York
Fettis
Brass
Edmondson
Jones
O'Kane
Wise
Bullock
Wood
Mathie
Nogan
Parkin

So here we go again then, a sunny day, a low crowd, and an almost meaningless match (thankfully as it turned out). Nick Cusack's announcement on Real Radio ahead of the game that he would not tolerate performances like we had to suffer over Easter might have given some comfort to the true believers, but the reality on the day was that this was one of, if not the worst display that we have seen all season.

Another slight shift in personnel, but with the now standard 4-4-2 formation, most fans were there expecting to see more of the same that the past few matches have produced

Freestone
De-Vulgt, Smith, O'Leary, Howard
Romo, Phillips, Mumford, Coates,
Sidibe, Williams.

Subs: Jones, Casey, Todd, Cusack, Brodie.

It was an extremely poor match from start to finish, with an excitement factor unlikely to match any recent Richter scale reading for an earth tremor on Townhill. There was no noise from the crowd, just the occasional groan, understandably, as we settled to watch the trademark poor distribution, poor control, and general lack of appetite of the players to get stuck into a game with a view to winning it and winning it well.

These players are professionals, supposedly working to earn a living. It is fine for the players to demonstrate their ability to juggle a football during the half time break, balancing it on their head, foot, neck or wherever. How is it that these same players cannot then control or pass a ball when they get onto the field? What do they spend their training sessions practicing? Crossing a ball into the area? Maybe not or rather, certainly not, judging by the general inability shown to achieve this magnificent feat.

Not for the first time this season we were made to look very poor, by a very poor team, and in failing to win home games like this, even at this late stage of a season, the signs for next year are ominous to say the least. Arguments about the management set up, and player contracts are rampant at the moment, but on today's performance you'd have to question keeping anyone who was on the field. That may seem dramatic, and a bit of a blanket statement, but outside of the experience that Freestone and Cusack should be bringing to the team on the field, who would you have in the squad for next year? Furthermore, it seems that the experience that these two senior players have, is lost now that they have the additional burden of managing the team.

There maybe financial incentives to the management committee in keeping the present management team, who have let's face it been thrown into the job, in place, but surely there is a longer term plan to bring football back up to the standards that the fans and the club want and deserve. That longer-term plan has to start at the end of this season, and not a moment later.

Whatever the management make-up however, there is an equally serious concern surrounding the squad in its make up and its ability to perform. The whole team looks despondent, jaded and uninterested and many players, whose contracts are up for renewal, have given little, if any, indication in their play, that they have the qualities that we would want, to retain them. We need someone at the club who knows all the clubs in and out of the league and who can put together a hit list of suitable, affordable players who are either being released by league clubs, or are performing out of the league. We need them soon. Fans will not put up with this for much longer, and in all the future plans of the club, including the financial, the fans are critical.

In today's game, we forced three saves from the York keeper. One in the first half from a Mumford free kick, which was well struck and well saved, and the second from a Mamma close range effort, which the keeper saved twice, but which when on form, Mamma would have buried in the back of the net.

Romo had a very average game in his first full 90 minutes for some time, but he was made to look the best of a midfield that was anonymous at best. That's a sad reflection on the other players. O'Leary, alongside Smith in defence, was unusually quiet given his recent performances.

The defence never looked solid, although Smith was fairly steady, and there was obvious panic at every set piece. The York goal came from a corner 12 minutes from time, and the marking was atrocious.

Cusack made three changes in the final quarter of the match. Firstly, Casey was brought on to replace the ever out of touch Coates. Unlike at Rushden, Casey was brought in with too much of the game left for me to leave, although on reflection, it seems that many people had started to leave the ground even before this. Cusack brought himself on in a striker's role instead of Williams, who had been far from impressive today, and finally Todd came on for Smith, who seems far from easy on his ankle even now.

None of these changes altered the pattern of play, and that speaks volumes for the team's adaptability. We are predictable, and uninventive, and we do not do the simple things well enough to trouble defences any more. We are exposed too often through giving the ball away in attacking positions, or in midfield, and we need to plug some clear holes if we are to improve. Our attack has no penetration, and the way the front players are expected to perform, against the service they receive Van Nistelrooy would struggle to get on the score sheet.

The long trip to Hartlepool (with them still fighting for a play-off position) will be followed by the final game of the season against Torquay (currently one point and one place below us) on the 20th. We may be lucky to get a crowd of 2,000, and achieving performances that will double or treble this figure, is something that the club have got to address.

The past few match reports have been almost depressing to write, and quite difficult not to be too repetitive. We make no apologies if we have failed on the last point – what else can we say? There have been so few highlights during the games that writing a blow-by-blow account of the action has been pointless – much the same as the results.

Performance Scores

Freestone 6 – A couple of good saves, but some hesitation
Devulgt 3 – more of the same, not up to the mark
Howard 4 – Seemed Ineffective
O'leary 5 – unusually quiet
Smith 6 – fairly solid but against a weak attack
Romo 5 – Probably the best of the midfield on an average performance
Phillips 3 – anonymous for most of the game
Coates 3 – Again more of the same
Mumford 5 – Worse performance for some time, but showed good two footed ability
Sidibe 6 – isolated as usual, less effective in front of goal
Willo 4 – seemed out of sorts today, and again isolated