DangerousSausage

Get in! We seem to be building some momentum now. It's great to see us flirting with the top end of the table - to be quite honest I was expecting a relegation scrap. I'm really chuffed for Dennis scoring again too. While he's a great option to bring off the bench and change a match, he's our top scorer, and your top scorer really ought to be on the pitch.

Why are they called the Coasters? Is it because their badge looks a bit like a coaster?

It sounds like we didn't play all that well and certainly didn't have it all our way, but scored at the right times and won anyway. That's encouraging in my book. Plus there's the emergence of Sam Osborne, who nearly scored again with a belter of a shot. A crowd of 9000 is slightly disappointing given the prices, but I suppose the National League is a hard sell. We'll get five figures when promotion is at stake and not before. If the usual 5000 plus keep the faith, it'll go a long way towards getting the club back where it belongs.

If we use a formation the players are comfortable with and play our own game there's no reason why we can't win. Maybe we should think about recalling Booty as well - he was getting rave reviews and even scored in his first few games, only to be benched.

Well that sounded disappointing. Did we really just settle for the draw?

If I remember right that was Mark Stallard's last goal for Notts and Yeovil won promotion that season. Feels like a long time ago now.

@Elite_pie if the result flattered us, the positive is that we do possess the quality to turn games when things aren't going our way. That's very important psychologically.

What a relief! I listened to the first half at work (no bank holiday in Germany as Jesus didn't do anything special and no miracles happened) and it didn't sound good at all. At least we were level. Finished work at half time, switched it off for the journey home and by the time I was back we were 5-1 up! I should turn my radio off more often There are still plenty of things to work on (not least the defending at set pieces) but in the end we won and we won well. Two strikers scored who really needed a goal. Another positive is that we are unbeaten in four with 8 points in that time. It doesn't matter who we played, the fact is that we developed a losing habit last season and it's time we kicked it. If you go into every game expecting to get at least a point, it's easier to stay positive if you fall behind whether you're a player or a fan.

I suppose if your glass is half full, you can at least say we're regularly taking the lead, unlike last season (although that really cannot be the yardstick). Trouble is, once you get into the habit of losing leads it can really get into your head and become a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. We need to cut it out and get a couple of wins on the board. How were the individual performances?

This is the first game this season that I think we really should be winning. But away at the bottom of the league is always a banana skin. If we're professional, work hard and pick up from where we left off on Sunday, I'm hopeful of three points. It wouldn't be a bad game for Thomas or Tyson to break their duck either. At first glance their away end looks a bit like the old Kop, pretty old school. Who's going?

I've got to admit I wasn't impressed by the starting line-up, but it sounded like a good performance. It's encouraging that the team seems to be growing together, but frustrating we couldn't hold onto our lead and take three deserved points. Still, I'd have taken 4 points from this week. Thoughts on the individual performances?

Wrexham is a club that belongs in the League really. After Stockport, it sounds like this should be another decent away following. Don't get too used to it... I don't know much about Wrexham, but they're fancied to have a good shot at promotion this season, so on paper it should be a toughie. But we can go into it with the wind in our sails and hopefully - for the first time this season - a relatively unchanged team. It'll be interesting to see whether Neal Ardley brings back the suspendees or leaves them on the bench, I suspect it'll be the latter. Either way, hopefully we can pick up some points and keep the momentum going.

It's not what you're looking for in a captain, to put it politely. My other problem with Doyle being captain is that it cements his place in the first team. While he still definitely has his uses (he would have help calm things down in the second half against Harrogate), I'm not sure he should still be a regular starter, especially as we have competition in that area of the team now. O'Brien would be the obvious choice from the names you mentioned. I do think the talk of captains is exaggerated though - you don't necessarily need the captain's armband to be a leader...

Really delighted with this result. There are plenty of positives - Sam Osborne starting for the first time, what sounded like a good display by Booty, Enzio scoring with his head (and another lively display from him). And how important are those two penalties going to be for our season? We were under a bit too much pressure for my taste in the second half but we're still taking baby steps. It's also encouraging that Neal Ardley has switched back to 442. Other formations definitely have their advantages over it, but they have to be worked on during pre-season and we haven't really had the chance to do that. Players generally know what do do in a 442 so that's probably best in our situation. Big kudos for the away following, 700 is what I heard, not shabby at all. If any of you are lurking, how did you find it?

Stating the obvious maybe, but what a difference a win would make! The longer it takes to grab that first victory, the harder it will be. I'd prefer to see Enzio out as well personally, he's had so many chances but he never makes an impact and I don't see the point of him tbh. Can't really comment on the rest as I haven't seen enough. I'd just like to see the defence grow into a unit (with Turner starting?) and some signs that we can take the game to the opposition instead of just reacting all the time.

Well, Facebook is in meltdown over this one. According to the radio it was definitely an improvement over Saturday, but the visitors deserved a point at the very least. But at least we did create some chances, not least the chance to go 2-0 up immediately before the equaliser - what a sickener. Looking forward to seeing it for myself as soon as the Bananarama League allows me to watch the highlights. The Stockport fans were loud throughout (I haven't heard Hey Baby at the football for years - they were partying like it's 2001). They were obviously on a high after promotion and enjoying visiting a big ground again. They also had a team that had won promotion together and a manager who has been in his post since 2016. We on the other hand are weeks behind the rest of the league and fielded two defenders who hadn't even trained with the rest of the squad. So it's clear that they won't play like a well-oiled unit and any opposing team worth their salt will try to take advantage. Until the team has gelled it'll just have to scrap for every single point. The individuals we have will have to grow into a team quickly given the schedule we've got. Hopefully they'll be up to the task and will get our first win on Saturday.

To me sitting at home in front of the radio that felt like last season. That's probably unfair as we have so many new players, some of which have barely trained together. But our defenders getting bullied and the lack of chances at the other end brings up unpleasant memories. Hopefully things will get better with more match practice and a couple of additions in wide areas. If not, the disastrous summer will soon be forgotten and Neal Ardley could find himself under pressure. Another factor is that Eastleigh are a decent team at this level and reached the play-offs last season. They have EFL ambitions and are probably better than many teams who have us a pasting last season. To those of you who went, how did you find it? What was the standard like? How did the new additions get on? And what was the matchday experience like?

I'm going to play guess the team, just for the hell of it. Slocombe Zoum - Turner - Bird - Tootle (if fit) Boldewijn - O'Brien - Doyle - Rose Tyson - Hemmings I'd like to see Crawford get the nod, but I think NA will select Doyle. It'll also be interesting to see whether Enzio is picked up front, but as our only winger (apart from Osborne, who probably won't start) he'll probably be out wide. I can also see McCrory getting the nod at left-back as he has a pre-season with the squad behind him, whereas Zoum has only been on board for a couple of days.

Not a clue! There are so many questions about the team we'll put out. The trialists have already played for us in pre-season, but other signings may well come from leftfield, such as Ben Turner today. So we'll have some unknown players out there for us, plus possibly some youngsters, and in all likelihood a first 11 that has never played together before. On top of that we know little about the opposition, but I'm expecting a tough game. Eastleigh made the play-offs last season and are seasoned at this level now. They also have money to burn and Football League ambitions. I'd be happy to take a point with us and a few positive signs from our new-look team.

Awesome news! Here's hoping for patient, competent owners who will let the coaching team do their jobs. Tak - and now let the fightback begin!

Thanks for the article, a good read! Dennis is a dead cert to leave in my opinion. He'll be on an absolute packet, Ardley doesn't rate him and there are always clubs willing to take a punt on strikers like him. He'll make a living off his 21 goals for Chesterfield for many years to come. I do fancy one or two of the "overlooked" players to blossom next season. Crawford has been mentioned a few times, a player who is clearly well thought-of in the National League but barely had a chance with us. But why was he shipped out on loan in January? Because the manager felt he needed more experience, or because he wants rid of him? I agree about Bird, he's got bags of potential. As he's still a youngster we shouldn't be planning with him in the first 11, but he absolutely could force his way into the picture. We persevered with Hollis for years because he came through the youth team, yet Bird can be ten times the footballer Hollis will ever be. Also very assured with the ball at his feet. One of the unknowns for us fans is how things look behind the scenes. There has been talk of cliques forming in the dressing room and players even refusing to train together. If that's true, the biggest task will be to form a united squad. If we have one or two bad apples preventing us from forming any kind of team spirit they need to go, however talented they are.

This is like waiting for the dentist. I've been in pain since August and I'm at the stage when I want it over and done with. But who knows, maybe the dentist will change her mind and I'll just need a filling... The team has to do its homework and win. If we don't do that, I won't drive myself mad thinking about results elsewhere and what if - if we don't win, we've failed and we don't deserve to stay up. I've been coming to terms with relegation for a while, I'm already thinking about the fightback. But if we find ourselves above the line at any point tomorrow that'll all change... ????

I think Schofield was unsighted for the goal. He certainly reacted very late. I thought we started well, we were aggressive and pushed a long way up the pitch. We certainly seemed to have the measure of Crawley - their goal was their first shot of any description. After that I thought Crawley edged the first half, and Barclay's stupid red card put paid to any chances of winning. I'm not sure how to take this. On the one hand we missed another opportunity to make up some ground on the teams above us against a beatable side, and time is running out. On the other hand, we got a point away from home when a man down for half a game, and it's a point that could make all the difference - we have preserved the chance of leapfrogging our rivals next week and going into the last game with our fate in our own hands. It's the hope that drives you mad.

Good piece - safety is still there for the taking, but if we fail our history will remain intact. We are the oldest professional football club in the world and will remain so. But whatever happens, a new chapter is about to begin, and it could still be better and more successful than what came before. If we stay behind our club, and keep this community together, we'll come back stronger.