Alfreton Town (A) Friendly - Tuesday 16/07/2013

[Exile]

Guessing this will be a youth/triallists game.

[Exile]

Ten quid in, a fiver for kids and crusties.

[Willenhall Saddler]

This will be a first team game Exile because we have Rushall away the day after which will most likely be youth team.

[Pedagogue]

This will be a first team game, Exile, because we have Rushall away, the day after, which will most likely be youth team.

WFC have said that they intend to mix the squad up to cover the two games, playing triallists and established professionals in both. However, as as Alfreton are a Step One club (Conference Premier) and Rushall are in Step Three (Northern Premier League, Premier Division), it would be fair to assume that it will be a stronger line-up against Alfreton.

[tinned]

Ten quid in, a fiver for kids and crusties.

Ten quid for a fudge friendly at a non-league team? The worlds gone mad.

How much at Rushall. Peda? Might pop down and watch my ex-neighbour (presuming he's back to fitness?).

[Pedagogue]

Ten quid in, a fiver for kids and crusties.

Ten quid for a fudge friendly at a non-League team? The world's gone mad.

How much at Rushall. Peda? Might pop down and watch my ex-neighbour (presuming he's back to fitness?).

£5 Adults and £3 Concessions ... and, yes, Johnny Haynes** played, last Saturday.




** for the benefit of Exile's "crusties" - not THAT Johnny Haynes!

[martkrugeleysaddler]

Ten quid in, a fiver for kids and crusties.

Ten quid for a fudge friendly at a non-League team? The world's gone mad.

How much at Rushall. Peda? Might pop down and watch my ex-neighbour (presuming he's back to fitness?).

£5 Adults and £3 Concessions ... and, yes, Johnny Haynes** played, last Saturday.




** for the benefit of Exile's "crusties" - not THAT Johnny Haynes!

Tinned in stalker mode!

[tinned]

Ten quid in, a fiver for kids and crusties.

Ten quid for a fudge friendly at a non-League team? The world's gone mad.

How much at Rushall. Peda? Might pop down and watch my ex-neighbour (presuming he's back to fitness?).

£5 Adults and £3 Concessions ... and, yes, Johnny Haynes** played, last Saturday.




** for the benefit of Exile's "crusties" - not THAT Johnny Haynes!

Tinned in stalker mode!

Lived opposite him since he was 4 :D

[Welsh_Saddler]

Ten quid in, a fiver for kids and crusties.

Ten quid for a donald friendly at a non-League team? The world's gone mad.

How much at Rushall. Peda? Might pop down and watch my ex-neighbour (presuming he's back to fitness?).

£5 Adults and £3 Concessions ... and, yes, Johnny Haynes** played, last Saturday.




** for the benefit of Exile's "crusties" - not THAT Johnny Haynes!

Tinned in stalker mode!

Lived opposite him since he was 4 :D

And he's now 7 ??? :shock:

[JonnyOwen]

Might go to this instead of Rushall, not sure, will there be many Saddlers going to this one?

[tinned]

[quote="Exile"]Ten quid in, a fiver for kids and crusties.

Ten quid for a donald friendly at a non-League team? The world's gone mad.

How much at Rushall. Peda? Might pop down and watch my ex-neighbour (presuming he's back to fitness?).

£5 Adults and £3 Concessions ... and, yes, Johnny Haynes** played, last Saturday.




** for the benefit of Exile's "crusties" - not THAT Johnny Haynes!

Tinned in stalker mode!

Lived opposite him since he was 4 :D

And he's now 7 ??? :shock:[/quote]

:-)

That's like the old joke. The people in the pub totally ruined mine and my girlfriends anniversary because of our age difference. I'm 40 and she's 20. Totally spoilt our 10th anniversary meal.

[Sadders]

Starting XI

O'Donnell

Purkiss
Butler
Downing
Benning

Mantom
McQuilkin
Featherstone
Morris
Sawyers

Lalkovic


Surely Adam Chambers missing again suggests he's injured and it's not just a knock? Not seen J Chambers much through pre-season either. I presume that's McQuilken in the hole and Sawyers/Morris wide.

[Pedagogue]

1-0 up - Sawyers, after an error by Chris Westwood.

[Pedagogue]

2-0 cracking goal by Lalkovic

[Pedagogue]

2-0 cracking goal by Lalkovic

[Pedagogue]

Good first half. No glaring weaknesses. O'Donnell nothing to do; Mcquilkin (sp?) Quiet but did nothing wrong; Morris looked very dangerous and Lalkovic worked very hard, quick and skillful, if he plies his trade in the opponents' penalty area he will win as many penalties as Brandy.

[Sadlad]

Just need to sign a penalty taker now :twisted:

[Pedagogue]

3-0 Hemmings

[Pedagogue]

4-0 Westcarr after superb run by Baxendale.

[Pedagogue]

5-0 Westcarr

[DYSaddler]

Demolotion job by the sounds of it - very professional performance indeed. We'm gewin up! :mrgreen:

[Pedagogue]

6-0 Hewitt

[Pedagogue]

Finished 6-0

[Sadders]

Good to see all 3 strikers that signed up this week got on the score sheet. Can't remember the last time we won convincingly in pre-season, especially against a Conference team.

[The Red Prince]

Finished 6-0

Title is ours by Easter!

[Pedagogue]

We used 20 players tonight. Only O'Donnell and McQuilkin played for the whole game. Obviously, 6-0 is a VERY encouraging score but, of course, truer tests are yet to come. The new signings and triallists showed promise. Why, even Sawyers and Hemmings looked interested! :D . While I thought that Grigg and Brandy could be replaced, I feared that the one player of true quality whom we lost, Paterson, would be harder to replace. However, it is possible that Lalkovic, a real lively handful, may just fill the bill. My only crticism of him, tonight, was that, at times, he dropped too deep in his enthusiasm to get the ball. If he concentrates on committing defenders in their own penalty-area he will be a big asset to us, winning penalties and scoring goals.

The youngsters staked a claim, too - George, Benning, Morris, Baxendale but the one with the most promise for me is Reece Flanagan, in midfield. He could be the next young player off the production line.

Leeds, Forest and Villa will provide much sterner opposition but the future looks a bit brighter now than it has done for quite a few pre-seasons.

[JonnyOwen]

Brilliant game today, don't regret going whatsoever. O'Donnell didn't have much to do but when called upon, made some decent kicks up the field, commanded his area well, and made a brilliant save late on. Craig Westcarr was rather lively too, playing just behind Hewitt, and then with the inclusion of Hemmings we really kicked it up a gear and started to pass them to shreads. McQuilkin was not very effective at all out on the right, didn't do much wrong, but there was a reason why most of our play came through the left with Morris instead. Talking about Morris, I thought today he was a class act, and easily out shone Sawyers who also had a decent game. When McQuilkin moved into the centre of the field next to Flannagan, we were a lot more dominant, and he showed good stamina and an overall good skill set as he and Flannagan really did well together.

My only worries from this game would be that Holden looked shaky, as well as Chambers who was playing centre half next to him for the last of the second half - but we still held a clean sheet, with some great tracking back from all of our players.

O'Donnell - 8 - Not much to do, but did what he had to well.
Purkiss - 8 - Made some really good runs down the right hand side, and it may have been just me, but also seemed to have gained an extra couple of yards of pace. Solid defensively.
Downing - 8 - Solid, calm and composed - covered Purkiss well when he has gone sprinting up the field too.
Butler - 8 - Solid, and with it being a friendly, you can really hear him barking his orders.
Benning - 7 - When they did attack, it was normally down his left hand side, but he defended it brilliantly and attacked with real intent - a few poor touches kept him from being the attacking threat he could be.
George - 7 - Passed well, and defended with real intent, good prospect.
Holden - 6 - Commanded well, but got beat by a pacey striker once or twice, but a decent back up to have breathing down the first teams neck.
Chambers - 6 - I felt he didn't play too well out of his natural position, felt he let them have too much space instead of closing them down, but he still helped keep a clean sheet.
Taylor - 8 - Top left back, defensively solid and composed, whilst also helping shore up the attack with his support - didn't see him darting up the wings overlapping too often though, but that was probably due to our very central play during the second half.

Mantom - 8 - Solid, passed well and attacked with intent.
Featherstone - 8 - I could watch him pass the ball all day, brilliant - got stuck in too, really tackled well and stepped up to the Chambers role well.
Flannagan - 7 - Didn't notice him too much to be honest, he did a lot of the tracking back when we were on defence and caused some problems with dishing the balls out to the wingers.
McQuilkin - 9 - Really rated him at central midfield, got a decent pass on him, as well as some pace to help him track back and attack - lasted the whole 90 minutes as well, which is great for pre season.

McQuilkin - 6 - Didn't do anything horribly wrong at right midfield, passed the ball around well when in the attacking third - but I never saw him really attacking the full back or trying to draw them out, he just wasn't all that effective offensively.
Sawyers - 7 - Passed well, and took his little chipped goal really well - I would criticise his work effort and his attitude though, even though it had gotten better than previous games where he came across as cocky. He seams to throw his arms in the air, gesturing to team mates constantly when things don't go right, when it was his fault. For example, the ball was loose just in front of the right midfielder, with Milan further up the field in the striker role - neither of them ran for it, even when Sawyers was closer and would be in a much better position to deal with it, instead he left it and gestured to Milan in protest when they picked the ball up instead.
Morris - 9 - He caused some real problems in the first 20 minutes especially, and was our most threatening attacker in the first half thanks to him not being scared to drive at the defence and try to get past them - it really but some fear into them. Did a great move to get past the full back and clip in a brilliant cross in a much quieter second half too. One to watch.
Baxendale - 9 - Baaaaaaaxendale, baaaaaxendale. I love him, great dribbling and attacking intent - practically made one of Westcarr's goals when a mistake by good old Chris Westwood and their cheating goalkeeper led to the goal being almost open, with one defender in the way. He jinked past the defender, and instead of trying to slot it past the keeper, played a simple ball to Westcarr who gave the most brilliant finish I have ever seen... from half a metre away.
Westcarr - 8 - Did well, and really jumped on a lot of nice passed from all of those around him, but some nice balls through into his fellow attackers and took his chances well - could of have had 3 or 4 if he was more clinical in front of goal though.
Hemmings -8 - Showed enthusiasm when he came on, and showed some actual desire like he did at the beginning of last season. Did some fancy flicks, and took his goal into the far corner really well - encouraging signs.

Lalkovic - 8 - Definitely reminds me for Ledesma, fancy flicks, neat passing and plays of the shoulder of the defence - obviously likes to run at them too, and took his goal brilliantly. Caught offside a few times though, but always had a smile on his face and blamed himself for his mistakes - unlike the Sawyers types who blames others.
Hewitt - 8 - Held the bell up well, linked up brilliant with Westcarr, and did very well with his goal - a low cross was fizzed in, he pressured the defender to miss his clearance, and he tapped it in from 2 yards out.

Probably about 50 or so Walsall fans scattered around the ground, with most being behind the goal and in the stand opposite the tunnel.

[Welsh_Saddler]

[moaning mode]....."We've peaked too soon, we're doomed, doomed" :roll:

:mrgreen:

[WFC_Rob]

This all sounds a bit too encouraging, doesn't it?!

[Wyrley_saddler]

The standout player for me last night was McQuilkin. The lad rarely wasted the ball, was energetic and covered the ground well for 90 minutes. Was abit quieter in the first half when out wide but second half he really came into his own and completely dominated midfield along with Flanagan,who was also impressive.

Also, special mention to Kieran Morris, who, with the right nurturing could become the 'next Pato'. The lad has bags of talent and seems to have a level head too as he doesn't come across as cocky.