At no point tonight were we *****

I know that doesn't sound like great praise, but given what we've had to put up with recently, it feels nice to write. And you've got to start somewhere.

Johnson's job is on the line so he's gone back to basics. 4-4-2. Two wingers, two forwards, full backs overlapping, football how it used to be played. Although, for long periods of the second half, it was actually 4-2-4 with both Hammill and Isgrove pushed right up. We didn't dominate for the full 90 minutes, it wasn't always scintillating football, but we deserved the win and it could have been more.

Has Hammill still got it? With great big ringing bells on. Even when he's riddled with cramp. If the short term contract is just to see if he can still play then there should be a revised three and a half year deal waiting for him to sign when he next reports for training. Hammill fits Barnsley and Barnsley fit Hammill. Maybe, with a wife and child to support, he'll appreciate that.

Now, to do it in the league.

Cracking free kick by Coulson btw, well done lad.

 

Good to hear, and abart time.

 

Biggest plus for me is that there heads didnt drop when we conceded. Defense still a concern but the simple answer to that is fvcking attack more.

 

Cheers Jay. Here's hoping it's the kickstarter to better things for us.

 

Correct. Isgrove missed 2 absolute sitters, one after he'd done all the hard work running through the centre. I'm interested to see what he does with the young striker Toney(?). Looked a handful.

 

The one he put wide from the cross looked easier to score. Well, easier to get on target. But he was causing their defence more and more problems the longer the game went on.

Under normal circumstances Hammill would have been withdrawn after about 55 minutes. He was knackered. But Johnson needed a couple of goals and he knew Hammill was his best chance of getting them. And he did it. Don't know if that will prevent him getting a start on Saturday or not. If not, Watkins plays and Hammill is introduced on the hour. Maybe Winnall to partner Toney rather than Jackson.

Think young Smith might benefit from a rest and Mawson's not looking great at the moment, but we've little in the way of replacements other than Roberts and he's having a tough time of it too.

 

Opinions eh? - I thought at times we were awful, giving the ball away regularly, messing about with it at the back and three separate units on the field not in anyway linked.

Abiding memory of Hammill beating two men in the opening few moments looking up into the middle and the look on his face of "**** me, there's nobody there".

Shaded a very poor fourth division side who will probably be lower in the conference than Altrincham next year, due to their striker missing the best chance of the game and the genius of one man. Other than further wonder goals from AH I saw nothing to suggest that we'll get anything from the usual rough, tough third division type challenge that the likes of Port Vale will present.

I also thought the ref was (for once) over-generous to us as the higher league team.

The sum of these parts should be much more and would be without Johnson.

 

Crowd also stayed patient and supportive.