Post-Match Thread and Ratings Newport County AFC 0 -1 Southend Utd

[Rob1920]

We're not going to win all of the next 3 or 4 games as they are very tough but this gives us confidence we're back in the fight again and should pick up some points, even if its a point a game average over those games. We then have to go on another run when the games get potentially a bit 'less tough'. When you look at the table it really makes you realise how massively important that was last night. If we'd have lost that, still bottom with most teams above us having games and points in hand, the gap would start to appear very big again. As it is we have to view it as a 6 point gap. We have to assume Barrow will win their games in hand, so not falling further behind is massively important.

 

[in the know]

Funny how we all see a game....Demi played more passes than any Southend player!! 43 passes at 67.4% complete also made him the highest no of completed passes for Southend too.

Yes! Thought the midfield got control with no nonsense unflashy efficiency! Wasn't pretty but took the game from them and gave it to us over and over again.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

Can we have a word of appreciation for the Newport commentator who proved that there are numerous ways to mispronounce “Bwomono” without ever finding the correct pronunciation.

Also the way he added even more syllables to “Farquharson” was a delight that reminded me of the name of the doctor played by Steve Martin in “The man with two brains”!

Admittedly, Charlie Brown was funny.
But on a serious note, how can someone so lacking in basic homework get the gig?
Newport must have been desperate to land someone whose first job is to pronounce names properly and failed spectacularly.
Someone here said he wasn't biased.
Yet, when one of theirs hacked one of ours, he was 'all right' as he staggered to his feet. A foul on theirs prompted the ref to keep 'his cards in his pocket'.
Does anyone know if this joker or the Orient talent get paid, or is it voluntary?

 

[Jai]

Halford was hopeless. Won nothing in air, did little to set things up and no pace. Made Acquah look good.

He wasn't great (hence why I said limited success) although he did use his body well on a couple of occasions, but playing him up there for 60 minutes allowed Akinola to come on with fresh legs and make a difference.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

He wasn't great (hence why I said limited success) although he did use his body well on a couple of occasions, but playing him up there for 60 minutes allowed Akinola to come on with fresh legs and make a difference.

All true, but Halford was the weakest link by a distance.
I agree he won nothing, and someone said he held up the ball. Yeah? When?
On another night he would have picked up a yellow for the robust first-half challenge, and I'm never fond of anyone who glances back at a poor pass.
The chiding body language does nobody any favours.
But unless it's Ranger, and I've voiced my feelings on here many times about him, we're between a rock and a hard place for a target man.
Olayinka can't get fit soon enough for me.

 

[in the know]

Can we have a word of appreciation for the Newport commentator who proved that there are numerous ways to mispronounce “Bwomono” without ever finding the correct pronunciation.

Also the way he added even more syllables to “Farquharson” was a delight that reminded me of the name of the doctor played by Steve Martin in “The man with two brains”!

brilliant film that! And now you've said it in imagining exactly how that commentator kept making the name longer and longer! He was amusing without even trying

 

[Rayleigh boy]

I thought Ferguson in the middle was a big difference - him and JD meant there was enough experience to keep it sensible - and Dieng could do some playing forward ..

We have a really strong squad and easily enough good players to climb out of this hole..

Play offs might just have slipped away ;-)

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Just seen the match highlights on iFollow.https://www.southendunited.co.uk/ifollow/latest-videos/

Decent commentator.Obviously a Northerner rather than Welsh but he knew the players.Why on earth they didn't use him to cover last night's game instead of the clown they did I've no idea.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

What we don't know is were any carrying niggles etc but if you are fit enough to be on the bench then you should be fit enough to play most of the game as you could need to come on very early in a match if injuries occur.

You might like to think that the players on the bench are fit to play most of the game but we have definitely named players on there who haven't been, in order to make up the numbers. Last night Goodship wasn't ready to play most of the game. We know players are carrying niggles because the team reports keep on saying that a number of them are doubtful.

You also need to remember that it's not just about picking for that game but that we're playing a shortened season in terms of time but not matches and we need to manage the players over a season and not just the immediate game in front of us.

Akinola last night was an example of that. I think we got more out of him bringing him on for the last half hour rather than making him play Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday on heavy pitches that are also suffering from the games being concertinaed into a shorter time frame than usual. That's not ideal when we've been working with only 12-13 "senior" players for most games this last month.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

I think the discussion about playing 4 or 5 at the back is not as relevant as some might think (although I prefer 4). Before the season is done we will almost certainly have a few more 'Port Vale' performances, but conversely will also have a few more 'Newport' ones - we just need to make sure we have more of the latter.

I'm not saying we'll never lose playing 4 at the back, of course we will (take Orient for example). However IMO the players look far more comfortable with 4 at the back, therefore going 5 at the back starts us at a disadvantage, and that is something we can't afford to do in our position.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

I'm not saying we'll never lose playing 4 at the back, of course we will (take Orient for example). However IMO the players look far more comfortable with 4 at the back, therefore going 5 at the back starts us at a disadvantage, and that is something we can't afford to do in our position.

I agree, I think with a 4 at the back the players just look that bit more organised and comfortable, I think bringing Cordner in upset the balance. No coincidence we went back to conceding 3’s and 4’s. I don’t blame MM for this and maybe he felt his hands were tied, however last night we seemed to have it sussed again.

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

It's worth noting that Halford was allegedly due to make his first start for us at Newport when the game originally got postponed. The plan against these all along may have been to start with Halford and bring Sim on in the second half

 

[LI11]

Birthday boy Tom Clifford bounces back from injury to net winner against Newport County

Birthday brilliance from Southend United left-back Tom Clifford secured all three points in a 1-0 victory against Newport County to lift the blues off the foot of the League Two table.

www.prostinternational.com

 

[Maldon Shrimper]

After last night's out of the blue victory(sorry for the pun)it got me thinking if we didn't have covid hanging over us and stopping us from attending games we would have taken a mighty following this Saturday to roar the team on.We only got the opportunity to watch via ifollow instead

 

[GrumpyBlue]

Oxley 8 MOTM
Bwomono 7
White 7
Hobson 7
Clifford 8
Dieng 7
Demetriou 6
Ferguson 6
RHF 7
Halford 6
ANG 8

Akinola 7
Cordner 6

Hard working solid away performance. Oxley won us the game at the end and was dependable all game. ANG had great feet for the pitch, good close control can turn either way. Clifford great game and fancied him to score the free kick. Same again Saturday please, no stand out teams in this league. UTB

Crikey - a bit generous with the ratings

 

[Oakley1]

keep your feet on the floor please, yes we had a win last night but the home form needs to improve before you get too excited, remember 0 points from 9 in the last 3 home games, this needs to be addressed ASAP

so last night was a start we hope to better things but a massive game at Cambridge which we need to come away with something

 

[united we stand]

I think we might be going a little overboard on the “performance “ because of the “result”.

Until akinola came on we offered very very very little attacking threat. We are still massively dependent on him being fit/playing well in my opinion.

Halford held the ball up if it was played directly to him but very little else( someone mentioned his turn in the first half but the whistle had gone and I thought the defender stopped).

ANG is getting lots or praise and I thought he was good as well BUT at that important moment he choose to shoot and not pass to Sim. Those decisions can cost games, thankfully today it didn’t

 

[Shrimp and two veg]

No ratings, i dont care how we played, we got 3 points that lifted us off the bottom. Next, off out the relegation places.
Win ugly, win lovely, just win.
Well done my blue boys.
Scenes jumping off the sofa last night. Everything suggests we'll be alright this season, just keep fighting every game.
Just a mention for young Tom, youre a hero today son. At least the keeper can blame the deflection, instead of being beaten all ends up with a top corner stunner, which knowing Tom thats where it was heading.

 

[in the know]

No ratings, i dont care how we played, we got 3 points that lifted us off the bottom. Next, off out the relegation places.
Win ugly, win lovely, just win.
Well done my blue boys.
Scenes jumping off the sofa last night. Everything suggests we'll be alright this season, just keep fighting every game.
Just a mention for young Tom, youre a hero today son. At least the keeper can blame the deflection, instead of being beaten all ends up with a top corner stunner, which knowing Tom thats where it was heading.

Would have liked to be able to see if it was going in from behind the goal on a goal cam or behind c!ifford . I'm sure it would have been of course

 

[Barry.C]

I thought that was Our Birthday Boys best game of the season to date, Clifford looked much sharper, barely gave them anything, got well and truly stuck in and looked really solid, a great all round performance and straight on the team sheet for Cambridge,

However I wonder how much this was helped by having more solidity ahead of him with cover provided by Ferguson, Dieng and Demi at times

I really do like Hart and his brave runs, crossing and marauding forward, he can also get up and head the ball as well as possess decent throw and set ball ability What I like a little less is Clifford and Hart playing down the left as they are less defensively sound together, young , learning and at times Tom gets pulled out of place if Sam gets way forward. Obviously also depends on the back 4/5 scenario but the combination has not been that successful in the past looking at where all the goals against have come from. Nevertheless much stronger squad even if Hart has to sit and watch for a bit?