WFC v Bath City - Match Thread

[Keithsson]

The world is watching...

Match Centre - Link

Match Tickets - Link

Important supporter information - Club Site

We kinda have to start with 'crowd watch' for this one. There are two subtexts to that club statement on this game... 1) They expect a big crowd, and 2) 'please don't be a dick'. 

The latter is a legitimate concern... cameras attract 'performers' and the novelty of a live TV audience could tempt the idiots away from their 'village' for the day. Consequently the searches/security will inevitably be more visible and thorough with the level of tolerance being much lower. We want our club to come across well on TV, not as a embarrassing cringe fest. So if you do see something brewing and you'd normally let it slide, Sunday just might be the day to challenge it if you feel comfortable, or report it to a steward if you don't.     

The former though I'm not so sure about. Yes this is a big deal for us to be on TV, yes its international break weekend and consequently there's literally nothing else on and yes its currently forecast to be dry. However diehards notwithstanding we can't ignore the 'fairweather factor'. We have lost the last three home games, and in the Virgin Media hotbed we live there exists the appealing opportunity, for those not perhaps as committed as ourselves, to watch the game at home... for free.

It'll be an interesting game for off field observations... that's for sure.

But to the game itself...

This is game three against The Romans this season. In early October we beat them 2-0 at home in the FA Cup (Cash x2) to take us into the 1st round proper. In late October we travelled to Twerton Park and beat them by the same score in the league (Ricky & Jake). Although we'd been winning in the cup competitions around that time our league form was poor. The away victory was only our first win in six attempts, over 54 days! One can only hope the same improvement in league fortune coincides with another game against Bath City.

WFC v Bath City highlights (FAC4Q) - YouTube

Bath City v WFC highlights (NLS) - YouTube

Playing on a Sunday, 24 hours after everyone else means the table and the form table will all change prior to kick off. Consequently there's not a great deal of meaningful analysis as all the numbers will change on Saturday...

At the time of writing its 5th v 8th but by kick-off it could be 7th v 8th or 6th v 9th...

NLS Table - Link

Form wise its probably a really good thing we can't analyse things to closely, because its a grim picture. At the time of writing we are the fourth worst side in the NLS. We will only be spared the prospect of being the worst team in the entire league by kick-off because the two worst sides in the league (Dartford and Hemel) play each other... and they can't both win!

The good news is Bath are just as bloody terrible at the moment too. We are 21st, they're at the dizzy height of 20th. I'm sure TNT are delighted they chose this fixture between what were, at the time, two sides going great guns!

It'll change a bit by kick-off but as it stands we're 17th for home form, they are 11th for away form. 

NLS Form (last 6 H&A) - Link

The numbers therefore shows this game as being two really bad sides in poor form going head to head hoping to be the least bad. In that regard we should be able to find some optimism, its a level playing field. The teams that have rolled us over in the last three games are all in the top half of the narrower 4 game form table, their form is on the up. This should therefore be winnable even in our deepest bad patch of the season.     

Squad wise and its anyone's guess. It doesn't seem to matter much who we play and where, either the system tweaks or the mentality/mood post Hinsh has clearly de-railed things. We can but hope somehow that enough ducks get in as close to a line as possible to buck this now strongly emerging trend that sees us drop out of the play-off picture within the next fortnight. The situation isn't irredeemable, a couple of wins and its all to play for again. The squad as a whole just needs some belief, some luck too maybe.  

All Weekend fixtures... 

Saturday
Aveley v St Albans City
Braintree Town v Yeovil Town
Chippenham Town v Welling United
Dartford v Hemel Hempstead Town
Dover Athletic v Farnborough
Maidstone United v Weston-super-Mare
Slough Town v Eastbourne Borough
Taunton Town v Chelmsford City
Tonbridge Angels v Truro City
Torquay United v Hampton & Richmond Borough
Weymouth v Havant & Waterlooville

Sunday
Worthing v Bath City

Come on you Rebels! 

[Keithsson]

The other thing to mention of course is this game will mark the opening of the new West Stand 😎

As the club are selling tickets to win the right to officially cut the ribbon it must mean that its all complete now and has been signed off by the relevant authorities 👍🏻

What's the betting it now doesn't rain for the last three home games* 🤣


*play-off game(s) not included as the odds are lengthening.

[worthingwire]

Mar 20, 2024 16:46:48 GMT Keithsson said:

The other thing to mention of course is this game will mark the opening of the new West Stand 😎

As the club are selling tickets to win the right to officially cut the ribbon it must mean that its all complete now and has been signed off by the relevant authorities 👍🏻

What's the betting it now doesn't rain for the last three home games* 🤣


*play-off game(s) not included as the odds are lengthening.

It looks really good - it is, to be fair, just a bunch of corrugated metal, but when I walked in for the 18s game last night I thought actually that looks bloody smart. 

When (if) they got the North side done, we'll have a great little stadium. 

[Keithsson]

Feels too weird having a football free Saturday. I can't do it, so i'm torn currently between Chichester v Sheppey or Horsham v Hastings.

The latter is the better level but Chi is a better location to make a day of it 🤔

Anyone else 'scratching their itch' somewhere tomorrow?

[worthingwire]

Mar 22, 2024 19:46:19 GMT Keithsson said:

Feels too weird having a football free Saturday. I can't do it, so i'm torn currently between Chichester v Sheppey or Horsham v Hastings.

The latter is the better level but Chi is a better location to make a day of it 🤔

Anyone else 'scratching their itch' somewhere tomorrow?

Littlehampton v Merstham for me. Vested interest as three of our current U18s will be on the Littlehampton bench.

[rebellious]

Mar 22, 2024 20:30:33 GMT worthingwire said:

Mar 22, 2024 19:46:19 GMT Keithsson said:

Feels too weird having a football free Saturday. I can't do it, so i'm torn currently between Chichester v Sheppey or Horsham v Hastings.

The latter is the better level but Chi is a better location to make a day of it 🤔

Anyone else 'scratching their itch' somewhere tomorrow?

Littlehampton v Merstham for me. Vested interest as three of our current U18s will be on the Littlehampton bench.

I'm watching my second Sussex derby of the week. Tuesday it was Bognor v Whitehawk, tomorrow Horsham v Hastings. 

[Keithsson]

I've settled on Chichester today after looking at the weather...more shops and cafes to duck into before k/o and better East facing cover from the wintry showers.

Talking of Sussex derbies rebellious I've only just twigged we've got a football free Saturday next week too... when Chi visit Lancing, both going great guns in the play-off spots.

[Keithsson]

Seemingly no Thursday night interview from the management team, instead a training montage...

YouTube

Nowt wrong with squad spirit 😎

[Keithsson]

Not missing, just delayed...

Aarran on Bath City - YouTube

[Keithsson]

The new stand awaits - Twitter/X

Elsewhere today a mixed bag of results with Hampton and Braintree both losing but Maidstone and Chelmsford both winning. Stones overtake us to put us now 6th...

NLS Table - Link

By rights we had already surrendered the right to even look at Chelmsford. But losing 2-1 at Taunton in extra time a win tomorrow would've taken us to within five points with a game in hand still. However, they scored in 90+3 and 90+7 to claim an astonishing late win... and end the day a whopping eleven points clear of us. They've gone 👋🏻

Best we can hope for now if we turn this form around is the last SF home tie spot... 3rd. And those two defeats today mean that's exactly where a win by any margin will see us.

Buckle up, reports of our demise are premature... it ain't over 😎

[pp]

On holiday for the game today... Genuinely gutted to not be there for this one, but convinced a local bar owner to get TNT on.

Everything crossed for a great Worthing performance, an even better than usual atmosphere, and some great publicity for the club. Get this right it sets up the club for even better things moving forward.

Pumped for those of you that are there! Looking forward to it, and hopefully 3 points! COYR!!

[pp]

First half thoughts with TV and replays... In open play we're great. But every time we give away a corner we look vulnerable.

I like Joe Felix but have always felt he gets *slightly* more love than he should... But he's been excellent... If we're going to play Kane in midfield, I'd get Chambers on... I think he's a little bit quicker across the pitch and going forward might give us a little impetus...

Got an Irish playlist going in this bar, so no idea on atmosphere; but looks busy and people look pumped!

[jjpworthing]

Good game all considered. We huffed and puffed in stages but couldn't make that stick due to weaknesses at set pieces.

Definitely a game worthy of Worthing on the map.

2,119 attendance does us good, best of the season I believe?

[Keithsson]

Funny how different eyes see different things, glimpses apart I thought our transitions were very turgid.

Almost back to the 'slow, slow, quick, (not so) quick, slow' momentum of the days Aarran was playing. No urgency, just knock it about the back and hope for the killer pass... that will never come because the opposition have now got back into shape.

Case in point was in injury time. Roco picks up the ball from their attack and to a man the whole back line and and a couple of mids barely started walking up the pitch. You have moments left to win the game...RUN!!

A win would've papered over some gaping cracks though. We've got even worse at the back, no presence, no tightness on players in the box, and that lack of urgency means we're creating less up top.

Thank god for Danny Cashman today. A calm 'passed in' first and total 'thunderbastard' of a second 👏🏻

MOTM for me though, again, was Joe Felix. The only players with some urgency, some drive, some desire to be direct. Nicky Wheeler would've got an honourable mention but no-one seemed to want to pass it to him for long spells.

Should be happy with a point but I'm not, we have become soft. Too easy to pick off.

The sooner we get a new manager and some new impetus the better, too late for this season but we need to rebuild for next season... how we are finishing 23/24 singnals very bad Juju for 24/25.

...and with that uncertainty over who will be the manager next season still ongoing and a transfer window on Thursday, how many players today might've just played their last games in a Worthing shirt? 😳

[findonrebel]

I thought we were alot better today, we controlled the game and looked a more composed and steady side, yes maybe we could have been better on the transition but overall we dominated the game!! We look a much better side with Nicky in the team and he gives us much more dynamism!!

For me, far more positives than negatives from today!