Bluebell Banter

I enjoyed writing the header to this post.

It seems a long time since we've had anything to cheer at Lodge Rd recently.

For once our early domination paid off and we kept the momentum going up to half-time. For once a 2 goal lead wasn't squandered late in the game. We also passed the ball around a lot more, probing and creating opportunities.

Although Scott Brice was awarded the M.o.t.M award any one of 6 or 7 players could've walked away with that honour today and every single player, including the subs played well.Another controversial starting line up from Moggy today with 3 at the back, 5 in midfield and Meths partnering Deano up front.
But how well did that work ? After scoring his early goal, the Bedford defence were petrified of him as he caused mayhem along their back line, as did Deano. Another positive for us was the way Meths would hold the ball up and bring others into the fray. With 5 in midfield this meant we had both width and numbers to stretch Bedford and press them back.

I thought Beadle was great today with his tackling and range of passing, Woody covered miles in his wing-back role , attacking effectively but tracking back to support the solid back line of Brice, Gibb and Metitri. White and Vahid added some steel to the middle and Whitts was a bundle of energy who you felt was always capable of producing something special at any moment, which he nearly did with his shot that was heading for the top corner until the oppo keeper produced a top class save to keep it out. Matthews had another excellent game and is growing in stature week by week. I also thought the new lad looked promosing and put a decent ball into the box late in the game.
There seemed to be a new verve about the side today , a change in attitude, a sense, maybe that they won't go down without a fight. The challenge for Moggy and the lads is to maintain this new attitude.

WELL DONE THE BLUEBELLS

At last a win for Yate. It's been a long time coming and I'm glad for the new manager.

It was good to see the effort all around the pitch today. I can't believe how fast Deano has recovered since seeing him on crutches a few weeks ago. It's great to have his pace and skill back.

Being a fan of his, I was a bit disappointed by Woodie's performance today. None or few of his trademark darting swerving runs with the ball, which typically terrorise the opposition. Although Yatesman's explanation of the formation probably explains his reluctance to come forward.

Sticking Ali Gibb in defence has been a good move for me. I thought his experienced really showed when we were 2-1 up, keeping the ranks calm.

Lee Matthews made some good saves today and seems to me to be growing in confidence.

I'd like to see Dave Mogg's get a bit more excited/animated on the touchline. Staying quiet every match is hardly motivational, but I do appreciate the absence of swearing from the sidelines; call me old fashioned.

Was it Paul Metheringham up front with Deano? I thought Paul worked really hard for the team and applaud his vocal encouragement of the team. With the position the team are in this is the time to stand up and be counted. 10/10 for effort.

Well done to the manager for his substitutions. Both Jake and Aaron caused problems when they came on. Whoever took the penalty deserves credit. He tucked it away in the bottom left corner with ease.

All in all a great match. Nice to see us back on winning ways.

Hi bs37, welcome to the forum and thanks for making the effort to add a comment. Too many others come on to this forum and are known as 'lurkers' due to their habit of looking at other's comments and not commenting themselves.
Understandable if you are a player or club official, but I do wish more supporters like yourself made the effort.

Anyway, yes that was Paul Metheringham up front with Deano yesterday. Without doubt my M.o.t.M and also M.o.t.M in the Gazette, N.L.P. and Independant reports. I can't remember when he last started up front but if he can play like that every week with Deano, with the quality of crosses that Woody and Gibb were producing, we've got a great chance of beating the drop.

HALLELUJAH

Could it be coincidence that without our "back to front"/"route one"/"welly it and hope for the best" non-style of play,we have not only managed to win a match but done so in style and sent the faithful few home well entertained,and with renewed hope.

Really impressed with the performance yesterday.
All team played well and no negatives.
Liked the 3 central defenders, seemed to work well and we looked far more solid.
Mike Whittington looked inventive in that hole behind the front two and as for Paul Metheringham what a performance!
I haven't seen him play like that for years but then that's about how long it is since i saw him play up front. Two things could be linked.
If we can do that again and again we could just stay up.

It was good to see that something had changed yesterday, WE wanted it and the balance was right. Dean was fantastic - great example of not giving up and making the right decisions. Lets hope we have by luck picked the manager who can pull the rabbit from the hat.
Maybe the manager and the team want to prove they are good enough, but we have to live with a commitee with a lack of ambition and money.
Still, overall good, (but we should pass to Woody more) lets play the subs on thursday, so fresh for the weekend Darren needs a run out etc.
Lets hope we can keep Ali, until we are safe.
With Beadles passing and tackling, do we move him in the middle. Whitts looked keen, but tired in the last 25 minutes and sometimes lost.
Cant say I agree with all the comments on Meths. Never gives up, but technic, touch and speed, is not the same class as Dean and Blakemore (but can we keep them) And if Jake buts the effort in like he showed yesterday and hits a few goals, there could be good competition there.
Still well done lads, same again please and then we can have a good laugh at the mangos and clevedon. (And nick their best players !!! again)

Lee Metthews has been superb in the last two games,& now looks a quality goalkeeper....Moggy may have had some influence here.

It almost goes without saying that Scott was immense again...Vahid & Metitiri were solid,but the latter sometimes does strange things with the ball, most notably his speciality"i'll let this one skid off the back of my head & see if i can get on the scoresheet"!!

Ali Gigg will be a big loss when he returns to Bath ;his experience is proving invaluable & he talks the others through it.

Beadle was excellent & if we continue to play the ball to feet,he'll have the opportunity to fulfill his potential.Whits was quite an imaginative selection in the middle...he's got quick feet & a quick mind...well worth trying again.Hawkins may be a more obvious choice than Joe White but fitness may be an issue.We know Moggy wants to bring in another midfielder,& that would greatly enhance our chances of survival.Good to see woody tracking back when needed,but i think he needs to be fitter for that role.No doubt about his ability.

I spoke to a well respected ex-pro after the game,who commented on what a good player Dean Griffiths is...his goal was breathtaking & he could be the ace in the pack.Meths had a blinder but he'll come up against much better centre halves.

Bringing on two fresh strikers in the last quarter of the game should always pose problems,& Jake & Aaron certainly did their bit.

Must mention Moggy...the new formation worked a treat;the motivation looked good & style of play was apleasure to watch.

WELL DONE ALL CONCERNED.....MORE OF THE SAME PLEASE

COME ON YATE.

player wrote: Dean was fantastic - great example of not giving up and making the right decisions.
Cant say I agree with all the comments on Meths. Never gives up, but technic, touch and speed, is not the same class as Dean and Blakemore (but can we keep them) And if Jake buts the effort in like he showed yesterday and hits a few goals, there could be good competition there.
Still well done lads, same again please and then we can have a good laugh at the mangos and clevedon. (And nick their best players !!! again)

Extolling the virtues of Methy's performance yesterday is in no way a backhanded critiscism of the other strikers at Lodge Rd. It's exactly what it says on the tin......a great individual performance from a true Bluebell.
Meths was fantastic..........would the same tactics work v Brackley on Saturday ? Who knows, but credit where credit is due.

All I know is that we are blessed with many talented forwards who each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Meths performance yesterday has brought another option into the reckoning. Don't forget Meths was a 30+ goal per season striker not so long ago!!!!!

I agree that Hawkins needs a regular run out. I'm a fan of Hawkins and think he needs games.

AS for 'Can we keep Deano and Blakemore?' That's a good, but premature question. Can we stay up ? is more relevant....Then we can look at what is necessary re : player retention.
As for Mangos and clevedon.......When we are safe through our own efforts will I look at who did or didn't survive the drop .Until then the only thing on my mind is whether we can stay up.

Nothing else matters!

The truth is we are in a war zone and we fight to survive , to preserve our status, our honour and our integrity.
Yesterday showed that we have what it takes that we won't lie down and let ourselves be humiliated on our own turf.
I think, as player said, the lads have to prove to themselves what we all know..........this Yate Town side is too good to go down!

Excellent result.

I have to admit I was struggling to see even a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel but now the team has something to build on.

Well done. Fingers crossed for the rest of the season!

That's the way to do it.

What a difference it makes to the weekend to leave the ground with a smile on your face.

Everyone played their part and it was certainly the result we deserved.

Admittedly, Bedford were not great but they still had to be beaten and we gave a performance which was better than theres.

I would probably have given MOTM to Methy as well. He is not the most skilful or quickest in the team, but always gives 110%. To see him and Dean in tandem chasing down the opposition back four and constantly putting them under pressure enabled our midfield to sit higher and prevented Bedford building from the back.

Mentions should go out to the whole team though as I don't think anyone had a bad game and it was very much appreciated by the fans.

Hopefully we can navigate Thursday night safely and have everyone ready with renewed enthusiasm for the trip to Brackley.

Come on you whites

In answer to the comments of Player the other day. I for one had to laugh when he said that "when Mangos and Clevedon are relegated, Yate can nick their best players - again!"

Nick our best players? With all due respect to the players we have at MUFC at the moment, have you seen where we are in the league table??? If that is all that "Player" is interested in doing, then you might as well come down with us now, because his ambitions are obviously not that high and our squad (collectively) is obviously not up to scratch for this division and that's no state secret.

League tables do not lie. We Mango fans KNOW we are going down (we are not deluding ourselves, even though the players will do their best) and you are one place above us in the league table. It was only the other day that Yate fans on here were resigned to going down to the SW Division next season. They sound just like us, I thought to myself, but then you beat Bedford. One swallow v Bedford won't make a summer if you don't build on it, and the same would apply to us if by some huge miracle we beat Gloucester tonight.

Mark's answer about who goes down once your own team's chances is sorted out is the same sort of thing I would be saying. The only difference for me is that if all 3 local clubs go down, then there'll be more local derbies next season.

Then again, local derby gates these days aren't that special anyway!

I wonder how many teams will be relegated as it could be the financial situation at Merthyr and possibly Halesowen that dictates how many points are needed.
If Merthyr do fail to complete their fixtures and their results are expunged I think we will lose 3 pts as I seem to remember beating them way back in August.

Couldn't agree more with most of the comments already posted here. Meths was my MOTM too. Haven't seen him in this role before personally but I thought he revelled in it. He always gives 110%, seems to have "Bluebell blood" and his reaction to the fans slapping his hand on his way back to the changing rooms was pure jubilation and raw passion for the game. This summed up the difference in this performance than what we have seen recently.

Never guilty of team effort recently but the tactical changes this week brought back the self-belief that seemed to have been missing. The freedom was created to allow the midfield to get up and support, strikers in tandem causing problems (including Aaron & Jake when they came on)and a solid defence in front of an ever-improving keeper = A Great Team Performance!

Well done, Moggy. Well done lads. Great to see Deano back on form, great to see Beadle coolly slot away the pen to obliterate the nervy finishes we've seen before. (Even Barney my Jack Russell terrier enjoyed that one!!)

Keep it up lads, we can prove the doubters wrong and stay up.

C'Mon you Bluebells.

You could be right, London Calling, but I would go even further than that, because there are teams in every league from the Conference downwards that are in a financial mire.

This summer, the whole non-league pyramid could be in melt down because of the recession. I read recently that most of the Ryman League are in the mire as well. No surprise there given the higher cost of living up London way.

It wouldn't surprise me if no one got relegated from our league, and for MUFC, that's the only way we're going to stay up, but it's not the way to do it, not a bit. Looks like we've lost again tonight, losing 1-0 with 5 minutes to go, but I'm only surprised Gloucester haven't scored 3 or 4, from what I've heard.

Still, miracles can happen, but we had a miracle late last season and I don't see it happening this time around.