After a disappointing 1-1 draw with relegation threatened Grimsby, Salop made it five draws in six outings leaving their promotion dream hanging in the balance, writes blogger James Pugh.
With some tough games remaining, I thought only a win would do on Saturday and although we remain in a playoff place, we are making things extremely difficult for ourselves.
I know Grimsby are fighting for their lives, but two shots on target was not acceptable and we lacked the killer touch in front of goal – which has been the case since before Christmas.
After last week’s promising result and performance away to Wycombe, I expected the team to build on that, but instead they were flat and in the end the 1-1 draw was a fair result: Humphreys was once again frustrated, Daniels’s handling was not the best and we were punished for not playing a second striker.
I said a few weeks ago what we would have done without Holt’s goals this season. But a special mention must go to Ben Davies whose form was being criticised earlier in the season.
The fact that he has scored 12 goals, many of them at vital times in games, says something, but he also tops our assist chart with nine.
Looking ahead at our next two fixtures, it’s a tough trip to Bury, followed by a home tie against Rochdale.
After Saturday’s disappointment, a minimum of four points is what we have to target. The tension seems to be getting to the fans and players at the moment and all we can hope is that it will hit other teams too. League Two has shown this season that a team can beat anyone on their day.
Off the pitch there was a double celebration for the club at the 2009 Football League Awards.
While the club won Family Club of the Year, Grant Holt picked up League Two Player of the Year.
My congratulations go to the club and Holt for winning their awards and it is nice to see their efforts have been rewarded.
I have to say, though, looking at the player of the year awards for the other divisions, it is no coincidence that they are all strikers and have scored a lot of goals. Sometimes I don’t think players other than strikers get enough credit.
For those unbiased fans out there, do you think Holt deserved to pick up the award?
Just five nerve-racking games to go and Town are clinging on to the last playoff place. Do fans think we can achieve promotion? My prediction is that we will just scrape into the playoffs.
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7 Comments
I hope we do it but I fear we are just not good enough. Too many mediocre, inconsistent players. And they are not helped by some quite frankly baffling team selections.
The manager is starting to believe he is cleverer than he actually is – 4-5-1 against a relegation-haunted team? Come off it. Let’s go back to basics with Walker the pick of an ordinary bunch to partner Holt.
Holt’s form is suffering at having all the pressure on his shoulders to score and he badly needs help in and around the box.
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Spot on David 4-5-1 is doing Grant’s form and confidence no good, we must play another forward to give him proper support, Walker is definitely the best of the bunch, at least there is a few goals in Walker, the rest look as if they can’t conjure up a goal between them. If we hadn’t Grant’s 20 plus, Ben’s dozen and Ben’s numerous assists we would be fighting relegation not being promotion hopefuls. I think promotion would be very exciting but could leave us facing a relegation dog fight next year (look at Hereford are they better off for promotion? or will they suffer for it in the next couple of years?)
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Not a chance town is going up. They are simply not good enough. Even if by some small miracle town go up, they have the prospect of being thrashed home and away all season. Towns ‘big gun’ holt has enjoyed some minor success but even he is a small fish in an even smaller pond!
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There appears to be something missing so perhaps until they sort it stay in Div 2
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Agree with the above -we are not ready for league one yet. Whether we finish in the play off’s or not I don’t think we are ready to go up. I may be being pessimistic but so be it. We lack quality in a few areas and rely on Holt, Davies and Coughlan too much.
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if gary peters had £170k to spend on a forward he’d have got us promoted easy by now.
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We can play in lge one .but it may take a couple of extra players. it is always the same as expectations rise at salop they play like crap
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