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Town Struggle to Score as Cheltenham Steal a Point
Written by Davlan on Sunday, 13th Nov 2022 21:52

In another game that we had over 25 shots, we fail to get maximum points, granted it wasn’t another Lincoln game which was agonising, to say the least. We did get a point from this one, but in reality, it was a loss of two points, we could've done with that win today. As Plymouth only drew and Wednesday jumped to one point behind.

Town started the game very well, looked comfortable moving the ball well and the early goal flung us into a brilliant position. We seemed to slightly take our foot off the pedal, however.

We kept pushing, we seemed pretty comfortable until one of the only switched-on Cheltenham players, Ryan Broom, made a lovely run down the right, unmarked with Leif Davis nowhere to be seen and George Edmundson was caught in two minds, then a poor bit of keeping from Walton and the combination let Cheltenham get straight back in the game.

From that point, Cheltenham knew their Plan A could be put back into motion. Plan A being, to sit behind the ball and make Ipswich frustrated. Which you have to say they did very well. Although extremely poor, they kept us out, only just, but it worked.

Out of 29 total shots, we had four proper shots on target with 17 blocked. To me, that just isn’t good enough. For a team that had 29 shots, I believe we didn’t have enough shots! We kept pushing the ball into the box where Cheltenham bodies constantly loomed over the ball and made every shot at goal go nowhere.

Time and time again we should’ve cut inside and just have a blast, Marcus Harness had a few that he should’ve just had a hit, as did Conor Chaplin and Kyle Edwards when he came on.

Town also changed something I don’t think needed changing, we were playing a 5-2-2-1 with Janoi Donacien roaming up and down and Edmundson as the left-sided one of the three centre-halves, but it seems we just want to play four at the back and less solid 4-2-3-1, only not solid because we play wing-backs, so effectively it becomes a 2-2-5-1 meaning the wing-backs are completely open, the two centre-halves have 25 per cent of the pitch to defend to themselves which is a lot to ask of the big fellas at the back.

I would’ve brought Cameron Burgess on instead of KVY just to have a more solid block at the back.

Individual performances were difficult to judge, Walton was only challenged properly once and couldn’t keep it out. His distribution was solid, wasn’t helped by the passes back sometimes so it’s a 5/10.

Unfortunately, Donacien got subbed off early in the first 17 minutes he looked good and once he was subbed off it was quite the change.

Kane Vincent-Young came on and just couldn’t play his natural game as much without leaving holes at the back, attack-wise I love watching KVY run up the wing but when he is in a four back he gets caught out of position far too easily, for me, it’s a 5/10.

The two centre-halves were everywhere today, Luke Woolfenden got the goal eight minutes in. Simple but effective, defensively, however, he just seemed outnumbered, his distribution wasn’t as clean and because of the goal, I’ll give him a 6.5/10.

George Edmundson was also just about solid, but again just looked like he was a little uncomfortable with no full-back cover, getting dragged around as Leif was pushed up basically playing left wing for most of the game, Edmundson gets a 6/10.

Davis continues to be getting better, I don’t think he has ever crossed as many balls into the box ever. He kept putting in challenging deliveries and just no end product came of them, again defensively maybe he lacked a bit of tracking back, but again, if he had an extra defender he could afford the runs up the wing a bit more. Overall, he played pretty well and was unfortunate not to get an assist 7/10.

The two in midfield seemed like they haven’t played together that much, Sam Morsy rightly or wrongly gave Camoern Humphreys far too much respect, expecting him to be a seasoned pro and was caught ball-watching a lot in the first half.

He got better in the second half but, lapses of judgement meant that balls just found their way through him,. In the attack though he was good 6/10.

Humphreys played just under 90 minutes of the game and looked really cool, calm and collected. He still oozes class with balls constantly played in behind and just trying to test the last man. Unfortunately, the Cheltenham defenders were so far back that the through balls just couldn’t go through defensively he was caught out a bit but that’s when Morsy should be there to cover and Morsy just didn’t do that enough. Humphreys gets a 7/10.

Wes Burns’s confidence seems to be on the floor, he isn’t taking on as many players as he usually would, passing back more than often and his supply from the others hasn’t been great, he got the ball whacked at his chest not once but twice!

After being left out of the Wales squad he wants to prove his worth here, he played pretty well, but just couldn’t link up with anyone today, put in some nice balls in, one brilliant ball that Davis headed miles over the bar that should’ve challenged the keeper. But overall Burns wants more from himself and so do we, a Wes Burns in form is what we need 6.5/10.

Harness and Chaplin today just felt discombobulated today, Chaplin hit the bar and Harness just couldn’t find the final passes with Freddie Ladapo and Davis on the left-hand side. I have to say I much prefer Edwards these days than Harness, unfortunately Harness’s confidence just seems to be down, doesn’t shoot and just doesn’t trust himself with clinical passes, 5/10.

Chaplin in the first half was someone who looked like he could score by linking up well with everyone around him, pivoting down the middle searching around, but once the ball wasn’t going into the back of the net, especially in the second half, Chaplin just seemed dejected and lost. I don’t think I really remember anything that he did in the second half, 5/10.

Ladapo, is the easiest man to point fingers at. When your centre forward isn’t scoring you need to find the problem. Is it Ladapo? Well, he certainly isn’t helping today he just seemed swallowed up by three defenders constantly, he doesn’t seem confident at all with crosses into the box, he should be anticipating it getting himself at least touching the ball, but just couldn’t do any of that.

He held up the ball brilliantly in the first half, but had no runners on his shoulder throughout the game, with crosses into the box don’t seem to suit him at all he looks isolated and today was covered by nearly all three of the Cheltenham centre halves, 5/10.

The subs couldn’t help us win today, Edwards and Kayden Jackson came on and were good. Jackson kept fizzing balls into the box just to no avail. He kept pushing until the final whistle and was unlucky not to help us get a winner.

Edwards again showed why I think he should be starting just kept himself in the game at all times, putting balls in building play up not being afraid to make a tough pass, taking people on, and a few more minutes with him on I think could’ve done the damage.

In the last chance saloon, we brought on Panutche Camara and Burgess, usually a centre-half, and put him up top. He didn’t really do much did the big man, but was a nice tactical play from McKenna to go and try to win it.

Camara also hit the post agonisingly. Today just wasn’t our day, the positive from today, is we left with one point and not none.

I think we’re a striker away from being unstoppable. Either Gassan Ahadme comes back and scores goals galore or we have to find a better centre forward. Who to get? Maybe I’ll make another comment on that in another blog. But for now, all I can say is, let’s move to a difficult game against a confident Exeter on the TV, who just beat Peterborough, and then we have some cup games.

So, a good break from the league and when we come back after the cup games it’s more TV time against Fleetwood. Onwards and upwards.




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