than me, and perhaps?... |
I wouldn't say ugly, but you're definately not my type |  | |  |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 16:52 - Nov 15 with 1600 views | TheOldOakTree | Oi Ref!!!!! 8 mins of added time! Have some thought for our nerves. |  | |  |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 16:58 - Nov 15 with 1596 views | TheOldOakTree | Woohoo!!!!! Top of the league……… …….. you’re ‘avin a laugh! |  | |  |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 17:19 - Nov 15 with 1549 views | gerry_us | Think we did a job on 'em! |  | |  |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 17:19 - Nov 15 with 1548 views | wessex_exile |
| U's to saddle up and canter to victory at a soggy Bescot on 16:58 - Nov 15 by TheOldOakTree | Woohoo!!!!! Top of the league……… …….. you’re ‘avin a laugh! |
Our second has to be a contender for goal of the season. Deep in his own half, Read slaloms past several challenges, puts an inch perfect pass into the path of Samson who puts it on a plate, but look at the speed of Lisbie at the end, from nowhere to being there in the blink of an eye. One of the best team goals I've seen in a long while. A perfect away win, dominate the first half and take a deserved 2 goal lead, and then just shut them out second half. No doubt Saddlers will be crying into the night about 'Cowley ball', but they were beaten fair and square and shouldn't have any complaints (apart from their own somewhat toothless attack). Up the U's! |  |
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