Display was campaign in microcosm
IT’S all over, the 2017-18 season that was to be the start of our return to the League. Chorley came to EP and left with all the spoils.
The game itself could be seen as a microcosm of the season as a whole, we played well in parts, at other times we were found wanting and lacking any real desire to go for the kill.
We started well enough, in his interview after the game Jim said that the game plan was to “go at them, get an early goal and force Chorley to readjust their game plan.”
The only problem was that the visitors, as they have done all season, would defend as if their lives depended on it and hit us on the break, which was exactly what happened.
The best chance we had all evening was a deflected cross that was well saved by the Magpies keeper. They hardly produced anything going forward until late into the second half when we were looking for our second wind. Sam Minihan lost his man and suddenly the ball was in the back of the net.
We huffed and puffed but all to no avail, Andy Teague (surely a close season target) won every cross and shot that went into the box and yes there was a bit of gamesmanship from them as well, even the last five minutes of mayhem when it suddenly dawned on the men in blue that the game was lost came to nothing.
Now I’m not a fan of the play-offs, for me if you’re second in the table after 42 games you’ve earned promotion the fact that this season Harrogate have finished 22 points ahead of Bradford PA is testament to that, Bradford will have no pressure going into their semi final and could just win and that for me would be plain wrong.
So, to sum up our season. A mixed bag really the highs would have been the 6 wins on the trot in March April, the 6-0 win over BPA back in September and a decent run in the FA Trophy including a win over National League Maidenhead.
The lows, well how many times have we left a game feeling disappointed? You’ll have your own dear reader I’m sure, for me there were the losses to Chorley, obviously add to that Nuneaton and Blyth at home and who will ever forget the humiliation of losing to nine men FCUM in the FA Cup.
So here’s to the future, we’ll be up against the usual suspects plus Alty, Chester, Guiseley and any number of clubs from the Evo Stick. Let’s hope for some investment.
Have a peaceful summer and I’ll see you all for pre-season.