WFC v Slough Town - Match Thread
Jan 21, 2024 8:16:07 GMT
Kenty in Weardale and broadwaterred82 like this
Post by Keithsson on Jan 21, 2024 8:16:07 GMT
The saying goes that 'a rolling stone gathers no moss'. Well off the back of two great away wins we roll quickly into what could be a pivotal week of our season with back to back home fixtures... and a great chance to finally lay down that elusive winning run we've needed to stretch away in a desperately tight league.
First up, its the Rebel v Rebel derby, Tuesday night under the lights at the Woodside...
Match Centre - Link
Match Tickets - Link
This game last season ended in a 'Desmond'. You may well remember it because it was the only game in the regular season that Harrison Male missed. The unfamiliar (to everyone, not least his teammates) presence between the sticks of young Alieu Secka caused us to play a totally different game, protecting him at all costs by not using our usual defensive 'triangles'. And 'different' is a key word...
It's worth stepping back for a second and taking a moment to acknowledge just how far, and relatively quickly, we've evolved in our brief NLS existence. Just two of the starting XI that day featured yesterday. No disrespect intended to the players involved, but when you look at this side you do have to wonder quite how we managed to do so well last season...
Line-up - Secka, Rye, Cocoracchio, Wills, Barker, Tutt, Akanbi, Shubbar, Splatt, Jammeh, Meekums.
WFC v Slough highlights (29/10/22) - YouTube
We drew the away fixture last season too (1-1 [JB]) and of course beat them 1-4 away in our blistering start to this season (Wheeler, Luque, Ricky x2). Worthy of note of course is that the win at Slough came right off the back of the win at Torquay... and we face those self same opponents back to back again this week... the omens would seem favourable!
We go into this in 2nd spot with 49 points from 28 games. The other Rebels are 10th (40/29).
NLS Table - Link
Hovering very much in striking distance of the play-off picture its worth also taking a quick look at their progress chart, because that tells their underlying story... the story of a team on the rise. Dead last in the league by games 6&7 they've slowly but steadily risen ever since, where they are now is the highest they've been. So they're not wallowing about in the also-ran stakes, they're on the up...
Slough Town Progress graph - Link
That of course is reflected in their recent form. Inevitably for a team heading upwards Slough are punching above their league position in 7th for overall form with 10 points from their last available 18. We're on the up too of course, now the 4th best side in the league with 12/18. Its worth noting in this table that as it stands before Tuesday's round of games Slough are on the exact same record... as Torquay. It would be easy to fall into the trap of thinking Gulls represent the greater danger out of the two fixtures, but there is absolutely nothing between them, they pose the exact same threat.
Respective home and away form shows it much tighter than the league position and overall form suggests. Slough are 11th for away form (7/18) but we are only 9th for home form (10/18). Their away results also hint at a trend we should be wary of... they up their game for better opposition! Defeats in this period at Welling and Weymouth, even the draw at Eastbourne won't make us quake in our boots. But the wins at Bath and Aveley should make us pay them the utmost respect.
NLS Form table (last 6 H&A) - Link
In summary the numbers are much tighter than they should be for a team in our position against a team who haven't bothered the play-offs all season. Given how we've struggled all season to put together a string of good results without then being followed by a swift kick in the spuds, complacency has no right even being in our dictionary. You sense we will be totally on our game for Torquay on Saturday, the double underlined point here is that Slough are no different, we will need to be bang on it.
Squad wise and we won't have a third straight unchanged line-up. Kane is "missing" for both games this week (one presumes work commitments as has happened last season) plus of course Joe Rye's hamstring needs to be put on ice and assessed for the games as a pair. Returning we have Nicky Wheeler plus of course Greg Luer's groin may have improved.
Hinsh may go for a complete overhaul and 'use the squad', it is two games in quick succession remember and we have to remind ourselves that Jake Robinson is in his late 30's! But in an ideal world you'd keep the midfield and front line that's performed so well and make the adjustments necessary at the back... If Joe Rye is fit for Slough then there's the prospect of Alfie starting and Joel switching to his preferred right wingback slot in Kane's absence. If Joe Rye is saved for Torquay then Alfie takes his spot and the right wingback role could go to Nicky Wheeler who played so well there earlier in the campaign. Both those options do not weaken us, potentially they may even strengthen us.
All midweek fixtures...
Monday
Chelmsford City v Welling United
Tuesday
Chippenham Town v Torquay United
Dover Athletic v Tonbridge Angels
Eastbourne Borough v Aveley
Hemel Hempstead Town v Farnborough
Maidstone United v Braintree Town
St Albans City v Havant & Waterlooville
Taunton Town v Weymouth
Truro City v Yeovil Town
Weston-super-Mare v Bath City
Worthing v Slough Town
Just one red but in truth its massively hypothetical as Stones need a 12 goal swing to take 2nd from us. We will go into the Gulls game 2nd in the league.
By rights it should be a bumper midweek crowd. Yes it'll be wet and windy but it doesn't get much better than this for us, we're 2nd in the league and beginning to purr right now. The only 'distractions elsewhere' are Chelsea v Middlesborough in the EFL cup, Angola v Burkino Faso and Guinea v Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations and Altrincham v Rochdale in the National League... so absolutely no excuse then!
Let's get Woodside rocking and do our bit to help the lads. The key numbers to look for are... 1,197 is our best midweek gate, 1,003 is our average midweek (NLS) gate.
Come on you Rebels!
First up, its the Rebel v Rebel derby, Tuesday night under the lights at the Woodside...
Match Centre - Link
Match Tickets - Link
This game last season ended in a 'Desmond'. You may well remember it because it was the only game in the regular season that Harrison Male missed. The unfamiliar (to everyone, not least his teammates) presence between the sticks of young Alieu Secka caused us to play a totally different game, protecting him at all costs by not using our usual defensive 'triangles'. And 'different' is a key word...
It's worth stepping back for a second and taking a moment to acknowledge just how far, and relatively quickly, we've evolved in our brief NLS existence. Just two of the starting XI that day featured yesterday. No disrespect intended to the players involved, but when you look at this side you do have to wonder quite how we managed to do so well last season...
Line-up - Secka, Rye, Cocoracchio, Wills, Barker, Tutt, Akanbi, Shubbar, Splatt, Jammeh, Meekums.
WFC v Slough highlights (29/10/22) - YouTube
We drew the away fixture last season too (1-1 [JB]) and of course beat them 1-4 away in our blistering start to this season (Wheeler, Luque, Ricky x2). Worthy of note of course is that the win at Slough came right off the back of the win at Torquay... and we face those self same opponents back to back again this week... the omens would seem favourable!
We go into this in 2nd spot with 49 points from 28 games. The other Rebels are 10th (40/29).
NLS Table - Link
Hovering very much in striking distance of the play-off picture its worth also taking a quick look at their progress chart, because that tells their underlying story... the story of a team on the rise. Dead last in the league by games 6&7 they've slowly but steadily risen ever since, where they are now is the highest they've been. So they're not wallowing about in the also-ran stakes, they're on the up...
Slough Town Progress graph - Link
That of course is reflected in their recent form. Inevitably for a team heading upwards Slough are punching above their league position in 7th for overall form with 10 points from their last available 18. We're on the up too of course, now the 4th best side in the league with 12/18. Its worth noting in this table that as it stands before Tuesday's round of games Slough are on the exact same record... as Torquay. It would be easy to fall into the trap of thinking Gulls represent the greater danger out of the two fixtures, but there is absolutely nothing between them, they pose the exact same threat.
Respective home and away form shows it much tighter than the league position and overall form suggests. Slough are 11th for away form (7/18) but we are only 9th for home form (10/18). Their away results also hint at a trend we should be wary of... they up their game for better opposition! Defeats in this period at Welling and Weymouth, even the draw at Eastbourne won't make us quake in our boots. But the wins at Bath and Aveley should make us pay them the utmost respect.
NLS Form table (last 6 H&A) - Link
In summary the numbers are much tighter than they should be for a team in our position against a team who haven't bothered the play-offs all season. Given how we've struggled all season to put together a string of good results without then being followed by a swift kick in the spuds, complacency has no right even being in our dictionary. You sense we will be totally on our game for Torquay on Saturday, the double underlined point here is that Slough are no different, we will need to be bang on it.
Squad wise and we won't have a third straight unchanged line-up. Kane is "missing" for both games this week (one presumes work commitments as has happened last season) plus of course Joe Rye's hamstring needs to be put on ice and assessed for the games as a pair. Returning we have Nicky Wheeler plus of course Greg Luer's groin may have improved.
Hinsh may go for a complete overhaul and 'use the squad', it is two games in quick succession remember and we have to remind ourselves that Jake Robinson is in his late 30's! But in an ideal world you'd keep the midfield and front line that's performed so well and make the adjustments necessary at the back... If Joe Rye is fit for Slough then there's the prospect of Alfie starting and Joel switching to his preferred right wingback slot in Kane's absence. If Joe Rye is saved for Torquay then Alfie takes his spot and the right wingback role could go to Nicky Wheeler who played so well there earlier in the campaign. Both those options do not weaken us, potentially they may even strengthen us.
All midweek fixtures...
Monday
Chelmsford City v Welling United
Tuesday
Chippenham Town v Torquay United
Dover Athletic v Tonbridge Angels
Eastbourne Borough v Aveley
Hemel Hempstead Town v Farnborough
Maidstone United v Braintree Town
St Albans City v Havant & Waterlooville
Taunton Town v Weymouth
Truro City v Yeovil Town
Weston-super-Mare v Bath City
Worthing v Slough Town
Just one red but in truth its massively hypothetical as Stones need a 12 goal swing to take 2nd from us. We will go into the Gulls game 2nd in the league.
By rights it should be a bumper midweek crowd. Yes it'll be wet and windy but it doesn't get much better than this for us, we're 2nd in the league and beginning to purr right now. The only 'distractions elsewhere' are Chelsea v Middlesborough in the EFL cup, Angola v Burkino Faso and Guinea v Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations and Altrincham v Rochdale in the National League... so absolutely no excuse then!
Let's get Woodside rocking and do our bit to help the lads. The key numbers to look for are... 1,197 is our best midweek gate, 1,003 is our average midweek (NLS) gate.
Come on you Rebels!