Sunday 21 November 2010

Team Spirit and (Our Rudolf) Win the Day

The feeling in the Rose O Denmark was that we would return to form and sweep the West Country Worzills aside. Crowborough Addick was more guarded suspecting a banana skin might be on the horizon.
Apart from some notable exceptions, there are no easy games or free meal ticket in this division.
Even that thrilling victory at Leyton obscured the good football that Orient displayed and we have struggled against other ‘lowly’ teams like Exeter.
There are some notably poor exceptions, e.g. Dagehenham and Redbridge (a comment which will probably go and rebound on me at the next away game there) and by all accounts Swindon at the away game.
Loftier sides like Oldham and Huddersfield gave us a real run for the money.
I don'tgo along with the view that it's a poor division, I reckon things have just evened out and the general standard is not that bad.
Yeovil demonstrated that again with a slick passing game that opened up a good chances early on. We were fortunate to take and retain a lead for most of the game. Had one of their forwards just smashed the ball (like Jackson does commendably from the spot) instead of flashily and limply trying place a short range shot (like too may modern players do) that allowed Elliot to save well, we would have been in more trouble.
We triumphed largely as a result of the great team spirit and 100% commitment that now exists in the side rather than any great footballing display. Over the years, this has not been the case even during good spells.
This presumably is largely engendered by Parks and the coaching staff, but my bet is that some of the leaders on the park, such as the unfortunate Dailly, have a great deal lot to do with it. He was given no benefit of the doubt by a referee who showed numerous errors of judgement.
Picking out players that caught my eye:
Martin showed a great work rate and some good touches but (like Sam) still has to grasp the ability to more regularly deliver on the final ball.
Benson looked good again up front but was hampered by a poor service.
Racon continued his resurgence and scored a peach of a goal
Samedo was generally effective in his negative kind of way, but wouldn't it be great if he had the confidence to exploit situations where he should go forward, overall it was not one of his better performances.
Reid did OK, but his displays over 90 minutes are a pointer to why Parks seems to favour using him as a 'super sub'. I am now beginning to see him in the same light, but would call him on earlier than Parks has done in the past to give him a fair crack.
Fry had a solid display.
Dailly, once again, had a commanding game before leaving the pitch.
Doherty; I'm not a great fan, but am pleased that he has turned in so many good solid performances of late, especially in the air. He was more uncertain yesterday though should not be castigated too strongly for the own goal (just one of those things).
Francis had a really poor run earlier on but seemed to have turned the corner with a couple of good performances, He dipped again yesterday and a fit Solly to contest the position would put us in a better position.
Elliot was generally sound but I had a feeling that maybe he could have got closer to the Yeovil shot that went in hit off the post, though others seem to think had had no chance.
Finally, Sodje's addition the front line added the required spice and 'won' the final penalty that Jackson crashed in with such aplomb. From where we were on the East Terrace (I have not seen the TV film) the defender clearly tugged at his shirt. Whether the linesman was flagging for that or the audacious pirouette that followed I am not too sure.
He followed that up moments later by such an artistic collapse in front of us in the East Stand that he would probably have a good chance of storming though a Covent Garden audition and even being hailed as the new Rudolf  Nureyev!

No comments: