Some people still believe we have a chance of making the play-offs. Such an achievement is effectively dependent on winning all the matches which remain.
So this could end with every match not won, so the dream would end at Crawley where we face an extremely severe test against a side which has matched our recent record of success.
So we cannot really argue that if we keep up the standard we will have a good chance of winning or even of not losing. The image of Crawley Town is a of a little club with no long or impressive history of Football League football, but yet you could also point to a degree of application to hold their own when the odds are against them which is a powerful driver and something which will unsettle opponents .
They can score goals and tend to be relatively better away from home, so faced with a large crowd with a significant number of casual expectant home spectators - £2 a ticket - and at least 25% of the audience loud and hostile - 1000+ travelling Rovers - there will be more pressure on them than usual. And they are playing a fellow form team.
So how Crawley will cope will be significant. And I don’t know the answer, so I’ll guess we can manage a draw. So my forecast is 1-1 (Ironside/Biamou).
I’m pleased Maxwell has signed a new contract - he has a good football brain - and Wood too, who after being branded a cart horse initially, has proved to be the new Rob Jones.
DPL v Crawley Town
posted on 29/3/24
Crawley 2-1 Rovers
Ironside to score ⚽
posted on 29/3/24
I don't think I've ever got quite as angry during a match that we were winning as I did when those chances were missed. A very fortunate win against a side that just fell apart under the burden of being watched by such a large crowd at home!
posted on 29/3/24
Unbelievable - but not good for blood pressure! Talk about throwing bodies at everything. Problem now we'll be without Anderson for three games.
It is getting harder to decide on the goal of the season. I was thinking Biamou from the earlier game, but Adelakun's today was fantastic. Getting past the defenders was brilliant, but to put one into the top corner from that angle was amazing.
posted on 29/3/24
Adelukan is a joy to watch and it seems amazing that he had such an apparently unremarkable career history prior to coming alive with us. He stands out Messi-like in this league.
I cannot imagine that Ironside with his down-to-earth style would have missed any of those chances. Even Curtis Main would have converted at least one of them.
posted on 29/3/24
Thanks for your comments Donaldo as I did not see all of the game - certainly not all the shocking misses!
I saw both our goals and Anderson's red card. I tend to agree with McCann that a yellow was more appropriate, and the ref caused the game to be too much stop-start. At times Crawley "bought" fouls by falling over at the slightest contact. I assume Lo-Tutala's yellow was for wasting time. Is that his fourth and are we in danger of having to play Jones before the end of the season?
posted on 29/3/24
I looked back through the games and it seems it was his third. I also saw the last games with Jones we lost 1-5 at home!
posted on 29/3/24
Will John Ryan will be daring to dream?
posted on 29/3/24
Lo tutala I don't think can collect enough yellows before the season ends to get a ban.
posted on 30/3/24
I hope John Ryan is - he went to the same Intake school of my wife, and I have a copy of his book with a lovely inscription to Pauline, my wife.
Without John, there would unlikely to be a Doncaster Rovers as we know it today. OK, he went too far with "the experiment" or whatever it was called, but I'll be ever grateful for him.
FYI: I have to keep my very old iMac with a disc drive so I can watch the "rising from the ashes" CD. I'm sure one can find it online, but it is a good reason to keep my iMac with a disc drive. Remember, UK DVDs do not play on normal USA DVD players! The wonderful difference on Euro to USA TV standards.
posted on 1/4/24
One milestone at least has been achieved. Looking at the table, it is now mathematically impossible for Rovers to be relegated this season. Can we possibly make the play-offs? Surely not, but could we?