Post-Match Thread and Ratings Newport 3 Southend 1

[Lord Football]

An interesting day at the office. The thing is, if you are playing a makeshift defence, you really need everyone to perform. And frankly, collectively, we didn't. That said, up until they scored we looked like the team most likely to score. Woodrow was getting on the end of things he had no right to, and we looked up for it. Then they scored, Bentley at fault and our heads went down. Coker banged in a cracker of a free kick (a free kick incorrectly given, and I am not the only ref who uses this site who thinks that). 1-1 at half time, nicely balanced, everything positive and then... we give another goal away from a corner a minute later. Completely changed the mood.

Second half, we got dicked. Pure and simple. Bentley made a couple of good stops, Coker had one off the life, Mr Post got in on the act and as a result they only got one more. To be brutally honest, if they'd banged in six we couldn't have complained.

I wouldn't know where to start with markings.... Leonard was the pick of a bad bunch, Clifford and Hurst put in their worst displays of the season, Augar was cruelly exposed, the rest were just, as my teenager would say, "meh".

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

I thought we were 2nd best to everything today. 2nd to every ball. They bossed the midfield. We had no width. We had very little on the bench

Bentley 5...Made some great saves 2nd half, but the mistake for the first was inexcusable and left us with an uphill battle.
Coker 6.5...A few sloppy passes but most of his play was good and a lovely goal from a free kick
Kiernan 7... MOTM The best of a bad bunch. Thought hard
Prosser 6.5...Did ok, but a couple of indecisive moments
Auger 6...A difficult debut. Will have learned a lot
Clifford 5...Poor. We were overan in midfield.
Atkinson 6..Worked hard, but sloppy play
Leonard 6.5...Not at his recent high standards. Gave everything though
Hurst 6..Too lightweight. Didn't impose himself
Woodrow 6...Started upfront alongside Barry, which left our left hand side empty. Hard work with no end product
BBBC 6.5...Won lots of headers but fell to nobody

Subs:
Payne 6.5 Quite lively and is making a good case for a start on Friday
Timlin 6..Did he come on ? Made no impact
Reid 6...as above

Our support...2nd best there, aswell. Gave up after the 3rd goal, and the players sensed we weren't backing them. Good numbers, though, and you could argue that the players created that atmosphere...

 

[Harry Bullocks]

TBV were good for 1st 20 mins....and the place rocked upon the equaliser....out sung and buzzing..we had them...unfortunately only for approx 5/6 mins....

Not sure what happened after their 2nd, but we all went quiet, sat on our hands etc....doom and gloom beckoned.....and occurred.

I went to the Oxford game...totally different performance..living on expectancy and delivered ....today,,wasn't going to happen after their 2nd goal......fair play though if Ncfc logs in .....the better team won on the day

 

[Magnum PI]

Until we went a goal down we were creating and looking lively especially with balls over the top. I still maintain that Barry and Cauley are not a partnership. It just doesnt work. Not that Reid is the answer either. We badly need a fit Freddy.

After we equalised you just knew we were going to ship another corner. We called it. After that I spent most of the second half more interested in the scores elsewhere. We were inept and pathetic in the second half with the exception of Payne who apart from being knocked off ball easily helped to create stuff. Nobody else did.

Prosser was crap and bottled a challenge in the second half. Auger needs more games. Clifford and Hurst were so bad it was ridiculous, and Timlin didnt do much better. A game to forget and get behind the boys on friday.

 

[The General]

A Bentley error and another goal conceded at a set-piece ... Thank god Smith wasnt in goal as this thread would be 4/5 pages long by now lol!

Bad day at the office which can always happen with a young side.

 

[dodgeblue]

Until we went a goal down we were creating and looking lively especially with balls over the top. I still maintain that Barry and Cauley are not a partnership. It just doesnt work. Not that Reid is the answer either. We badly need a fit Freddy.

After we equalised you just knew we were going to ship another corner. We called it. After that I spent most of the second half more interested in the scores elsewhere. We were inept and pathetic in the second half with the exception of Payne who apart from being knocked off ball easily helped to create stuff. Nobody else did.

Prosser was crap and bottled a challenge in the second half. Auger needs more games. Clifford and Hurst were so bad it was ridiculous, and Timlin didnt do much better. A game to forget and get behind the boys on friday.

Fred having\had an op so chances of him ever being fit again is minimal. Corr was dreadful today no movement at all unlike their 2 forwards particularly the 14 who was a postman this time last year playing for St Neots, shame we can't unearth someone like that. Our midfield were completely outplayed hence a makeshift defence constantly under pressure. We need to bounce back and put this behind us. Lucky not to concede at least 6 today.

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

Just seen the highlights on Youtube. Awful defending for the 3rd goal, Yakubu just wanders back into the middle and has a free header. Prosser's man for that and the second goal. Howler by Bentley for the first but to cut him a bit of slack, he was running at a quite a fast pace. Saying that if Smith had done that he'd get crucified. Must have been one of our youngest ever starting XIs.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Sounded on the radio that Prosser was done time and time again for pace. Yes, he can head a ball. Mind you, the whole team had an off day. A fairer score line would have been 5-1, the times they out paced and got in behind our defence. I agree with some others, Woodrow your time is up, goals win games. Damn, just remembered, we have no one else to take his place.

 

[dannypav]

Just seen the highlights on Youtube. Awful defending for the 3rd goal, Yakubu just wanders back into the middle and has a free header. Prosser's man for that and the second goal. Howler by Bentley for the first but to cut him a bit of slack, he was running at a quite a fast pace. Saying that if Smith had done that he'd get crucified. Must have been one of our youngest ever starting XIs.

Sorry , really don't understand that at all.
Please explain as I may be stupid...............

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Story of our season. Schoolboy defending.

I'd like to know what we work on during the week, as it doesn't look like we work on defending!!

Error from Bentley for the 1st goal but he more than made up for it in the 2nd half. It could easily have been 4 or 5.

 

[TrueBlue]

Story of our season. Schoolboy defending.

I'd like to know what we work on during the week, as it doesn't look like we work on defending!!

Error from Bentley for the 1st goal but he more than made up for it in the 2nd half. It could easily have been 4 or 5.

Well brown works on talksport

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Well brown works on talksport

Phil Brown working on Five Live this afternoon as well. He gets about a bit.

 

[South Bank Hank]

Story of our season. Schoolboy defending.

I'd like to know what we work on during the week, as it doesn't look like we work on defending!!

Error from Bentley for the 1st goal but he more than made up for it in the 2nd half. It could easily have been 4 or 5.

Well brown works on talksport

I don't see this. As crap as the defending may have been yesterday with our under-strength defence, only 4 teams in the division have conceded less than us. Just one week ago, we had the best defensive record in League 2.

Over-reaction guys?

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Phil Brown working on Five Live this afternoon as well. He gets about a bit.

Phil Brown just been asked about our FA Cup tie. Brown said about the journey etc and the other guy said 'fantastic'. How can an away tie at Morecambe be fantastic.

 

[silentshrimper]

Just watched the highlights, boy what bad defending for each of them goals.

1. Air Kick
2. Man had to stay on post (bit harsh).
3. 3 of their players could have got this. 3 of ours marking thin air. 1 marking 3. Not good enough at all. This wasn't direct from a set piece either.

Nice free kick from Coker.

 

[Muttley]

Sounded on the radio that Prosser was done time and time again for pace. Yes, he can head a ball. Mind you, the whole team had an off day. A fairer score line would have been 5-1, the times they out paced and got in behind our defence. I agree with some others, Woodrow your time is up, goals win games. Damn, just remembered, we have no one else to take his place.

It's funny how the picture the radio paints is different from actually being there
they had pace all over the pitch, especially their right back, who time after time got his crosses in.

 

[wiggy]

Our problem was today was giving them too much space, it looked like we didn't have wingers or full backs. Newport got the ball flicked it over the top and just kept doing it time after time and it could of been more than 3 if it wasn't for Bentley.

Bentley - 8 - MOM - Couldn't do a lot about the goals and made a real worldy at the end.

Coker - 6 - Nicely taken free kick for his goal, went well forward in the first but no one to help him out, gave the ball away a lot.

Kiernan - 6 - Pick of the defenders looked like the only one who could defend.

Prosser - 4 - Struggled to deal with Newports bigger players and got done like a kipper time after time. Not his best game.

Auger - 5 - Didn't look comfortable, not sure what his natural position but he looked out of his comfort zone all game.

Clifford - 5 - Not the player I saw at Oxford and didn't really see much of the ball and taken off very early into the 2nd half.

Atkinson - 6 - Looked lively but everything he put into the box was met by a Newport player or a 50 pence head of our strikers.

Leonard - 7 - Pick of the midfield, composed and strong although his throw ins weren't as great as normal.

Hurst - 5 - very disappointing push off the ball way too easily time after time.

Woodrow - 5 - He runs a lot, gets in the right positions but his end product is non existant. Too similar to Corr and in his way during a scoring opertunity.

Corr - 6 - Not the greatest performance but it's Barry Corr he can do no wrong.

Subs:
Payne - 7 - First time I have seen him and he works so hard, I really like him bags of effort and not afraid to run at players although Newport are quite a big robust team and out muscled him quite often.

Timlin - 4 - I honestly forgot he was on the pitch.

Reid - 5 - Didn't do a lot.

A good start, they scored against the run of play we got back up scored a cracking free kick and just couldn't hold it till half time and conceded from a bloody corner. I think if we went in at half time 1-1 the score may of been different.[/

 

[wiggy]

If Smith had gifted them the all important first as Bentley did then he'd have been lambasted as always. Struggling to see the worth of Mr Flash in goal....crap on crosses and does a spectacular dive after the ball is already in the net. Rush of blood is also costing us but then again he is destined to play for England.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Bentley 5 - awful mistake for the first goal, shouldn't have come in the first place and then missed the kick. If that had been Smith....
Auger 5 - started brightly with some deep crosses but faded after the first 20 minutes
Coker 5 - great goal but we got torn apart defensively down our left
Prosser 6 - the pick of the defence, although that's not saying much
Kiernan 4 - beaten by another ball over the top when he again let his man get goalside of him for the first, think it was him who got badly beaten for the far post header across the goal for the second goal which he had to win, or at least put his man off (it was at the far end so apologies if it wasn't him and add another mark). When you make mistakes like that for two goals, what you do for the remainder of the game is pretty much immaterial
Leonard 7 - easily our best player
Hurst 4 - he's a good player but that was not his day although won soft free-kick for Coker's goal. No surprise when he was hauled off.
Clifford 4 - gave the ball away repeatedly, although managed one good ball to Woodrow. No surprise when dragged off early in second half either
Atkinson 5 - ran about to little effect
Corr 6 - won everything played in the air towards him, but with so little service he had to drop back into midfield
Woodrow 6 - offered an out ball with good movement down the wings and the threat to get behind the defence but again suffered with a lack of service

Payne 4 - minimal impact on the game
Timlin 6 - linked up well with Leonard and looked to play some good balls (although not all were successful)
Reid 4 - not quite sure what it was he offered. It wasn't height, pace or movement at any rate.

 

[Ricey]

Bentley 5 - awful mistake for the first goal, shouldn't have come in the first place and then missed the kick. If that had been Smith....
Auger 5 - started brightly with some deep crosses but faded after the first 20 minutes
Coker 5 - great goal but we got torn apart defensively down our left
Prosser 6 - the pick of the defence, although that's not saying much
Kiernan 4 - beaten by another ball over the top when he again let his man get goalside of him for the first, think it was him who got badly beaten for the far post header across the goal for the second goal which he had to win, or at least put his man off (it was at the far end so apologies if it wasn't him and add another mark). When you make mistakes like that for two goals, what you do for the remainder of the game is pretty much immaterial
Leonard 7 - easily our best player
Hurst 4 - he's a good player but that was not his day although won soft free-kick for Coker's goal. No surprise when he was hauled off.
Clifford 4 - gave the ball away repeatedly, although managed one good ball to Woodrow. No surprise when dragged off early in second half either
Atkinson 5 - ran about to little effect
Corr 6 - won everything played in the air towards him, but with so little service he had to drop back into midfield
Woodrow 6 - offered an out ball with good movement down the wings and the threat to get behind the defence but again suffered with a lack of service

Payne 4 - minimal impact on the game
Timlin 6 - linked up well with Leonard and looked to play some good balls (although not all were successful)
Reid 4 - not quite sure what it was he offered. It wasn't height, pace or movement at any rate.

Amazing how different two peoples ratings can be.