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Post by virgs1 on Nov 29, 2019 15:47:17 GMT
An interesting start time, presumably to assist Cray and their fans with easier return travel on the last Saturday before Christmas. Kick off time moved forward due to the Murder Mystery in the bar that evening...
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Post by virgs1 on Dec 18, 2019 10:19:48 GMT
Bump & reminder kick off Sat is 1:30pm. Please spread the word.
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Post by Keithsson on Dec 19, 2019 15:24:21 GMT
Cray Wanderers visit on Saturday to fill an otherwise fixture free weekend with our opening Velocity Trophy game. We pause the league campaign therefore pending 'the big one' on Boxing Day. It has been publicised everywhere so please please don't be the biff ( because there will be at least one!) who turns up just before 3pm to witness the final few minutes... **THIS IS A 1.30pm KICK OFF** There, you've no-one to blame but yourself if you're that biff
You might believe this tournament is a waste of time, you may even be right. However it is a fixture the club has to fulfill and having it here does at least keep us ticking over on what would've been a blank weekend. It also perhaps gives an opportunity for some of the wider squad, who have not been regular starters in a relatively settled side lately, a chance to get a competitive game. I say 'perhaps' because Hinch has a choice to make here. Does he rotate and give the 'fringe' players a game and risk upsetting the flow. Or does he stick with the bulk of the team that has been performing so well but in so doing risk injuries and unnecessary fatigue. I suspect it'll go one of two very distinct ways, either a largely unchanged side or a very 'wider squad' side. Our two rivals in what has become a three way fight presently for top spot have contrasting situations this weekend. Folkestone are also in the VT, at home to Bognor while Horsham have the weekend off having played their tie on Tuesday beating Whyteleafe 1-0 at home. The Hornets therefore will have had no game for nine days come Boxing Day. Will that be an advantage as they're fresher?, will it be a hindrance as they're rusty?, we shall see. There are five points between the top three and fourth place so league fixtures elsewhere will impact nothing. And so to the opposition. Cray Wanderers head down on one of the busiest travelling days of the year for this of all competitions so you have to feel for them a bit, thank heavens we had a home draw. They're in our league so form and league placing comparisons are valid, albeit as previously mentioned what sort of side either club puts out will be unclear until the team sheet comes out. It was only last month in an eventful match that we snatched a 2-2 draw from the jaws of a last minute victory, with Jessie getting his marching orders in the subsequent fallout. Drama?, you bet, here are the highlights - Link Cray have had a good season to date and are currently 6th with 34 points from 20 games (we are 2nd with 41 points from 20). IPD Table - LinkForm wise we are the now the best team in the league with 16 points from the last possible 18, Cray are 7th with 12 points from 18. They were doing tremendously well on the road in the league and were unbeaten on their travels right up to the 30th November with five wins and three draws. Something must've happened to the team bus however for their last two games as they were beaten 4-0 at Carshalton and then got royally humped by the Rocks 7-2 at Nyewood Lane on Saturday... let us hope that form continues and their earlier fine form doesn't return. IPD Overall Form - Link ( toggle through for home/away) Joe Taylor is their main man with an incredible 24 goals already. We can but hope he will be rested. Our squad remains fit and healthy bar Danny Barker. What a fantastic situation to be in to be able to bring Darren Budd and Aarran Racine off the bench in midweek. Just think back to last season when team selection was almost a case of picking whoever could still walk, by comparison we have somewhat of an embarrassment of riches. Long may it continue. Come on you Rebels!
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Post by Keithsson on Dec 19, 2019 19:19:56 GMT
OK, well that didn't take long Big hints from Hinch on his thinking re: team selection - Herald
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Post by Keithsson on Dec 21, 2019 11:25:29 GMT
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Post by Keithsson on Dec 21, 2019 16:17:33 GMT
Full time 3-2 and we progress (Jelley, Pearce, Chalaye).
The wider squad was used to good effect and there was nothing wrong with their effort and desire, they pressed fantastically well. Usual problem of getting ahead and letting the opposition back into the game but we were worthy of the win.
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Post by wwrebel on Dec 21, 2019 19:37:15 GMT
Two mistakes gifted Cray their goals but otherwise a reasonably comfortable win.
Thought Fin played very well at right back and others got minutes under their belts.
Carshalton drawing today was a good result for ourselves.
Two big games to look forward to coming up next in front of what should be two very decent attendances.
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Post by wwrebel on Dec 22, 2019 16:39:29 GMT
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Post by virgs1 on Dec 23, 2019 12:41:18 GMT
A safe passage to the next round albeit no prize money!! Ties for Last 16 have to be played by 26th Jan so I can wonder Leatherhead will be scheduled in for the 21st?
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Post by virgs1 on Jan 2, 2020 17:23:41 GMT
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Post by Keithsson on Jan 19, 2020 16:04:03 GMT
Bump... next up.
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Post by Keithsson on Jan 20, 2020 17:33:38 GMT
Back under the floodlights tomorrow for a Velocity Trophy 'knockout stage 2' fixture with Leatherhead. There having been a tortuous group stage format for lower league sides I would've thought by now we must be at something resembling a 'round of 32/16' or 'QF' stage. But try as I might to make head nor tail of where the competition is all I can see is we're at 'knockout stage 2'. Follow the link if you want to have a go yourself but as it stands 'knockout stage 2' comprises 12 teams, plus one still to play from 'Knockout stage 1' (that being either Bognor or Folkestone who also play tomorrow). We are here thanks to our 3-2 home win over Cray, Leatherhead are here thanks to a 3-2 away win at Ramsgate. VT Fixtures/results - Link 13 teams left?, hmmm I guess the best way to look at it is simply this... if we just keep winning then one day there'll be a final, but if we lose we'll instantly forget it all as being an irrelevance anyway. Either way, happy days Form is valid given we're in the same league but there are distinct unknown variables. Firstly we don't know how seriously both sides are treating the competition generally and secondly we don't what level of preservation/rotation the Tanners and ourselves will adopt this week in particular. On the first point we're top but whilst Tanners are tenth they're still in the play-off race with games in hand to catch up, we both have our eyes on bigger prizes. On the second point both of us got decent away results on Saturday and both have lowly placed league opposition at home on Saturday, we can both afford to tinker a bit. So league form means something but must be taken with a pinch of salt... We are the top IPD side for overall form and top the table too for home form. Tanners are the 9th best side for overall form but are performing better at 6th for away form. On the road in the last six games they've only been beaten once, 3-0 at Casuals. Bar that they've beaten Lewes, Cray and Wingate plus they've taken highly creditable points from Margate and Hornchurch on Saturday. They're no mugs on the road. IPD overall form - LinkAll things being equal we should be able to win this. But they may not be equal, and we are in the thick of a promotion campaign. The temptation to rest/rotate some players will be strong. Hinch however has been tinkering around the edges in the last couple of games anyway with Aarran clearly being used strategically and key players coming in and out. He has also shown the cup competitions a healthy degree of respect with relatively strong selections both against Cray in 'K/O Stage 1' and the Sussex Senior Cup games. We'll only know when the team sheet comes out but right now we're in such form and have such strength in depth that I see any Worthing side as a strong side. Wrap up warm, it'll be another cold one, and come on you Rebels!
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Post by wwrebel on Jan 20, 2020 18:59:01 GMT
Round Two draw has been made and the fixtures are as follows: Games to be played by January 21, 2020, weather permitting. Basildon United v Folkestone Invicta or Bognor Regis Town Bracknell Town 2-1 Lewes East Thurrock United v Cheshunt Enfield Town v Brightlingsea Regent Maldon & Tiptree v Merstham Horsham v Corinthian-Casuals or Hastings United or Burgess Hill Town Wingate & Finchley v Margate Worthing v Leatherhead
Tomorrow's game is a last 16 encounter. Tournament is a bit of a mess from what I can make out with one of the groups still to be decided. Few other Velocity ties being played tomorrow as well.
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Post by durringtonrebel on Jan 21, 2020 8:33:53 GMT
Anyone know the admission charges for this evening?
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Post by virgs1 on Jan 21, 2020 9:53:14 GMT
Anyone know the admission charges for this evening? Normal Price as far as I'm aware. Was the same the last round.
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