We must do better or risk falling behind
IF County are really serious about promotion this season, then we must be beating teams like Guiseley and Bradford.
I know we don’t have any divine right to win these matches but dropping two points at home to a team that are going through a huge transition and then to throw two points away in the dying minutes to a team that haven’t created anything all game is worrying, at any point of the season.
Some will say that we’re only five games in, it’s still early, others will point to the fact that Chorley are already seven points in front and haven’t conceded a single goal!
Whatever your point of view, the fact remains that there’s only one automatic promotion place and we’re already playing catch up and, if we’re being honest, not playing particularly well.
When Guiseley came to EP there were plenty of ex-County players with a point to prove – Andy Hall, Kaine Felix and Big K.
For most of the game we huffed and puffed through midfield and created several decent chances up front.
The much changed defence dealt with most things the visitors tried and we coped with their speed fairly well but Felix squirmed away once too often to give them the lead. The game’s best moment came when Sam Walker opened his account with a peach of a free kick.
Honours even, two points dropped.
At Bradford, more old boys, Mark Ross, Gianluca Havern, Ben McKenna, Oli Johnson and Danny Boshell were all named in the 16, all trying to get one over their old boss.
However, we controlled the vast majority of the match, again controlling the midfield and creating loads of goal scoring chances.
The worry is, and we’ve seen it in every game (including the FCUM 5-1 win) we’re squandering so many chances.
Jake Kirby missed a sitter in the first attack, Sam Walker hit the post not long after and Conor Dimaio could have had a brace in the first half alone, even the gift of a penalty went awry as Matty Warburton’s weak effort went straight into the keeper’s grateful grasp.
In the second half we were reduced to shooting on sight, almost the entire team had an effort from distance before Matty struck from 30 yards, 1-0 up and cruising.
But no, this is County and Kallum Mantack, with half an empty pitch to run at, gives the ball away and the equaliser gifted to Bradford.
So five games in and the report reads, “must do better, much better”.