im over the moon with the win but they were awful. I love pools to bits and always want what's best but is that really an x1 to take us up?

Shouldn't be negative and I alpoligise but that didn't look like a top half team.

Austin for me again was man of the match. Murray played well as did monky. James cameo was superb and the goal was world class, monkeys work to set him up was top drawer.

Plenty of positives but I still see signs off trouble.

Concur exept for the Austin bit, i thought he was shocking.

I'm glad somebody agrees lol but what did Austin do wrong?

Thought Austin had one of his better games, solid apart from one pass that nearly caused trouble

I agree fully remember that pass. Apart from The scare I thought he played very well. Horwood was good on the ball aswell I'd much prefer him to play lw. In the other half he looked a problem.

On a side note Holden was impressive AGAIN

Agree with most of the original post but can't stand the term 'world class', all things said though it was a quality finish.

I thought Sweeney had a decent game as well but I'm still not convinced he will be the right person to start against the better teams in the division.

It was good to see the team playing a bit more positively and a great 3 points but in no way was it as comfortable as the result may suggest.....

What? When was Holden impressive?

The 2 crosses that hit no one, granted he wasn't shite but he didn't do anything, to be described as impressive is way over the top

Disagree, I thought he was fucking awful.

Howard did the square root of fuck all today. He just didn't look interested in the game from the start. Is he carrying a knock or something?

Not been training much due to knee problems I believe (which doesn't bode well)

How could anyone watch that game and think Austin was 'shocking' our back four all had good games, loads of blocks and tackles. Austin played one awful pass, apart from that he was sound.

Howard was awful, his body language was poor from about ten minutes in. Poole doesn't impress me at all, James should start ahead of him every time at least you get work rate.

A win is a win, we won!

Howard did fuck all other than miss the penalty and Holden looked woefully out of his depth when he came on, other than that I thought the rest of the players played well without setting the world alight. Still cant see why Monkhouse and Franks are playing on opposite wings like, although both had decent games.

I thought Sweeney looked a lot brighter today, against one of the weakest sides in the division. But can he do it against a better quality opponent?

Holden was diabolical and showed why he not starting games.

Do people forget that we are not man utd?
We beat a division one team today quite easily.
Yes, we are never gonna get promoted with this team but i have Definately seen worse teams in my time supporting pools.
Holden wasn't on long enough to be given such a hard time and Howard won his headers as he Is supposed to do.
It's not his fault the defenders don't jump!

I usually think you speak a lot of sense but what game did you watch?

Austin did ok but we where playing a very poor team and they mainly attacked down our left side.

I have been critical of horwood in the past but I think he is a damn sight better than Holden. As for playing Holden as a winger, I really struggle with that when we have luscombe on the bench.

I will be surprised if Holden makes it at our level, we have had hundreds of young lads like him over the years and very few make it.

We won and it's the third game of the season.
Im happy with that, admittedly it wasn't great but not every team can win easily every game.

im in a minority if not on my own but mark my words , Austin will cost us a lot of goals this season.

If you had the choice of playing attractive football that entertained the crowd and lost, or a bit boring scored 2 decent goals and won, I know which I would take

Yes I would like to be on the edge of my seat at the skill etc, but hey, I am a realist, we will get the odd game like that, although in general, the 3 points is what matters

Well said monkey.

I welcome the three points as much as the next man, but the quality and strength of our squad, given that it appears that we are not generating enough income to strengthen, worries me.
On today's game, I thought James Poole was very under par.
I have seen Howard twice now and to be honest, I'm not impressed so far.
I don't see the point of bringing Holden on to play left side midfield, when Luscombe and Walton are sat on the bench.
I hope young James gets a big confidence boost from his goal.

To answer the questions.......

Yea we were battered down the left, finally you noticed!! This happens every game.

Horwood had an ok game today though for me so no bother there? However Holden isn't a winger so were no further on if that's supposed to help.

Up top we created fuck all so 3 pts is awesome.( bar the goal)

As said I'm happy but not exstatic

I once had a caravan that we got an engine and steering wheel for that was similar.

Ahhhhhh so your a pikey..... Now it makes sense...,,....... ???!!!!!

3 points is 3 points well taken. Espesh against Scunny who have been a bit of a hex in recent times. Let me say that I won't be going to the away game later in the season. Boring drive....parking in Scunny away carpark...unaccessable boozers...we get stuffed on pitch...Scunny parking stewards let us leave carpark at 7 pm.

Good 3 points today in my opinion against a side who are struggling but can put the ball in the net at will, so a big gold star for the back four.

I wasn't at the match today but was given a very good point by someone who was: He said that if Adam Boyd had played the same way Steve Howard had today he would have been slated all game and probably been booed off the pitch.

Howard lost possession a few times and gave away some clumsy fouls, I had doubts when we signed him but still hope he comes good.

I also think Austin should be on penalties. At least he tries to send the keeper the wrong way and puts some thought into his run up to at least wrong foot the keeper. In this day and age I can't believe professional players still take penalties like school kids. I wonder how many penalties Howard practiced this week..?

What a pile of shite some folk are writing on here. At times it must just be cos you need to have somebody to slag off. And as for the second goal, I thought it was excellent buildup play and a great finish but I'm gonna have to see it on the telly cos the way I'm reading it on here it was only Monkhouse and James involved but that's not how i remember it.

I mentioned only monky as it was his assist and the way he did it was class and I thought it deserved praise. I honestly couldn't tell you who passed it to him.

Monky got to a Howard flick on; one of his few headers which worked all afternoon.

Howard didn't look fit, but if he's carrying a knock, then he ain't fit, which would explain why he he was not in position for some crosses in the first half - Franks goal being a case in point

Well if hes not 100% why is he playing??

We released Boyd brown hassan and snaith and loaned out nish yet we start a striker who's not fit, you couldn't make it up.

Get noble in asap is all I can say

Players play when they are not 100% all of the time, he had a bad day it happens, he still had a nuisance factor and contributed in the build up to the second goal though.

Can't disagree PJ, but if the plan is to get crosses into the box, the strikers have to be fit enough to get on the end of them

I wonder if cooper will keep him on penalties. Only 1 miss but were do you draw the line?? Horwood is good with dead balls maybe he should take them.

Pleased as punch with the 3 points but it was a very lacklustre display and Scunthorpe were horrendous. A far cry from the good teams they have put out in recent years.

I still don't think the system Cooper is using is getting the best out of the squad we have although it was good to see Murray make a return to the team. There is clearly a deliberate ploy to get the ball out wide as soon as possible but it's pointless given no one appears to be able to cross the ball well.

The 2nd goal was superb. Excellent play from Monkhouse and the control from James was magnificent.

Disappointing performance but ultimately winning is everything. Onward and upwards.

Murray was involved in everything in the middle of the park - brilliant player when he plays like that. Sweeney was a ghost for 80 to 85 minutes yet again. I can't believe we persist with him in a central 4. Apart from two runs from deep in the 1st half (one header and one mis-control) and the last 10 minutes when the game got stretched, I don't remember him making a contribution except for fouling their midfielders on the half way line. If we had someone else in the centre alongside Murray who contributed even half as much to the game as he does, then we would be a lot tougher proposition to opponents

Just my opinion like, but this will cost us over the season.

Sweeney should only ever play in a midfield 5, and in no other circumstances should he play

Hope it puts to bed the ridiculous misconception that Murray can't play in a 4 because he is old when in fact he needs a decent footballer like him in there to help him. This will only help his game rather than raise doubts over it due to the failings of others

Murray is class and only a select few on here fail to see it

Totally agree

Murray always takes responsibility and tries to play football rather than hit and hope. We are a far better team with Paul Murray in it.....

Sadly it's not only people on here who are clueless. You have to wonder what Cooper & Barron were thinking pre-season and earlier in the season. Murray isn't a player that is just a flash in the pan, he has been consistently superb over the past 2 years and dropping him when he was playing well was ridiculous....

Id rather see Murray and Walton start in the middle than Murray and Sweeney.

A very good point? I don't remember Boydy getting booed the whole time he ever played for us.

Howard has had one poor game for us, Boydy had loads. I don't really see the comparison.