Thurrock-March 2010 results

After the results in February, we are currently occupying 10th place. I want my team to produce better results in March so that we can get closer to the final play-off spot, but we have a terrible start in March losing the first 2 games. I got to admit i made some tactical mistakes for these 2 matches so i am not going to blame the players for it. Here is the results…

vs Bath 0-3
We lost heavily to this 8th place team. They are very motivated to achieve a play-off place, their first goal was scored due to a misplace pass from Simon Heslop. Their midfielder made a quick pass to their striker who sidestep my defender to give them a lead. Their second goal come through Michael Husband who scored in close range, a perfect cross by Alex Flemming. My assistant manager had warned me to take care of this 2 players, but i never took his advice to close them down. Third goal was score immediately after the whistle, their captain Mike Perrott scored a thunderbolt from 30 yards and give my goalkeeper no chance. Though we came back very strongly but the final touch was not there. Their whole team performed magnificently, i only got myself to blame for the wrong tactical move.

vs Baintree 1-2
This is a home match against a team who is almost the same level as us. My young striker David Knight scored from close range to give us a lead in the first half. I do not know what their manager has said to them during the break , they came out very strongly in the second half. In the 62nd minute, they made the score level through a magnificent freekick by Brad Quinton. I think this shattered our confidence, they kept coming at us and finally got the winner through their striker due to a mistake by my defender. Simon Heslop was injured in this game and out for 5-6 month, that is a blow. There you go, a very bad start for the month, due to this 2 losses, we have dropped to 13th place. I think i need to ask my defenders to keep it tight at the back for the next game.

vs St Albans 1-0
They are the the worst performers in the Blue Square South, i think my team is very lucky to face them at this moment because they have not won for 20 matches in a row. Both team are short in confidence and that definitely shown in the game as shot created and on target is far and few. Just as i thought the game was heading for a draw, a good cross by my left back was put in by David Knight. This is a vital win, at least some confidence and morale is back.

vs Newport Co 1-0
I use a counter attacking tactics against Newport as they are few places above us. But my team really surprised me when they keep attacking the Newport goal, they created chance after chance. A good through ball by my loan signing David King to the penalty area and my striker David Bryant was the first to react and he put it straight in. From that moment, it is all Thurrock. We show the determination and aggression to win the match in front of our home fans. This results gave us 2 wins in a row and lifted us to 11th place.

vs Weymouth 4-1
Last match of the month was against 22nd place Weymouth, they have not won for the last four matches. So my team go into this with full confidence after the last 2 wins. We performed very well in the first half, the first come through their player scoring a own goal in the 16th minute. 3 minutes later, David knight scored to double the lead. Not long after my ball winning midfielder Wayne Graves injured himself and i sent in Matt Bodkin to replace him. They managed to pull a goal back when my defender granted their player too much space in the penalty area. My substitute Matt Bodkin scored in the 31st minute after their goalkeeper punch out a shot from my striker David Knight. It was an easy goal to a empty net.
Not satisfied, my other striker David Bryant also got himself in the scoresheet when he was put through Alex Smith. Though our possession of the ball and shots is lesser but my strikers is much clinical in front of goal in this match to win us the game.

Never did i imagine that the results in March will be so different, we lost the first 2 matches yet we managed to chalk up 3 wins in a row. This show that our problem is not yet solve inconsistency, but the positive thing is that we managed to reduce the distance between my team and the last play-off spot. Though we have dropped to 11th place, but it is just 4 points difference between us and Dover who is occupying the last play-off spot. Take a look at the table..

Just 5 more games left to conclude the season and all will be play in April. Can my Thurrock team achieve a play-off spot? If they can bring over the winning form to April, i think we have a high chance of making to the play-off spot provided other results go our way. However i have two injuries concern, my two first team midfielders Simon Heslop and Wayne Graves, both are out injured, i hope those who come in can perform to the task. I will not disappointed if we do not grab a play-off spot, i know the players try their best and the position we are in now already exceed the media and the board expectation and anything above will be a bonus. Dear readers let us rally for my Thurrock team and perform a miracle. That is promotion to the Blue Square Premier…