January 2008 - Posts
Instead of playing York at home this weekend, Boro are set to go to Exeter away, due to FA Trophy results and fixtures.. The kick off is at 3pm.
This will be a big test for Boro as we have many new players, and to go to Exeter is not easy.
Hopefully, they have all got used to playing as a team this week in training, and can get a result away from home.
We have 3 away games in 4 now, so we have to pick up the points, as it is getting to that crucial stage, where most people around us are winning.
Another signing for Boro has been made today. It comes after we learn't that Stuart Lewis and Barry Fuller had left the club this morning.
Taylor had mentioned that he was after a Championship player to replace Lewis in midfield, and it seems he has achieved this goal. We have signed Sammy Moore from Ipswich Town, after numerous league clubs had shown interest in him.
He is 20 years old, and according to Phil Wallace, is an energetic player with lots of determination. Much like Stuart was.
I do feel slightly better now for signing someone to replace Lewis, but it still doesn't fill this hole that I feel, and I don't think it will until I see the player playing for us.
I guess we won't know what to expect until we see all these new players play. But with him coming from a Championship side, it certainly gives us some promise.
I can't believe it, more transfers have been made. And this time I am really gutted. Two of our best players in my mind have been approached by Gillingham again, and are expected to leave in a few days.
Stuart Lewis and Barry Fuller are the two that are now leaving Boro. It is such a shame to see.
Lewis was my favourite player for the club. He worked so hard every single game, and when he was approached by the Gills in November he still put in 120% into every game, and for that I thank him. It was great to meet him last week too, when I gave him the Player Of The Month award. He was a great character, and I wish him all the luck at Gillingham.
Fuller I didn't expect to leave. I hadn't heard much about him leaving, so it has come at quite a surprise for him to leave. He worked really hard for us, and his runs down the wing were inspiring.
I understand why Stimmo wants our players, because he built a bond with them at Boro, but surely the Gills will struggle in the long run as he is turning a League One side into a conference one. The players he has taken are all great players, and capable of playing in the league, but they don't have the experience.
I still can't believe they have both gone. I was really hoping they would stay until the end of the season. They are both so promising and now our team is so different from what it was at the start of the season. I just hope all this disruption in the squad doesn't affect our title hopes. I know Taylor will be bringing in players because he has all the right contacts, but it takes a while for teams to gel. And considering our performance last week at Farsley was awful, they have a long way to go.
With the talk of Taylor trying to sign a new striker, it does worry me that Morison will be next. I do hope not. I don't think I could take much more transfers. We have lost so many Boro players lately, I don't quite know how things are going to pan out.
I thought yesterday's game was going to be a great show case for Boro, with it being on TV etc. Obviously I was wrong. The game I wanted, never seemed to happen.
Dobbo and Stuart Lewis didn’t play due to knocks, and it seemed to really affect our performance.
Nothing was working for us. We just didn’t seem to gel. Lawrie Wilson came into the team, and he didn’t seem to do anything that was memorable, apart from hoofing the ball over the bar.
Junior Lewis also came into the side, and his performance wasn’t at his best either. I don’t think he has enough pace to be in our side. Yes, he has the experience, but when I have seen him play, I haven’t been that impressed at all.
Ok, so we were against the wind in the first half and the conditions were not exactly excellent, but I really thought we could at least look like we were trying to score.
Farsley had more chances than us, and came quite close to goal when Tes headed the ball back towards the goal and Julian had to make an excellent save. They also had a one on one with Julian when Westwood made a mistake. Luckily for us, their striker didn’t have a good shot on target.
The only chance I can really think of for Boro was when Tes laid off the ball and Wilson shot, just wide of the goal.
It was a shame that Callum got injured, as I think he has been working really well with Moro. His pace in the side could have made all the difference. I just hope he isn’t out for too long.
Despite the fact that we got a point, it still isn’t good enough. I know this is only one game, but we really need to win games like this if we are going for promotion. I hope it gives Boro the shock they need. They need to realise it is not going to be easy, and if they are serious about getting into the league then they all need to step up their game and work as a team.
Here’s hoping it was just a one off and the players start playing back to their best. We are so close to getting promoted, that has to be a huge incentive for them to start winning against these teams.
Boro are set to play Farsley on Thursday night. The game is being screened on Setanta, so it is a great chance for the lads to showcase the team and their efforts in front of a crowd that is a lot bigger than the usual 2000 mark.
It is a massive game for us, as we have the chance to finish the night on 58 points, 3 points behind Aldershot before they play their games at the weekend. If we get the points that we need to then it could be the added pressure on Aldershot of us winning, that could cause them to lose on Saturday against York.
The points are a must-have with us. We have a very difficult February coming up and with Torquay being level on points with us at the moment, it is crucial we stay at the top of our game.
It seems Stuart Lewis' knock on Saturday hasn't caused him too much trouble, so I expect he will play. There is a rumour that Mitchell Cole may play, but I think with the players we have at the moment, fighting for positions, he will be given his time next week, rather than rushing him back for the Farsley game.
I would think the team would look something like this:
Julian, Laird, Arber, Fuller, Westwood, Dobson, Lewis, Vincenti, McMahon, Morison, and Willock
As Russell has now gone out on loan I would expect Masters to stay on the bench, along with, Henry, Bramble, Murray, and O'Sullivan.
The game has been set in some doubt because of the weather but it does look like it is going to happen. So for those of you going to watch the game, hopefully you don't get too wet and the game goes ahead otherwise it is a long journey back. And for those of us at home, it is on Setanta Sports 1, with coverage starting at 7.30pm.
Come on Boro!
Just a final note... I finally managed to get to give the Player of the Month award to Stuart Lewis today. Hopefully it will spur him on to get a couple of goals for us tomorrow!
A dominate Boro beat Droylsden 5-0 on Saturday. The team played really well, and I was impressed with the new players, particularly Callum Willock. He seemed to hold the ball up really well and he was energetic the whole game. It was like he had been playing for Boro for a while, and the fact he managed to score on his debut, showed how much effort he had put into the game.
Arber managed to get the first goal from a corner where he headed it into the net on the half hour mark. It was a welcomed relief to see the ball go into the back of the net as Droylsden were doing their best to frustrate us.
Callum scored next, right before half time. He was ecstatic with his goal, and I think the whole crowd thought he deserved it, after his efforts in the first half.
After half time it was crucial we got the third to kill off Droylsden's hopes. McMahon got the ball on the half way line and managed to run, unchallenged, past the defence and around the keeper to score Boro's third goal. It was a great goal for McMahon and his run was very strong. I was a bit worried that the keeper was going to save it when he pushed the ball around the keeper, but he shot so quickly I don't think the keeper had a chance.
Morison scored a penalty for the fourth goal after the defender made a great save, (using his hands) in an effort to keep the ball out. The red card was inevitably shown.
Morison also rounded off the scoring with a volley near the 80th minute. Ten minutes to go it looked like we could have had other goals, and Moro looked for his hat-trick. Sadly, he didn't get it, but it was a great Boro win, as it moved us up to second.
Aldershot lost at home to Forest Green, Torquay drew, and Cambridge lost to Grays. The results couldn't have gone better, and now the gap between us and Aldershot is 6 points, with a game in hand.
Things are certainly on the up, and the new Boro players look promising. Hopefully these high scoring wins are a sign of things to come.
Just a note: Just a note to say that you may of noticed that I didn't present the award for player of the month on Saturday. It was announced as Stuart Lewis, but he went off the field with 2 mins remaining after getting injured, so we couldn't present it. Hopefully we will get to give it to him at some point, as his performances of late have been excellent.
Today I am presenting player of the month for The Comet. I don't really know what to expect, but hopefully I don't fall over!
It will be really nice to do though, even if it is raining.
I think it's great that we do Player Of The Month, because it is a chance to reward players for their hard work.
Hopefully, my stepping onto the pitch before the game will bring us good luck and get us a 7-0 win!
We have Droylsden at home today. Hopefully we will get another win under our belts, as every point is becoming crucial now.
Droylsden are currently bottom of the league, so there is no excuse if we do not beat them. It is a chance for new players to have a run out and a chance for players to get on the score sheet.
Of course we shouldn't take Droylsden for granted. They have nothing to lose, and beating a side like Boro could really help their self belief.
Boro should not go out thinking they will be a walk over, as there could be a shock at Broadhall Way. Although, I am sure Taylor will have discussed with the team that it won't be easy. As long as we take our chances and kill them off early then I think we should win.
Fingers crossed we do the business and that we can go above Torquay if they lose against Salisbury.
Borough have signed a goal keeper and a striker today.
The new goal keeper is Clark Masters who is 20. We have him on loan until the end of the season. He has played for Brentford, Slough, AFC Wimbledon, Welling United and he joined Southend in January but was loaned straight to us.
The striker is Wayne O'Sullivan who is 23. He has played for Hendon and has scored 16 goals in 25 league games. He also plays on the left or right and has signed a 2 year deal.
According to Boro's website, he has been training with the rest of the squad this week, and has impressed Taylor. Whether he starts on Saturday I am not sure.
Craig Dobson, Ronnie Henry, and Alan Julian have all been placed on Boro's transfer list.
I am not quite sure what to make of it all. I thought it was a bit funny last week when we signed another keeper but I thought Julian would want to stick it out.
On Boro's website it says that Dobbo and Julian have declined contracts, and want to keep their options open until a review in May. Rightly so, the club have put them up. If their hearts aren't in it then they shouldn't be here.
I can see why they may want to leave, but surely they should want to stay and get Boro promoted then go from there. Taylor wants people in his club who want to be there and see Boro in their futures. So I can see why Julian and Dobbo have been placed on the list.
With regards to Ronnie, it is a shame to see him on the list. It does state that he does want to stay, but they cannot agree contract terms at the moment.
These players may not end up leaving the club if no offers are made, so it would be good to keep them. Ronnie has been loyal to the club and Dobbo is so creative. Julian has also saved our bacon on numerous occasions so it would be a shame to lose any of them.
These 3 players have now joined Paul Hakim, Damian Batt, Jamie Eames and Tyrone Sealey, who are already on the list.
It seems like there are going to be many changes in the squad. I just hope that all the disruption doesn't cause too much damage in our results.
We should now have a squad who want to be at Boro, and whether certain players leave or not, Boro will do everything in order to gain promotion.
Boro have the weekend off this week. However, it does not mean that the game will not be on their minds.
Because of the FA Trophy not many teams are playing this weekend. It is Salisbury v Oxford on Saturday, but then on Tuesday Cambridge are against Droylsden.
Hopefully Droylsden will wear themselves out in that fixture by trying to win the game. So, when it comes to us playing them next weekend, Cambridge would have dropped points and we can beat a fatigued side.
Here's hoping!!
Today it was made official that Callum Willock has signed for the club.
Hopefully his past experience of playing in the league will help us gain promotion.
We seem to have a lot of ex-league players coming into the squad now, so hopefully this will soon make us a league club.
It looks like Taylor is set to sign Callum Willock from Port Vale. Apparently he refused to extend his contract with Port Vale, after he was made aware that Taylor was interested in him.
He has previously played for QPR, Brentford, Fulham, and Peterborough.
He is 26, and is a striker.
Boro beat Stafford Rangers 2-1 at the weekend. It was a great result for us, as we are putting ever more pressure on the top two.
Morison scored both goals for Boro in the first half. He could have had more goals if he had taken advantage of some of the chances he was given.
It seemed like we were on top for most of the game so it is disappointing to see that we have conceded again.
However, the three points were the main thing and that's all that matters at the moment.
The top 5 now looks like this:
1 Aldershot 26 23 61
2 Torquay 24 24 54
3 Stevenage 25 27 52
4 Burton Albion 24 17 45
5 Cambridge Utd 24 13 45
We have a game in hand over Aldershot, but Torquay have 2 games in hand over them. However, Torquay are playing Burton tonight, and both teams will be fighting for points. I am not sure who I would prefer to win that game. A draw would probably be for the best, as each team would drop points.
Boro don't have a game now until the 19th of January, so I expect the team will be working hard during training and starting to gel with some of the new players.
I expect some new signings to be made during this time and I am sure Taylor will be looking to get another striker to help Morison.
Hopefully Burton and Torquay will both drop points tonight, which will make the top 5 positions ever more interesting, and push Boro to work even harder in closing Torquay and Aldershot down.
Boro travel to Stafford tomorrow in the hope of getting another 3 points.
Stafford are currently sitting 23rd in the league, so there is a massive 20 positions between us and them.
We should win, but you never know how these games go. They could come out and play brilliant because every point to them is absolutely crucial.
I don't know whether Fred Murray will be playing, but that could be quite interesting, him playing against his ex club only after playing for them a few games ago.
If we win tomorrow, we would be sitting on 52 points. If we lose and Burton win their next game they will be 1 point behind us, so it is very important that we get some points tomorrow, as the gap between third and fourth could end up being quite tight.
As for the team, I would expect Fuller to start instead of Junior Lewis, as Lewis didn't have a very good game against Rushden. However, he may be given another chance by Taylor. I should think Martin will be out after his hamstring injury, so McMahon will probably start.
Other than that I would expect a similar team that we had out against Rushden on Tuesday.
Hopefully we get another win, as that would mean 19 points out of a possible 24 in the league for the last 8 games.
Come on Boro!
Taylor signed two more players yesterday.
Freddie Murray is a left back from Stafford Rangers. He started his career with Blackburn Rovers and has been on loan at Cambridge. He has also played at Northampton Town.
Taylor has also signed a central midfield player called Peter Vincenti from Millwall. He is 6ft 2in and is from Jersey.
Hopefully these new players have the success they want at Boro, and that they fit into the team well.
I am glad Taylor is bringing in new signings, but I do worry it could disrupt the team a bit. Hopefully that won't be the case, and it will just make our team stronger.
Boro have also confirmed that Miller, Nutter, and Gaia have now made all their loan spells permanent to Gillingham and Grays.
Boro were back playing Rushden yesterday. I was hoping the game would prove to be a lot better than the recent game we had at Rushden last week resulting in a 0-0 draw.
I was right and wrong. The game never seemed to get going. It was frustrating to see that we had almost gone back to old ways of hoofing the ball forward and hoping for the best.
There was no movement from the team, and nothing seemed to pull off. Rushden were out to frustrate us, and they did just that.
We were playing poorly, and they were not exactly brilliant. I think we had been against any other side, we would have lost that game, and quite badly.
It was a bizarre game, and I still don't understand how we managed to win.
The first half was a nothing half so there is no point me describing how it was because there wasn't anything major to talk about.
So on with the second half! The second half was a bit better. But Rushden did have alot more of the play and had quite a few attempts at goal. They had numerous corners and attempts outside the area, but our defence managed to hold.
All the subs were on with half an hour to go, because the system was clealy not working. Junior Lewis did not have a good game at all, so when Fuller came on for him, it was almost like there was an instant relief. Fuller as always ran the length of the pitch on numerous occassions and it seemed like the game was going to get better.
Not for long though, as Rushden finally took one of their chances and scored in the 84th minute. It was a sickening blow and many of the Boro fans left as a result. Personally I can't understand why people do that. We were only 1-0 down and anything can/could happen. And it did!
Morison managed to get a shot on goal a couple of minutes later which was parred out by the keeper into the path of Zak Burke who slotted home to equalise.
The game was on and I wanted Boro to push on but I was also worried we would concede again.
We got a penalty in the 90th minute after McMahon was brought down needlessly.
Arber stepped up as cool as anything. He was even doing kick ups before the penalty. He slotted the ball past the keeper and somehow we were winning.
The final whistle was blown after a couple of chances from each side took us into the 93rd minute.
It was great that we got a win, I am not denying that. But I was not at all impressed with the Boro performance. It took a goal from the opposing side for Boro to wake up and actually have some enthusiasm for the game.
I just hope that Taylor can improve how we are playing, because there were some serious problems with the way we played yesterday. At least we are still managing to grind out some kind of result.
On a positive yet annoying note: It was great to see John Martin come back, like usual he fought hard for the ball. But just as we think we have got a great player back, he gets injured. It looked like he pulled his hamstring, so I am hoping he can get over that quickly.
We have Stafford this weekend, so hopefully we can put in a better team performance and have another win to push us ever closer to the top two.
Boro have already made two new signings in the January transfer window. Taylor managed to get the players to agree to signing for the club once the window opened.
The signings are Ashley Westwood and Scott Laird. Westwood is a defender and is from Chester City, whilst Laird is a centre back/left back and has played for Plymouth and Torquay United.
Hopefully both will make a big impact on the squad, and enable us some stability.
Boro played Altrincham last Saturday and managed to win 5-1 away from home. Morison managed to net the ball early on, but too many chances were missed by Boro, allowing Alty to equalise.
Sadly, the equalise came from our very own John White in his last game for the club.
Boro did manage to get back on top with Berry scoring on 45minutes. This was a great goal for Boro as it was right before half time.
Boro came out well in the second half as Lewis scored with 20 minutes left on the clock.
Alty tried to get back into the game but their defence had lapses of concentration. McMahon managed to score from a free kick and then Morison rounded up the win in the 90th minute to make it a great Boro victory.
Boro had managed to continue the pressure on the top two in the table after increasing our goal difference and getting 3 points from the game. We were now sitting with 46 points after 23 games, which is an excellent tally for the season.