| Ladapo in attack... 09:05 - Oct 26 with 1670 views | Mullet |
Funny "little" ground is Vale. The sat nav took loads of us to the wrong place for the pre-booked parking, the estates you wind through as the ground emerges from a dip a warrens. Cross the allotments and keep the floodlights in view and there's 4 stands all different. A packed away end behind the goal with a low roof. A long run with 15 yards of grass between it and the pitch and their "boys" in, a giant rugby stand the other side and a sparsely populated home end behind the other goal. Brilliant. Proper.
I even saw a few "that's my seat" types getting funny in a sit anywhere away stand and some great attempts to get that "I'm into something good" tune going amongst others but I've no idea if the sound carried beyond us. Seemed like a typical half term away end.
Thought Vale might be the first team to really hold us after the opening 20 mins. Harrison spent the whole game trying to wind up Woolfenden of all people, as he and Wilson lumped and humped everyone in touching distance all game. It felt like McKenna ball might be getting weaker or the antidote to it stronger - all our side to side and triangles were nearly there.
You could tell it was a second string central midfield as Humphreys was audacious with a lot of early passing and costing us possession, whilst the right hand side of Donacien and Burns misfired several times unless they decided to go it alone. Didn't really matter when we made a successful switch and suddenly Ladapo was turning it home though.
From the away end there was a touch of Morsy at FGR when Humphreys wheeled away. I saw him shape up, saw him hit it, saw the net ripple but between the forest of players I wasn't 100% what had happened other than it'd gone in and the away end loved it.
Vale lived up to their name and battled well...y'know, but it was disappointing to see either of their goals go in. Missed headers, defenders in each others' way and a loss of shape for either. I thought Massey controlled it with his hand before scoring but the replay doesn't make it clear, if he did, the Town players were too shocked to appeal for much.
The equaliser right after half time is a textbook cliché in not what to do. Everyone but the back four saw it coming I guess. Defending set pieces seems to be the one area we really could do with tightening up if we are looking for complaints about a side chasing the title.
One thing that really came across last night was how electric Edwards is at close quarters. He will send defenders either way with ease and at speed, only Davis came close with a little drag back in full flow, to showing the kind of technique that puts us above most others in the league. Kyle probably had a hand in most of our meaningful attacks or at least it felt like it.
Freddie getting the winner was really pleasing as he seems to attract lots of praise or negativity little between, for me he rarely deserves the latter. It didn't look like Humphreys was going to keep it in after more good play down the left, but it highlighted that Ladapo can be a fox in the box when given the opportunity.
The subs really changed the game. Chaplin was quiet and seemed a angry to be taken off. Edwards and Ladapo removed our only way of retaining possession high up the field. It felt like McKenna wanted us to draw them out and hit them behind with pace. It made for a less enjoyable watch but fun to see their keeper and centrebacks play hot potato as Jackson chased them down.
Full time was all about young Humphreys. We were chanting his name, players were pushing him forward then dancing around him. Keogh was well up for it and looked like he'd never left all those years ago, an air of "Mr Ipswich" around the camp.
Proper good night, proper away win. |  |
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| Ladapo in attack... on 09:25 - Oct 26 with 1553 views | davblue |
it reminds me a little of Molineux with the big grass spaces between the pitch and the stands. |  | | |
| Ladapo in attack... on 10:02 - Oct 26 with 1417 views | Mullet |
| Ladapo in attack... on 09:25 - Oct 26 by davblue |
it reminds me a little of Molineux with the big grass spaces between the pitch and the stands. |
Now that is an away day I love (despite the aggro when Tommy Miller equalised in injury time) can see what you mean. It's really odd that one side is so close to the stand and the other so far away. | |
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| Ladapo in attack... on 11:07 - Oct 26 with 1300 views | davblue |
| Ladapo in attack... on 10:02 - Oct 26 by Mullet |
Now that is an away day I love (despite the aggro when Tommy Miller equalised in injury time) can see what you mean. It's really odd that one side is so close to the stand and the other so far away. |
A proper club really, remember them being in the championship mid to late nineties, then just fell off the face of the earth, hopefully on the way back. | | | |
| Ladapo in attack... on 12:38 - Oct 26 with 1170 views | SheffordBlue |
| Ladapo in attack... on 10:02 - Oct 26 by Mullet |
Now that is an away day I love (despite the aggro when Tommy Miller equalised in injury time) can see what you mean. It's really odd that one side is so close to the stand and the other so far away. |
The large amount of 'spare grass' really gave their long throw expert a decent run up. He was launching them much further and faster from the side with more space than he was from the other side |  |
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| Ladapo in attack... on 12:53 - Oct 26 with 1124 views | WeWereZombies |
| Ladapo in attack... on 12:38 - Oct 26 by SheffordBlue |
The large amount of 'spare grass' really gave their long throw expert a decent run up. He was launching them much further and faster from the side with more space than he was from the other side |
Ah, that wasn't who I thought it was but in the process of looking it up I can throw up a football pub quiz question and ask who has played for Town who once held the World record for length of throw-in ? |  |
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| Ladapo in attack... on 13:01 - Oct 26 with 1084 views | Steve_M |
I was really disappointed this one was on a Tuesday night, I enjoyed my trips to Vale Park in the 90s (2-2 draw in 96-97 and 3-1 in the fog the season after). Plenty of noise got picked up on IFollow.
"It felt like McKenna ball might be getting weaker or the antidote to it stronger"
I thought the first goal showed how we can play against that, keep moving the ball and wait for the opportunity to open the opposition up. The second all about our pressing from the front to force the mistake that lead to the corner.
The second half was scrappier from us, we struggled to keep the ball at times but, after we scored the third, didn't allow too many chances I think the form of a few players has dropped off a bit from earlier in the season - Chaplin, Harness, Evans, JD - and yet they all continue to contribute a lot to the team. We missed Morsy and Evans in the second half a bit, just the level of control would have been better.
Port Vale, I thought, were good. Used the ball well by being purposefully direct and didn't rally let us have it easy at all. I think they'll continue to do well and, maybe, take a few points off other sides. |  |
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| Ladapo in attack... on 13:18 - Oct 26 with 998 views | HighgateBlue |
| Ladapo in attack... on 12:53 - Oct 26 by WeWereZombies |
Ah, that wasn't who I thought it was but in the process of looking it up I can throw up a football pub quiz question and ask who has played for Town who once held the World record for length of throw-in ? |
He was a loanee
But he didn't have a low knee
But he didn't have a normal leg
Because it had an extra G |  | | |
| Ladapo in attack... on 14:49 - Oct 26 with 804 views | Mullet |
| Ladapo in attack... on 12:38 - Oct 26 by SheffordBlue |
The large amount of 'spare grass' really gave their long throw expert a decent run up. He was launching them much further and faster from the side with more space than he was from the other side |
I rang Snr on my way home and he was raging about that. Also stealing yards each time. | |
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| Ladapo in attack... on 14:51 - Oct 26 with 795 views | Mullet |
| Ladapo in attack... on 13:01 - Oct 26 by Steve_M |
I was really disappointed this one was on a Tuesday night, I enjoyed my trips to Vale Park in the 90s (2-2 draw in 96-97 and 3-1 in the fog the season after). Plenty of noise got picked up on IFollow.
"It felt like McKenna ball might be getting weaker or the antidote to it stronger"
I thought the first goal showed how we can play against that, keep moving the ball and wait for the opportunity to open the opposition up. The second all about our pressing from the front to force the mistake that lead to the corner.
The second half was scrappier from us, we struggled to keep the ball at times but, after we scored the third, didn't allow too many chances I think the form of a few players has dropped off a bit from earlier in the season - Chaplin, Harness, Evans, JD - and yet they all continue to contribute a lot to the team. We missed Morsy and Evans in the second half a bit, just the level of control would have been better.
Port Vale, I thought, were good. Used the ball well by being purposefully direct and didn't rally let us have it easy at all. I think they'll continue to do well and, maybe, take a few points off other sides. |
I think the changes also really affected Ball. He started the game well enough, but by the end he was giving away passes and possession far too often. Sort of the inverse of Humphreys.
It was good walking out having Vale and Town fans chatting football amicably and stuff too. Not many away games that happens enough. | |
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