Mansfield (h) PO 2nd leg 18th May

[guest49]

What I will say is I'm way, way less bothered tonight than I was after the Barrow game. We lost fair and square tonight and that's OK. I can take that.

You have to look for positives at times like this. No where near the woe following the Barrow game and preferable to losing at Wembley! Plus I have tickets for the Killers that I don’t have to sell now. 

[FezNTFC]

No real complaints tonight. Maybe we didn't quite get the rub off the green at times and that looked very much like a red card for the challenge that ended Eppiah's night but the truth is Mansfield were resolute in defence and we lacked the guile to break them down. Even our set piece delivery that's been so strong all season let us down tonight, although again I guess a lot of credit goes to Mansfield for the way they set themselves up to deal with them.

Then the evening gets topped off by a couple of utter fùcking bellends running on the pitch and completely showing us up on national TV...

What I will say is I'm way, way less bothered tonight than I was after the Barrow game. We lost fair and square tonight and that's OK. I can take that. Against Barrow we were cheated by the fecklessness of another team, and that I still struggle to accept.

Oh well, at least now we can get back to squabbling about the East Stand until the next season kicks off again!

Agree with every word of this.

Sadly we looked like we'd run out of ideas tonight, and you have to give Mansfield a lot of credit for that. Despite being on the rough end of a lot of refereeing decisions over the two ties I don't think we did enough to feel too hard done by either.

Have to say though that the standard of officiating has been the worst I've ever seen by a country mile this season.

[Shoemaker]

The best team won
Good luck to them
Hopefully we can build another team to challenge over the next few years

[BackOfTheNet]

You have to look for positives at times like this. No where near the woe following the Barrow game and preferable to losing at Wembley! Plus I have tickets for the Killers that I don’t have to sell now. 

Indeed. We're going on holiday on the 28th. I'd got a cunning plan involving a hire car and a late night flit that would see me meet up with my family at the end of the first day but I hadn't actually mentioned any of it to my wife, who I can say with absolute certainty would be far from impressed with the idea. I figured it best not to move into the dog house until I had really had to, and now I don't have to mention it at all, can put the impending bollocking out of my mind and just look forward to a nice holiday!

[CobblerForever]

I'd like to hear Deepcut's considered opinion of the validity of their goal.

[The 12th Marquis of Sixfields]

At least I'll now be able to my sons first birthday party next weekend so I suppose every cloud and that

[guest49]

I'd like to hear Deepcut's considered opinion of the validity of their goal.

Seen the replay and don’t think there was too much wrong with it.
On another day we could have had a couple of pens, two red cards for them and one for us. The officiating is just sh*t at our level. After the first tie Clough said he’d had nine months of it. It’s a universal problem.

[rodger]

O'Toole was excellent tonight. I think we could do with signing an experienced leader for next season.

[Jonesy9]

I’d say that the first goal could well have been given offside as whilst he didn’t touch the ball he most certainly ran towards it and pulled up at the last second. Definitely interfering with play.
Foul on Eppiah is a clear straight red.
Easily should have had 2 penalties.
On top of that their first goal in the first leg was offside too.

All that being said, we know that we’ve been severely hampered by atrocious refereeing this season, but we only have ourselves to blame today.
After the first 10-15 minutes it was clear that our direct long ball game wasn’t going to break through their defence. Not with the size of their centre backs. Yet we had no plan B again.
The times we looked dangerous was when we were actually driving at them and playing through balls.
It’s just very frustrating that we are 2 goals down across both legs in the playoffs and we stick Rose on.
We finished the game having made only 2 subs, with Lubala and Kanu still sat on the bench.
At least Chuck one of them on for the last 10 minutes and go for broke.

A very frustrating night. However if we can’t beat Mansfield over 2 legs, then unfortunately they deserve their place in the final. Albeit they’ll get battered by Swindon in the final.

[keithcurlywurly99]

Just got back. Mansfield best side I’ve seen at Northampton since Liverpool in 2010.

Can we also stop trying to get opposition players sent off - Bristol Rovers are awful for that and although they’re a far better team than we will ever be I don’t want to stoop to that kind of gamesmanship.

Never ever a red card that tackle - and the goal wasn’t offside.

Good luck to Mansfield and we need to take a long hard look in the mirror.

[keithcurlywurly99]

I’d say that the first goal could well have been given offside as whilst he didn’t touch the ball he most certainly ran towards it and pulled up at the last second. Definitely interfering with play.
Foul on Eppiah is a clear straight red.
Easily should have had 2 penalties.
On top of that their first goal in the first leg was offside too.

All that being said, we know that we’ve been severely hampered by atrocious refereeing this season, but we only have ourselves to blame today.
After the first 10-15 minutes it was clear that our direct long ball game wasn’t going to break through their defence. Not with the size of their centre backs. Yet we had no plan B again.
The times we looked dangerous was when we were actually driving at them and playing through balls.
It’s just very frustrating that we are 2 goals down across both legs in the playoffs and we stick Rose on.
We finished the game having made only 2 subs, with Lubala and Kanu still sat on the bench.
At least Chuck one of them on for the last 10 minutes and go for broke.

A very frustrating night. However if we can’t beat Mansfield over 2 legs, then unfortunately they deserve their place in the final. Albeit they’ll get battered by Swindon in the final.

They restricted us to precisely 0 chances in 180 minutes…… I don’t think anybody is battering them

[Jonesy9]

You’re clearly a Mansfield fan, but that aside we have been toothless in front of goal most of the season, and so we know that we don’t score many against teams that can sit back and defend well.

Swindon on the other hand know how to take their chances, and if it’s Swindon in the final I can see it being a hiding for Mansfield.
I hope not. I’d much prefer Port Vale or Mansfield to go up. However based on watching Mansfield over the two legs (and earlier in the season) I can’t see them putting up much of a fight against this Swindon side.

Will be an interesting playoff final.

[everbrite]

The best team won
Good luck to them
Hopefully we can build another team to challenge over the next few years

Good that's your opinion as Mansfield we were not the better footballing side. They won because they harried and defended like mad; the ball often made the ball into our half (2nd) but hardly ever accompanied by a Mansfield player! Also we lacked a bit of midfield quality!

[tcobb]

Awful game, Cobblers wise, Brady really needs time to take a look at himself if he thinks we dominated that game. Why have Hoskins taking the set pieces ? He never found a Cobblers player once. Brady let the fans down by his terrible decision making, his inability to play attacking football and score goals has cost us dear, not just tonight but for the whole season.
I was hoping that we would attack more 2nd half tonight, but no. Summed up when we had a free kick on the half way line, did we play it down the week ? Did we play it down the middle? No. We played it back to Roberts who just hoofed it aimlessly forward. Disgraceful.

[Melbourne Cobbler]

We’ve struggled with a consistent threat from our forwards for most of the season and that was probably the difference in the end. One goal over the 2 legs and failing to score at home is the reason we didn’t make it. When we were at our best we looked the better side, but it was too infrequent during the 2 games. So I think Mansfield deserved it over the 2 legs, but if they go up they will need to do a huge rebuild otherwise they will be doomed by Christmas. We have probably exceeded expectations this season in most supporters eyes and next season we will be a real threat if we can keep the momentum going. Have a good summer everyone.

[guest2995]

There is no doubt the better side won over the two games . Mansfield closed us down and blocked everything we had to offer and then took their chances when they came .
We huffed and puffed but couldn’t get behind them or create anything meaningful in front of them .
In my opinion that goal was offside because the player interfered with play but they exposed Koiki 3 times across 2 legs for all of their goals . They knew our weakness is at both full back positions and executed it perfectly .
McWilliams was superb but the others fell short in this game .
It’s been a good season and Brady has done a fantastic job . Next season will be even better when the dead wood goes this week .

[ntfclad]

The exodus begins - been told Calderwood is off to Swansea

[Deepcut Cobbler]

I'd like to hear Deepcut's considered opinion of the validity of their goal.

I've just watched it on SSN.
In the olden days, it would have been flagged, but see this quote from IFAB which explains it appropriately:
"An attacking player in an offside position runs towards the ball but does not play the ball or prevent the opponent from playing or being able to play the ball.
It is not an offside offence so the referee allows play to continue. The attacking player is only penalised if he/she plays the ball or interferes with an opponent."
Unfortunately, it was a good decision.

[Shoemaker]

Good that's your opinion as Mansfield we were not the better footballing side. They won because they harried and defended like mad; the ball often made the ball into our half (2nd) but hardly ever accompanied by a Mansfield player! Also we lacked a bit of midfield quality!

They beat us home and away….
To suggest we were a better side is comical.
Good luck to them going forwards

[guest3338]

I've just watched it on SSN.
In the olden days, it would have been flagged, but see this quote from IFAB which explains it appropriately:
"An attacking player in an offside position runs towards the ball but does not play the ball or prevent the opponent from playing or being able to play the ball.
It is not an offside offence so the referee allows play to continue. The attacking player is only penalised if he/she plays the ball or interferes with an opponent."
Unfortunately, it was a good decision.

Understand your explanation and agree the rules were interpreted by the officials correctly, but would add that whoever makes and changes the rules of the game clearly does not understand the game itself and got this one wrong. That law proves a needlessly unfair advantage.