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THE MELTDOWN – SWINDON TOWN
I must say I felt a bit more relaxed today, I can’t say as I expected to see a re-run of Tuesday night’s game, but I don’t feel fearful anymore of the opposition, but I expected Swindon to be a bit more prepared than Bradford City who I feel we caught cold.
The first half was a very cagey affair, almost like slow motion chess to the degree Tucker almost walked the ball to the half way line on several occasions before Swindon broke their shape and forced him to pass the ball.
Swindon did get some success down our left-hand side but just when it looked like a dangerous ball would be whipped in, Tucker stepped in and cleared the danger, and I have to say he is looking much improved and gaining in confidence under Williamson.
Max Dean had a couple of chances to score but the keeper did well on one occasion pushing it wide, but I don’t think he knew much about the first effort that appeared to hit him in the chest, but he got his body in the way to deny the energetic youngster.
Dean broke the deadlock just before halftime after we won the ball back on the halfway line, Gilbey popped the ball to the rejuvenated Grant who teed up Dean inside the box and he shot across the Swindon keeper into the corner of the net.
After halftime I felt Swindon looked the brighter of the two teams, but we managed to keep calm and limit their chances until Robins top scorer Jake Young came on and promptly scored from just outside the box 4 minutes later giving Mac no chance.
Parity lasted 7 minutes as the Dons upped their tempo and had a few decent chances but it was O’Hora who started and finished the move to give the Dons the lead back. He won the ball back on halfway and charged towards the Swindon box, exchanged a pass with Payne who knocked it into Wozza’s path just inside the box, he swapped the ball from right to left and steered it past the Swindon keeper like a seasoned striker.
6 minutes from normal time it looked like job done as a Gilbey pullback from the dead ball line hit George McEachran and rolled into the net.
That should have been it…especially as I had bet on 3-1, but Blake-Tracy unchallenged headed home a freekick to give us a nervous couple of minutes to see it out and reminisce about the Barrow game where we conceded twice in injury time, but thankfully it never came to that as the Dons defence launched two or three loose balls as far as they could down the pitch.
Whilst it wasn’t the spectacle that we saw on Tuesday night it was every bit as good in my book. Again, I felt we were very good in possession and other that the spell early in the second half I thought we looked ok. There were more than one or two periods in that second half where we played some delightful one touch stuff that left their defence chasing shadows.
Swindon I felt are a similar team to us, and like I have said better prepped for this game than our previous opposition and that’s what I feel makes this victory so pleasing.
Again, Max Dean was off the scale, and I have noticed one or two people saying they wouldn’t be surprised if a hostile bid comes in during the Transfer Window, surely we wouldn’t be dumb enough would we, you know the old line “We don’t want to stand in his way”, we have made some tragic mistakes in the last 18 months, that would 100% be a serious mistake and create a social media meltdown, as would anyone coming in for a new gaffer and tapping Williamson up.
Another one we should mention is Jack Payne who is really warming to the task, hopefully Charlton don’t feel the need to drag him back in January, that would be an awful miss for us, as he seems to be loving playing with the shackles off.
Looking ahead I have in the space of two weeks gone from being scared of the opposition, to thinking we’ve got this well under control, and I did really fear the Kingston game, but now I can’t wait for it.
Next week we take a break from League football and travel to Reading in the FA Cup, and you have to say we have a real chance of turning them over in their own back yard. They are rudderless, rock bottom in the table and have lost their last 5 in the league, it might well be worth the trip next week.
So again, no real moans from me although I am not entirely comfortable with us going one on one at the back when we have a corner, that has all the potential to go wrong…but I hope not.
One final thing, I thought I noticed that Mo walked off the pitch at the end solo and never joined in the post-match celebrations, he can’t be happy, but Dean is very much the only choice for the gaffer at the moment. Mo showed nothing when he came on and I wouldn’t be shocked to see him gone in January and Gateshead approached for one or two of their players.
We have almost been snobbish in the past and not delved into the National League for players, possibly thinking we are better than that, but we definitely are not, so if MW thinks they are worth a punt, then they definitely are.
Enjoy your week.
WD
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Read the MELTDOWN after every game, no bullshit, just giving it straight
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