And we are second in the league

Not great news if that's potentially another centre back out. Forget right backs, we need at least 8 centre backs.

1 - 0 down

Ahh bollocks. 1-0

Still 45 mins to go but can't of been just me who looked at them not having won a game and feeling certain they would get it today.

Howay the lads

Sounds like we're riding our luck a bit. Would be very happy to nick an equalizer and get away with one point.

We've rode our luck so far this season, it was a matter of time before it ran out. It seems clear however that there's more to this group of players, especially as the majority have been together only a short time.

As a much loved fatty once said 'it's a marathon not a sprint.'

Not our day by the sounds of it...

Now woods injured.

.....anyone looking at Carlisle and noticed they haven't won yet either??


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But they've got Keith Curle in charge so they're likely to stay shite all season.

2 now

Ivan Ash's fault, both goals

Nash out!

Nish in!


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Gash out

Got to be nailed on for Paynter to score next week.

Hopefully goes and celebrates in front of curle

If it's any consolation the juggernaut won 3-1

Juggernaut bwahahahahaha!!!!


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The more worrying is the 2 injuries which forced players off

Not long since got home.

Ref was absolute shite, gave us precisely nothing until they were 2-0 up and we were singing 2-0 to the referee....he then gave us a free kick and booked their lad. Just shit

I wouldn't mind the loss had we been outplayed but it just wasn't like that at all.

Rakish should've scored in the first half, if he'd put it anywhere other than where he did we'd have been one up. We should've had a penalty (as well as several thousand free kicks) if not two. Oates should've scored in the second but his first touch took him too wide when he tried to round the keeper.

Bates, for me, doesn't look interested. Being perfectly honest I'm not convinced he's actually injured, I could be wrong and I could be being harsh but he was very quick to indicate to the bench that he needed to come off and had taken his pads off before Buster came on the pitch.

I'm not going to judge Boyce on his first appearance but he did make a couple of mistakes...there was one where he mis-controlled a high ball gifting it to their centre forward who appeared to be through on goal, but to be fair to the lad he came across and timed his challenge perfectly..good job he did 'cos he was the last man.

Nelson-Addy looked alright by the way....I don't think Woods was injured especially, I reckon he was just fecked or taken off as a precaution.

Gutted we lost especially as it was a game we could've won (but I'm sure Morecambe, York, Fleetwood and Newport fans were saying the same after we beat them) but I would've taken the start we've had if you'd offered it to me before a ball was kicked.

The commentary team on Tees said it looked as though Bates just wanted to get off because he was having a hard time with thier forward.

Regardless, he shouldn't have been on the pitch. He's shite. Just a waste of a substitution when he inevitably "tweaks" his little hamstrings.

He probably got a text message that one of his waitress' wasn't going to be working tonight so he needed to get back to help out.

This. He probably had another Twitter webcam appearance booked and needed fluffing beforehand

Sorry Shilts but I can' t agree. Not a supporter of Bates by any means but how you can judge on 15 minutes performance when, to my eyes, he didn't do a lot wrong ? Looked like a calf or Achilles problem to me & I thought when Boyce came on, he looked pretty solid. No mention of Paynter who I thought was woeful & , at times played far too deep or Michael Woods who I love to see pulling the strings yet didn't venture into the opposition penalty box once during the whole game. Thought we were just completely off the pace ( granted it was 30 C on the pitch, mind ). Yes we should have had a penalty & Rhys Oates' first touch was too heavy but overall I was disappointed with the whole team performance. We just got found out this time.

Good first post Yorkpoolie, I pretty much agree with all of that. I thought Paynter was poor yesterday, and I think it looked liked Bates was holding his calf area. I think Oates has a bit of pace but I felt he should have scored that chance, and Bingham needs to start converting some of the chances his pace is creating for himself.

No probs mate

Not long before he got injured Harrison had a go at Bates for not being in position and for me his demeanor is one of just doing the bare minimum. I just think he's happy to pick up the wage. I don't just base that opinion on yesterday, it's over...well....as long as I can remember. I don't mind him coming on for the last 20 in the odd game here and there, I think he can still do some kind of job, just a very limited one. I would sooner start with Dan Jones than Bates to be perfectly honest.

Also, my post was just what I could be arsed to type at the time, not a full match report, hence no mention of most of the players

Another thing I thought was odd yesterday was when we got near their box and the ball was played, for example, to Carroll, he was left with no support (everyone ran away from him!) leaving him to either try to skin their full back and cross or check his run and play it backwards. Like you say, there was a definite lack of urgency and pace to our play....that said, Stevenage weren't exactly fantastic and were definitely there for the taking, which is why I find the defeat so frustrating.

They were shite, we were shite, ref and 1 lino were shite, no sinks in the bogs

Decent turnout from the Southwest branches I thought

Bates was good at York and did nothing wrong against Newport.

To suggest he's just 'happy to pick up his wages' when he's rumoured to have took a decent pay cut suggests he may not be earning a great deal.

...or had no better offers. Plus he has his business interests in this area too so he won't want to be too far away from those.

Maybe I have it all wrong but for me he just doesn't seem in the least bit interested or rather, willing to do the bare minimum only. Not saying he's a terrible footballer but he isn't very good.

Even Sir Ron said on Pools Player that Bates couldn't play Sat/Tues/Sat/Tues.....ok he's not a young lad but he's meant to be a professional footballer FFS, what else is he doing? why can't he play Sat/Tues?

I went to see my local physio the other day about my hamstring and I said to him it's probably my age (why I twanged it) and he said it's got nothing to do with age...

Yorkpoolie got his review of the Stevenage match was very good , I agree with him it was very disappointing , the luck we have had so far totally deserted us neither team deserved to win let's hope this was a one off performance , beware Cheltenham where trailblazers early on last season

Neale Cooper used to use the phrase BOUNCEBACKABILITY after a defeat.
Hopefully our curent team can do the same v Carlisle to prove that we can maintain a promotion challenge.
The division will be a bit like last season were on their day any team can produce the goods.

Granted I'm not in anyway remotely medical qualified, but I reckon 4/5 serious knee injuries probably plays a part in not being able to play 4 professional games in a fortnight. Sure the medical staff are better positioned to asses that than any of us.

He has performed well enough to justify his place as a backup in games he has played this season as well as the games he helped during our survival last year

Aye, can't argue with any of that. Back up yes, starter no.

He's one of those players who you just know will balloon in weight the minute he hangs up his boots

If that's the case he must have hung up his boots during some point of last season. About the time he opened his bar actually as he'd acquired a couple of extra clem.

To be fair he looks in decent shape at moment.