Vertu next? A cup visit from the Yorkies. Home V Huddesrlfield, Tues. 10 Dec 17-45.

[truewhite15]

1st half might have been a bit poor, a bit pedestrian, but at least it wasn't a car crash like most of our openings so far this season. The bar might have been low, but at least we cleared that.

2nd half, we were by miles the better side. Could have been 6 or 7. Thomason, Charles, McAtee, and Schon could/should have all done better. But if we keep creating chances like that, then I've every faith that we'll score enough.

Collins' first - it would have been a harsh handball. It's hit him at point blank range. Well closed down, but it's a howler from their keeper.

Osei-Tutu has to start, he was the stand-out performer. Williams, Lolos, Matete, Collins, Southwood - all made good claims to be starting on Saturday too.

Good Bolton performance, pretty good game overall.

[truewhite15]

Oh, and for those complaining about a strong side being selected - I wonder how quickly the knives would have been out on Saturday if our players displayed even the slightest ring-rust from not having played in a week and a half.

There's enough sticks around with which to beat Evatt without folk inventing their own.

[officer_dibble]

Team for Saturday?
Baxter
Tutu
Schon (though I do think Williams is our best corner taker)
Jones
Santos
Johnston
Matete
Tomo
Lolos
Collins
Charles


Round pegs round holes - Lolos wasn’t 10/10 last night but he’s the fit player in that position - dicking about with McAtee in there will cost us in midfield on Saturday IMO. He’s due a go in the league despite some erratic performances.

[dave the minion]

Largely agree with that, although there's a shout for putting Vic in from the start. He's definitely not setting the world on fire at the moment, but his hold up play and physicality tends to tire defenders, setting it up someone like Dion/Collins to come in later and exploit the gaps

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Up next it's the round of 16, still regionalised (as is the one after). Draw is on Saturday. Potential opponents, in league order:

Wrexham
Lincoln
Blackpool-or-Villa-U21 (they play next Tue)
Rotherham
Doncaster
Chesterfield
Bradford

[sonicthewhite]

One of those bottom three at home will do.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

One of those bottom three at home will do.

Currently 3rd, 8th and 11th respectively in the basement division. But obviously all looking up at Walsall, the cup kings.

NEAT LINK ALERT

In the southern half, Walsall dispatched 6th-placed Reading on pengies. Also going through were Birmingham - surely not fair to let a Premier League side in this competition? - but Wycombe went out, a home humbling by hapless crisis club Swindon perhaps suggesting their minds are elsewhere (like whether a league-trophy-waving bus could cope with Wycombe's massive hills).

Also through: Stevenage, Orient (who won at Charlton), Cheltenham and Colchester. Posh and Northampton renew derby hostilities next week to complete the round.

[Mar]

Up next it's the round of 16, still regionalised (as is the one after). Draw is on Saturday. Potential opponents, in league order:

Wrexham
Lincoln
Blackpool-or-Villa-U21 (they play next Tue)
Rotherham
Doncaster
Chesterfield
Bradford

Happily take a repeat of the Villa U21 and knock them out like we should've done in the first instance.

Don't particularly like the U21 teams in the tournament but they seem the easiest of the bunch and given our lacklustre efforts last time round it would seem that a repeat where we actually go for it would yield much greater returns.

Get past the next match and it's likely teams will start taking it seriously with Wembley being a couple of wins away

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Happily take a repeat of the Villa U21 and knock them out like we should've done in the first instance.

Don't particularly like the U21 teams in the tournament but they seem the easiest of the bunch and given our lacklustre efforts last time round it would seem that a repeat where we actually go for it would yield much greater returns.

Get past the next match and it's likely teams will start taking it seriously with Wembley being a couple of wins away

Next match scheduled for (probably) Tue 14th January, when minds might be concentrated on transfers. Guess it could be someone's last game for the club.

In our case, that's the Tuesday between the re-rearranged trip to Rotherham and the visit of Cambridge. I see the Charlton home game has now been slotted in the following Tuesday, so this cup fixture will take us up to 11 games in 37 days between Dec 26 and Feb 1, with just one free midweek. Thankfully, we're expecting all injuries back by then – although god knows what could happen in the meantime (wingback falls through open manhole, goalkeeper struck by falling safe, etc)

[jmjhb]

Lincoln away in the next round.

[Mar]

Lincoln away in the next round.

Less than a month after we play them at home in the league.

Draw could've been worse, could've been better. Probably a relatively even match given our league standings.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Lincoln away in the next round.

Less than a month after we play them at home in the league.

Draw could've been worse, could've been better. Probably a relatively even match given our league standings.

Also a fourth successive away match after Mansfield, Exeter and Rotherham.