Darlington v Whitby Match Thread

[poppyfield]

Anybody got the crowd figure?

940.

There looked a few more than that.

[poppyfield]

Just got back, we looked ok in the first half and first 10 in the second , we then just looked tired, there is no substitute for match fitness that's for sure. Great strike by Thompson for his goal and a good header from Galbraith for the second. Had chances to win it , we just ran out of ideas and steam roll on Saturday.
The pitch must of been really heavy to play on, it will be well knackered by Saturday after Bish play Friday.

[Darlo_Pete]

Thought we were going to be overrun at the start of the game, they must have had 4 or 5 corners before they scored. Thommo scored a spectacular equaliser with a volley from just inside the penalty area. Galbraith popped up to score a looping header and we finished the half well on top. Gaskell missed an open goal in the second half and we just let back into the game. A draw on the balance of play was probably fair. Don't know how Thommo got MOTM, but hey what do I know.

[HarrytheQuaker]

Portas replaces Adam Mitchell for the start of the second half.

WHY???


Sat ont shitter

[HarrytheQuaker]

Thought we were going to be overrun at the start of the game, they must have had 4 or 5 corners before they scored. Thommo scored a spectacular equaliser with a volley from just inside the penalty area. Galbraith popped up to score a looping header and we finished the half well on top. Gaskell missed an open goal in the second half and we just let back into the game. A draw on the balance of play was probably fair. Don't know how Thommo got MOTM, but hey what do I know.

Seriously How did Tommo get MOTM, he was brilliant his goal was worth the entrance fee alone...Who was ur MOTM then Pete???


Sat ont shitter

[SwansQuaker83]

We had enough chances to win that easily... And golden chances as well... Failed to take them and tired... Gutted as that was two easy points thrown away... Cant afford to do that too many more times.

[AndyPark]

Lets put things right on Saturday at home to Colwyn Bay.

[HarrytheQuaker]

I'm not blaming Gray but as soon is I saw Mitch off(injured????) then Carts off after 55 mins I turned to my mate and said this is far to early for changes it DISRUPTS the rhythm of the team... Yes we missed chances but it annoys me when he makes early substitutions .....


Sat ont shitter

[uncovered]

I gave thommo man of the match, fantastic goal and tried to attack. Couldn't pick anybody who stood out so the goal edged it.

[Darlo_Pete]

Thommo was too wasteful in the second half for me. Hard to pick any player who deserved MOTM. We seemed to create the biggest threat going forward from set pieces.

[Neil Johnson]

I wasn't there, but were the 3 players subbed on really fit?

Were they just getting some fitness match practice after injuries?

Seems the team needed Dowson's (& Cartman's) drive, when attacks were being bogged down.

[Darlofan97]

Portas replaces Adam Mitchell for the start of the second half.

WHY???


Sat ont shitter

Because we needed an extra body in the centre of midfield. Gray got this change right.

Armstrong for Cartman was not the right change, we had little movement up top and it played into Whitby's hands when we needed someone to stretch the game (Cartman/Dowson).

[HarryCharltonsCat]

Agree Armstrong was wrong decision. Should have been Dowson if anyone. Mitchell was poor first half, didn't really seem interested, and struggled with their left back. Portas didn't improve us however - doesn't seem the same player since his injury. Whether that's because he's not over it or not I don't know, but there were a couple of times in the second half where he had the chance to overlap, but seemed unwilling to risk that initial burst of speed needed. We looked uncomfortable down our right all game. Lack of any wide player on that side bar Mitchell means we will struggle when Mitchell is not on it.

After all these weeks, it was a bit of an anti-climax. Team and crowd lethargic. And after all this time without a home game, am I the only one very disappointed in a crowd of sub 1000 for first time in the league this season?

[Robbie Painter]

Thought Mitchell played well in the first half and had great energy in midfield. It was his persistence that won the FK from which Thompson scored.

Unless Mitchell or Cartman were injured I didn't understand either of the changes.

Crowd was a standard Tuesday night effort and actually a little higher than I expected.

[Darlo_Pete]

I expected a better crowd, especially as it's yonks since we have had a home game.

[theoriginalfatcat]

There were two great chances to finish this game off in the 2nd half.

I didn't get a good view of Thompson's miss, but Gaskell's chance was strange. He seemed to lose his balance in slow motion, when it seemed (to me) that all the work had been done, and the goal was at his mercy. I think he'll be annoyed with himself - but these things happen.........

And yes HarryCharltonsCat, I too thought the crowd were lethargic. At the time when the players needed a lift there was silence - perhaps the enforced break has affected us and we need to be shouted at by Martin Gray ?

[onewayup]

I think it was a very good workout for the team people behind us were screaming for an uptempo game
Forgetting we haven't played competitive for a while so match fitness just wasn't quite there, my man of match, scottie missed very little and made some great challenge,s very strong .Roll on Saturday a better performance to come,a draw that could have been a win with players up to match fitness .onwards and upwards ,let's get back to Darlington.com'on darlo.

[poppyfield]

Agree Armstrong was wrong decision. Should have been Dowson if anyone. Mitchell was poor first half, didn't really seem interested, and struggled with their left back. Portas didn't improve us however - doesn't seem the same player since his injury. Whether that's because he's not over it or not I don't know, but there were a couple of times in the second half where he had the chance to overlap, but seemed unwilling to risk that initial burst of speed needed. We looked uncomfortable down our right all game. Lack of any wide player on that side bar Mitchell means we will struggle when Mitchell is not on it.

After all these weeks, it was a bit of an anti-climax. Team and crowd lethargic. And after all this time without a home game, am I the only one very disappointed in a crowd of sub 1000 for first time in the league this season?

Agree with most of that, MG was shouting at Mitchell throughout the first half to get involved, work harder to get the ball back you could tell he was getting frustrated with him, that's why he was subbed imo. You are right about Portas he needs to get his mojo back. I do think Portas played some of his best football when he started alongside Turnbull, but Scott is getting the nod ahead of him in the starting 11. as regards the crowd I did think there was over 1000 there.

[Darlofan97]

Please bear in mind that Portas was playing right-midfield and then right-back last night. Hardly his ideal position. Probably quite reluctant to get forward due to Whitby's left-back who was a cut above and got in behind on several occasions.

[HarryCharltonsCat]

I accept he was being played out of position, but he didn't seem to have, or be willing to use, that initial burst of speed he always had that set him apart. As I say, he might still be carrying the injury a bit, or be fearful of it happening again.

Can't say I saw what Robbie saw in Mitchell's first half performance. Seemed subdued. For me, he's not been the same player this season, especially offensively. Think his goal and assist stats will back that up.

[HarryCharltonsCat]

Please bear in mind that Portas was playing right-midfield and then right-back last night. Hardly his ideal position. Probably quite reluctant to get forward due to Whitby's left-back who was a cut above and got in behind on several occasions.

Knowing Martin's love of a Whitby bargain, do you think we'll be in for the left back? Tall, athletic, fits his online dating profile!

[DarloOnTheUp]

Please bear in mind that Portas was playing right-midfield and then right-back last night. Hardly his ideal position. Probably quite reluctant to get forward due to Whitby's left-back who was a cut above and got in behind on several occasions.

Knowing Martin's love of a Whitby bargain, do you think we'll be in for the left back? Tall, athletic, fits his online dating profile!

[Darlo_Pete]

Please bear in mind that Portas was playing right-midfield and then right-back last night. Hardly his ideal position. Probably quite reluctant to get forward due to Whitby's left-back who was a cut above and got in behind on several occasions.

Knowing Martin's love of a Whitby bargain, do you think we'll be in for the left back? Tall, athletic, fits his online dating profile!

I'm happy with Galbraith at left back, his delivery at set pieces is usually spot on.

[poppyfield]

Please bear in mind that Portas was playing right-midfield and then right-back last night. Hardly his ideal position. Probably quite reluctant to get forward due to Whitby's left-back who was a cut above and got in behind on several occasions.

Knowing Martin's love of a Whitby bargain, do you think we'll be in for the left back? Tall, athletic, fits his online dating profile!

That lad did have a good game, mind you so did Hopson he was the pick of there players for me.

[lo36789]

Please bear in mind that Portas was playing right-midfield and then right-back last night. Hardly his ideal position. Probably quite reluctant to get forward due to Whitby's left-back who was a cut above and got in behind on several occasions.

Knowing Martin's love of a Whitby bargain, do you think we'll be in for the left back? Tall, athletic, fits his online dating profile!

I'm happy with Galbraith at left back, his delivery at set pieces is usually spot on.

I hope we don't if only for the avoidance of another set of 'Galbraith v [left back]' debates. Especially when there is a chance that the key key skill set for a left back is deemed to be his set piece delivery.

[aveda]

Galbraith's attacking play in the first half was excellent and their right back couldn't cope with our attacks down that wing. It was a shame we didn't continue with that in the second half. Although we did look a bit lethargic as the game wore on Armstrong and Gaskell did have a great chance each which could have given us the win.

[BaronsCourtQuaker]

So my take on the game. Its one we should have won and for me the two initial substitutions cost us.

First half we were good, played our way into the game two very good goals (if Tez meant it), and I thought at times the way we harassed and won the ball back was superb. The front 2, Scott, Mitch, Galbraith were the main men doing this for me. We either took possession or forced wayward clearances. At half time I just couldn’t see us not going on to win the game.

When we came back out I was trying to work out why Mitch had gone for Portas, and all I could come up with was that Mitch was either injured or Gray felt the game was won and he wanted to get Tom on the pitch. For all I like Portas I just don’t see how we can accommodate him, Scott and Turnbull in the same 11. I just couldn’t see the sense in taking Mitch off! no one else offers us the same presence out wide. At that time we were not being over run in the middle and there threat came from balls over the top of our midfield.

Then when the second change came I was just lost. I really like Army (though would accept he has been off his best form over our past few games) however I just don’t see him and Gaskell working very well, its seems to encourage the long ball forward. Whilst Gray seems to enjoy taking Cartman off and I just don’t get it, his constant running and pressuring of the CB’s often forces errors, he links the play up well, is always a threat in the box and that constant running up top sets the tone for others to follow.

All of a sudden we went from a team in control to a disjointed team with an over congested midfield humping the ball forward. A bloke next to me asked “how do we change it, what’s Grays next sub going to be” and I just felt that Gray had backed himself into a corner and all I could see was (unjustly) Scott for Nowakowski just to try and get our shape back, so when he took off a defender (it was Hunter, wasn’t it) It just left us with players out of position and with no real plan. From this position we were fortunate to not loose as Jameson went on to make a good save late on.

Granted it was first game back, heavy pitch, cold night and against a Whitby team that came for a game but I left feeling disappointed at an opportunity missed. We look more than capable of beating teams going forward, I think we always look to have goals in us but the defence just seems too fragile. Which has been the case most of the season and we just don’t see to get it right despite having good players in there.

I don’t think anyone had a terrible game, but I do find Portas puzzling, he is just not the player he was. Him and Turnbull were such a nice compliment to each other early on in the season but Tom seems to have taken those driving runs out of his game and we end up with just 2 players sitting.

Unlike the Echo I don’t recall a hatful of chances. Gaskall’s looked a sitter but it just got stuck under his feet and couldn’t move them quick enough to take the opportunity, annoyingly he actually had way more time than he thought to sort his feet out. Whilst I thought the bigger miss was from Thommo when he just pulled it wide.

MOTM possibly Scott, doing the simple things well. Though understand Thommo getting it Darlo_pete may think he was wasteful, but that comes from trying things rather than the simple ball and you need to encourage that to open teams up.

All in all a frustrating night, summed up with me forgetting the A1 was closed on the way home. Onwards and upwards.

PS. I thought the pitch held up well.

[HarryCharltonsCat]

Gray had a go at Mitchell first half I believe. Think he took him off because he didn't think he was in the game enough, which I think I agreed with. However, we don't have another wide option now, so it becomes square pegs and round holes, or a switch to 4-3-3.

[dfc4me]

Hunter was taken off because he had been stretching his calf/thigh muscles for the previous few minutes - don't know if an injury or cramp.

[Darlofan97]

All of a sudden we went from a team in control to a disjointed team with an over congested midfield humping the ball forward. A bloke next to me asked “how do we change it, what’s Grays next sub going to be” and I just felt that Gray had backed himself into a corner and all I could see was (unjustly) Scott for Nowakowski just to try and get our shape back, so when he took off a defender (it was Hunter, wasn’t it) It just left us with players out of position and with no real plan.

To be fair, Hunter was injured and had to come off. Nowakowski then had to shift in to right-midfield and Portas at right-back. Hardly's ideal as we didn't have a right winger or right full-back on the pitch, but I did feel that Mitchell had to come off as Whitby were getting plenty of joy on the left-side.

The only sub that Gray got wrong last night was Armstrong for Cartman, I can understand Gray wanting it to hold up front but it was easy stuff for the Whitby defence, when in reality they needed to be stretched like in the first half.