Matchday: Nike Academy today

[Richinns]

zip - zip at halftime

[Richinns]

Ended 1 a piece. Jarvis with our goal.

[Gullscorer]

Who took our penalty kick?

[Richinns]

Who took our penalty kick?

Not sure but they missed!

[Chris B]

It was Jarvis who had a poor penalty saved by the keeper.

As expected, it wasn't the most enthralling of games, but Nike Academy held their own against us. A few thoughts on the trialists: Byron Anthony looked experienced and - despite struggling occasionally with NA's big, goalscoring no. 16 - did a decent job, but he did little to persuade me he's any better than I thought he was. Alex Evans is strongly built, was commanding in the air, and looked comfortable. George Artemi flitted in and out of the game, at times looking assured in his fairly static, deep central midfield role, and at others was anonymous. Chris Luxton played as an attacking central midfielder. He's very short and was peripheral though tidy on the ball in the 1st half. At the start of the 2nd he lost the ball a few times and struggled to get back in the game.

Yeoman's last 20mins just about made him our MOTM. For Jarvis' goal he showed good pace on the wing before crossing, and overall proved our best attacking outlet. Jarvis, for his part, was again disappointing up front on his own – I think we can categorically conclude he can't do it. He looked much happier in a 4-4-2, using flicks and awareness to bring forward-runners into play, before eventually finishing tidily in the box to equalise. Karl Baker's performance was timid for the most part – showing good skill and pace, but too easily knocked over or off the ball – but he grew into it in the latter stages and had a strong shot well-saved.

[CP Gull]

Fairly uneventful but keenly contested game with very little in the way of chances created by either team. I cannot really recall Ricey having to do much at all and apart from the penalty save their keeper didn't either.

Good to finally see the new seats going in in the Family Stand, they are just over halfway done now but it seems unlikely that they will all be done in time for Saturday's game but hopefully by the middle of next week I would think. It certainly shows how badly faded some of the old seats were! There are a sprinkling of blue seats which will eventually spell out the name of the sponsors Sondico, but fortunately they are not too prominent.

As for the game, no real stand out performers for me although I thought Tom Cruise did well and the local lad Karl Baker caught the eye with some decent wing play. It was him who, when put through by Jarvis was clattered into by a defender for an obvious penalty. Unfortunately the penalty by Jarvis was a poor one and the keeper saved easily to his right.

As for the trialists, I though both centre halves had solid if unspectacular games and restricted them to very few real clear chances. I thought Anthony, although quite tall, looked quite lightweight for a centre half at this level and can imagine him being "bullied" by a few of the bigger centre forwards in this division ( the likes of Akinfenwa, Parkin etc). Young Evans is bigger and stronger and probably quite a bit cheaper I would imagine that if any of the two were offered something longer then it might just be him.

Unfortunately, despite one or two nice touches, young Luxton really didn't get the opportunity to shine and seemed to find the pace of the game quite difficult, understandable given the level he plays at I suppose. He is also quite small and like Artemi who also struggled to make an impact I would be surprised if Lingy offers either of them anything longer.

Having gone behind to just about their only effort on target, after I think Evans and Cruise got in each others way a bit it looked like we might end up losing but a fine run and pull back by Yeoman playing down the left wing saw Jarvis slot the ball home from close range to atone for his earlier miss from the spot.

A draw was probably a fair result.

[PhilGull]

Thanks for the reports guys. How did the Nike Academy players look? Any there that may interest Lingy?

[Plymouth Gull]

Byron Anthony and Alex Evans have been told to go, while the other two will stay for another game.

[ferrarilover]

Anthony gone, that is a surprise.

Matt.

[Richinns]

Byron Anthony and Alex Evans have been told to go, while the other two will stay for another game.

Strange? Reported both (especially Alex) did well. Hope the playing budget has not taken a hit?

[ferrarilover]

The only thing that I can see as being the issue with Anthony is a combination of his size and his passing. Neither on their own would make for a rejection, but given that he is no Mark Ellis (in stature), nor is he an Aaron Downes in terms of his passing, makes me thing that MacKenzie, who is considerably taller and not so small that a few weeks of double gym sessions and steak for dinner wouldn't soon see him right, might be ahead of him in terms of size. As for his passing, well, it might have been a feature of having just Jarvo up front (who is far from the best mover off the ball), but he seemed awfully direct in his approach.
For whatever reason, Dinger has ditched him as not quite what we're looking for. I suspect it's a lack of wiling to put in the effort required to alter Anthony to bring him up from Bristol rovers standard to ours, as opposed to him plain ol' not being good enough.
Someone will have him, and if it is a BSP club, they will have a VERY good defender on their hands. He will probably get knocked off the ball by Akinfattwat and his ilk, but then, you can't have four Guy Branstons at the back, you'll get ripped to pieces by pace and movement. All in, not a bad player, but not the finished article that we would want to slot straight into a matchday 18.

Matt.

[northyorkshiregull]

Anthony and Evans have both been told they are not wanted.