Shocking defending

[EastNpton]

Have a look at goals 2 and 3 for Hereford. There's such a thing as blocking a cross or at least attempting to but no! Johnson and Gilly clearly going through the motions. Funny how they were blocking everything in sight at Anfield...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/9075210.stm

[TbananaG]

I didn't like the argument between Gilligan and Holt that followed the first goal. Gilligan didn't track back and Holt backed off, so I'd say they were equally to blame, but Gilly was laying into Holt who started to argue back but reaslised he wasn't going to get the last word. I guess it shows they care, but it can't be great for team morale, especially when it's the captain who's getting the ear bashing. Holt had a 'mare on Saturday, but don't we all need to remember he's not a centre back - he just happens to have done quite well there in the last 20 games or so - but he's still not a centre back.

[PineWoody]

Having watched the goals back on TV, I have to say that Dunn doesn't cover himself in glory at all, barring the 3rd goal which is a great strike. As someone else said in a different thread, none of the goals were really his fault, or glearing mistakes by him, but occasionally, you need your keeper to pull off very decent/good saves. Dunn can fairly comfortably save what you would expect any professional keeper to save, but he rearly pulls off saves you think are outstanding. He should have stopped the one he got a hand to, and the cross files right over him, about 2 yards from goal. Maybe i'm being picky considering he didn't have much protection infront of him.

[Fred_NTFC]

You're not being picky.

I thought Dunn was just as rubbish as the rest of them, and I haven't even seen the highlights yet.

He was starting to inspire some sort of confidence last season, and at least if he wasn't exactly being commanding, he would come up with a few wonder saves. (Away at Daggers sticks out in my mind..)

He just doesn't look too confident to me, okay he hasn't dropped any clangers but since his injury (Which may be a factor?) his distribution, which wasn't that great anyway, seems to be heading downhill again.

There are many average keepers in this division, and talk from the club of him being some great prospect ala Bunn is simply rubbish at this moment in time. We have been spoilt in recent years to some degree, but at the moment Dunn would probably be out of his depth in even the division above.

Whilst perhaps harsh, almost on a matchly basis it seems, someone has piped up 'Well, the guy hit his shot well... but Dunn did make it a little too easy for him...'

I still need to see the highlights back, but whilst he should have done better with the first, my initial impression was his positioning wasn't great on the last goal, and he gave their fella too much space to aim for. I may be wrong, but he hardly blasted it in.

We perhaps have bigger problems at the moment, and the defensive unit was awful all-round on Saturday, but it is disappointing that he seems to have gone backwards if anything in his performances.

[GrangeParkCobbler]

I think we can safely say that the defence was shocking for all 7 goals.....thats League 2 football for you!!

Herefords first......strange to see Thornton as the furthest back as the shot came in......where were the defence??
the second...great cross but we did have 4 on two, and nobody got a challenge in at all!
the third.... like said above, nobody really put themselves on the line ala Liverpool....half hearted efforts to close down the shot from the edge of the box
and the fourth....their one player beat our 5 players to get the ball to Manset....who then made Holt look stupid before rolling a weak shot past everyone and into the net!

As the post says....shocking defending!!

[TheBigPicture]

1. Yeah i'd fault Dunn for not stopping the first, if you get a decent hand to it, you've got to stop it from going in.

2. The second hard to criticise really, it was all about the showboat with the cross, the forward couldnt miss.

3. Not much to say other than a great finish for the third, exactly what i would expect from Kev Thornton at the other end, this Hereford guy didnt read the script.

4. Apparently Hereford were more surprised than us for their fourth, he's not the best but it has to be said it was a clever turn but he didnt hit it cleanly but still found its way past the onlooking Dunn, it was one of those that had he smashed it clean on it would have hit the team bus parked outside, but in any case this goal should have long been snuffed out.

[Positively Mad Mark]

Talking of s*** defending and Hereford, anyone remember the 3rd we conceded to them in the home game last season?  Anyway, apologies for another painful memory.

Haven't seen the highlights on tv yet, I just can't bring myself to it but the defending from both sides was pretty poor.  Number three for them = wonder strike though!

[RussNTFC]

Gilly clearly isn't at the races and should go for his op now!  Also why the hell was Guinan on the field when rumours were floating of him applying for the Hereford job?!!?

[Madrid Cobbler]

Watching the video goals 2 and 4 were very poor and the first was perhaps avoidable. To be fair their 3rd goal looks a great turn and shot.

Tozer looked like he was ball watching before realising it might cross the line for the first goal. The second goal was the worst for me. A good cross, but we didn't bother even trying to block it when we could have (Wedderburn I think it was). It looks like Dunn could have reached it but didn't even go for it and the defender (Davis?) in front of their player should have got a head to it. Would have been comical if it had been another team against us. For the 4th goal Holt was beaten far too easily and another defender could have made a far better effort at blocking the shot. All basic stuff!!

Having said all that, Hereford had one of those rare halves for a team in their position where everything clicked for a while. Most days against a team like them we could have defended as badly as that 2nd half and still got away with a 3-1 or 3-2. I doubt they'll score 4 in a game the rest of the season let alone in a half.

We've got to sharpen up our defending no doubt, but we've had no luck in the league either, and whatever we think of our team and manager lady luck always plays a major part in their fate.