Taunton Town (a) - Friendly - 16/07/14 - 7:45pm KO

[Rob Harvey]

Anybody going?

Please write a review after the game and let us know how things went.

I would imagine there will be yet more trialists chancing their arm in this one.

[JonnyOwen]

I'll be there, love going to non league grounds.

[clawtheolder]

According to E & S we have a third Spaniard on trial Borja Prieto Ruiz.

[Sadders]

1-0 down at half time, Holden own goal. Not even sure why Holden is playing first team friendlies to be honest, his playing days are well, well beyond him. I shudder to think of him playing in the league next season should O'Connor/Downing get injured. Bradshaw, MacGillivray and O'Connor making debuts. Forward trialist Javier Inglesias has made an appearance. Down by christmas. :wink:

[BathSaddler]

1-1 Morris

[BathSaddler]

1-1 full time

Attendance 283

[PT]

Ended 1-1. Only a friendly, early days, team getting to know each other, lots of changes, etc, blahdy blah. But it sounds like we struggled to break down a team from the seventh tier of English football. Hmm.

[BathSaddler]

Ended 1-1. Only a friendly, early days, team getting to know each other, lots of changes, etc, blahdy blah. But it sounds like we struggled to break down a team from the seventh tier of English football. Hmm.

Actually, they play at the eighth tier - Southern League South and West, at Step 4 of the non-league pyramid. If its any consolation :oops: , they are expected to do quite well having finished top 10 last season.

[otiswfc]

I hope we don't have another season of struggling to find the back of the net for my own sanity than anything else.
Early days though torquay on Saturday will give us more of a clue if we fail to score against them I will start to worry.

[MAsaddler]

Just got back from the match. Firstly for such a small club what a quality set up Taunton have, and very friendly with a decent bar. The game itself had lots of energy, with Taunton setting up deep and defending very well in the first half. We were finding gaps but it was the final balls that let us down going into the box initially, Taunton broke very well on the counter attack with well placed long balls but didn't really test the keeper for the whole game. Such was there defensive mentality we were snatching at shots outside the box and got very few on target. Tom Bradshaw looked good held up the ball well, as did Javier the Spanish trialist, good high work rate he just needed better supply.

In defence we looked well organised in the first half, Dean Holden looked strong and commanding throughout, his fitness has improved massively, Unlucky with the own goal. Taunton in the first half looked a lot more threatening from crosses, but on a whole they were delt with well. Midfield however need to be a lot more robust following up the clearances, and a flat 4 across midfield didn't allow for much chance creation with a deep set Taunton who in reality parked the bus. for the first 45.

Second half saw all but three players replaced, Sawyers, O'Connder, MacGillivray returning for the second half. We played with a much higher tempo and opened up Taunton more who began to move out of defence themselves. A lot more dangerous in attack Bakayoko looks strong and will be very interesting to watch this season I feel. Our Right side was quality with Kinsella looking the player of the second half, lots of runs and creativity. Hungry and useful, he might not be that big and strong but he is very explosive at times and I feel he could well be a decent Brandy replacement in a season or two. Jordon Cook linked up well and he is quality, would of been good to see a whole match from one of the forwards tonight, but its all about the match time.

Overall its a friendly so not to much to make from it. If we work the ball into the box more we will have no problems scoring next season. I felt we just needed to run at there defence a little more.

A summary of players who I felt had an impact.

O'Conner - Overlapped very well and looked useful in the RB position, some decent crosses too.

Chambers - Good shout for captain, looked good in CB role alongside Holden.

Holden - Nowhere near as bad as people make out. Looks fit and like he really wants to play.

Taylor - Good free kick in first half, just off target. Otherwise had a pacey right winger to deal with and lots of turning from long balls, did well.

Morris - Got around defence a few times but was forced inside a lot more than he would of liked. Tracked back well.

Baxendale - Was a good first half for him, he missed a few final balls to play in Javier but overall played well, good seeing him in the centre, but would be better just behind the striker.

Heath - Looks quality, and has a great work rate. He Should get games this year I hope he takes the with the same keenness.

Sawyers - Scared Taunton the most, and they tracked him pretty well, decent and strong and silky passes.

Bradshaw - Had some good chances, unlucky not to score but I am excited to see him in a proper match, looks promising.

Javier Inglesis - Seemed to play along side of Bradshaw, didn't get much supply but was in some decent positions and made some good runs, hopefully he gets a full game at Torquay...

Second Half......

Matt Preston, Didn't think he was a RB, but he was in that position for most of the second half, needs some more game time, not quite first team... yet.

PD - Second half captain and was good, best CB we have, but we all know that.

Mal Benning - Immense runs forward, very dangerous up the field, didn't really have much to test his defensive skills, I say start him as left midfield against Torquay.

Chambers - Bossed midfield and organised well, did the work.

Kinsella - Very impressed with him, Energetic, and rapid, beating players for headers almost twice the size of him, took a ball to the face and might have a broken nose.

Bakayoko - Has a decent shot on him, would like to see him for a full match, but he looks strong and technically gifted.

Cook - Got around defence quite a lot, need more time to see him but very promising, good work rate, and will shoot.

[JonnyOwen]

Very odd game.

Holden passed it? Na, he is about as good as he was in our first season, just decent - and to be fair to him up until the flukey own goal he was by far our best defender - always heard him and J Chambers ushering and organising the players in front of them. Iglesias was not great, but then again he didn't have much being fed to him. A good cross from O'Connor when he found space just in side the penalty area was his only chance, but he sort of spannered/missed the header. Other than that I forget he was even playing for about 20 minutes.

Bradshaw looked tricky, Baxendale played some good passes and Sawyers looked to shoot when in the centre - out wide left though he looked awkward and out of place. Morris was alright first half, reminded me a lot of the raw Paterson, has the pace and the skill - decision making not the best, blind alleys and all that. Flanagan played in the first half as a lone deep lying midfielder, as it looked like we played a diamond formation with two up front and one player in the hole. He definitely isn't a Adam Chambers type midfielder where he gets proper stuck in, reminded me of Mantom as he was more of a pivot player who you give the ball to so they can find space and spread the play wide or to the feet of strikers. MacGillivray looked solid, especially so in the air, never flapped and was just as vocal as O'Donnell is. Reminded me of Clayton Ince as well as his throwing looked excellent, so where O'Donnell kicks out his hands a lot, Mac throws it. O'Connor was solid as a RB, not more or less more attacking as Purkiss and J Chambers, but easily as solid as them.

MacGillivray
O'Connor Chambers Holden Taylor
Flanagan
Morris Baxendale Sawyers
Iglesias Bradshaw

Second half we played A LOT better than the first, because within a few minutes of being on the pitch, Cook as picked the ball up outside of the box, danced around his man and fired a bending shot which the keeper dealt with easily - but nevertheless it was something we missed in the first half and last season, a direct player who isn't afraid of shooting from distance and getting the better of a defender with a quick move. Cook looked good on the wing, not sure about him up front, as we again in the second half went to two up front after about 15 minutes. We began with Cook on the left, Kinsella on the right, with Sawyers just behind Bakayoko - Heath and, Chambers holding and a back four of O'Connor, Downing, Preston and Benning. We looked good, with Bakayoko looking strong, pacey and a definite handful. Benning provided pace, Cook the close ball control, and Sawyers did the fancy stuff.

After the substitutions we changed to an odd formation, with what looked like three at the back.

MacGillivray
Preston Downing Taylor
Kinsella Heath Chambers Benning
Morris
Bakayoko Cook

Benning was fantastic, what an offensive talent, got pushed up the field and within 10 minute he darted inside and fired a great effort on goal that was just about tipped onto the bar. Preston looked decent too, made a couple mistakes, but other than that reminded me a lot of Butler in that he is big, strong and scary. Distribution seemed better than Butlers as well. Kinsella played out of position on the right was alright, covered well defensively and offensively was pacey and did about as much as a central midfielder on the wing can do. Took a right wallop in the face from a proper effort from Kieron Morris. Heath looked very good too, looked much more of a Chambers type midfielder than Flanagan, defensively sound and passed well. Morris' goal was a nice one, found space on the edge of box, similar to his shots on his few games last season where he came in from the left and fired at the goalkeeper with the right - except this time, he kept it hard and low and easily beat the goalkeeper, great strike and footwork. Cook linked up well, but I still prefer him on the wing as he doesn't look like he would like playing with his back to goal as often as you would need to up front.

All in all, a decent performance. The trialing of a few new formations and styles of play as well as a good fitness test (none of the players looked like they were blowing out there arse), defensively absolutely solid, which is great. Offensively the jury is still out, I think we need a new player to liven things up as well as have a settled forward line for a decent amount of time so the personell can jell together as well as get used to the formation.

[PT]

Good reports lads. Thank you.

[SWS1]

Suspiciously positive reports. A good pre-season usually presages a poor season for us :mrgreen:
But to be fair, a poor pre-season often presages a poor season for us :mrgreen:
In fact, as usual, I'm super-optimistic at this point in the season. :D New (and some young) players... if they just improve that bit and gel...rub of the green...talent coming through...best young manager in the division...
What could possibly go wrong? :mrgreen:

[gerryhatrick]

Suspiciously positive reports. A good pre-season usually presages a poor season for us :mrgreen:
But to be fair, a poor pre-season often presages a poor season for us :mrgreen:
In fact, as usual, I'm super-optimistic at this point in the season. :D New (and some young) players... if they just improve that bit and gel...rub of the green...talent coming through...best young manager in the division...
What could possibly go wrong? :mrgreen:

I suspect that every opposition manager, with their half dozen PL loanees apiece, will be dreading the thought of playing us and the affect our meetings will have, on their goal difference.

[SoccerHQ]

How did Sawyers look? Big season needed from him I feel, he showed his quality in the first half of last season so more consistency needed now.

And does this mean Danny Webber has gone away never to return or is he lurking somewhere in deepest darkest Somerset.... :D

[Tyldesley_saddler]

According to the Excuse and Dingle, Smith is going to have another look at Webber when they return from Devon :shock: