West Ham 2-3 Saints - Match Thread

[Mr Saints]

Really missing the control of Flynn Downes IMO.

[Patches O Houlihan]

Most nervous 3-1 up at half time I can remember...

Our second goal was a thing of absolute beauty; Dobbin I think with a stunning back heel on the near touch line that completely sold his markers. Scienza drifted into no-mans land and I'm thinking "please let us score here the build up has been great" and then Bree delivers an absolute pile driver 😁😁😁😁😁😁

I'm almost hoarse at half time and I'm at home in my living room 😁😁 

I would love it if we beat them properly

[obelisk]

Got to be happy with 1-3 at half time. A sloppy 10 minutes or so apart, that was a pretty good half and showed us that attack is the best form of defence when it comes to Saints.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Cracking start. 
A bit of a worry with no Larin. But we changed our approach again for Dobbin, and we're getting better at it.

Having Azaz, Dobbin,  Matsuki all interchange was too much for West Ham. Add to that the direct threat of Leo, the delivery from the full backs, and a strong midfield, and we deserved the lead from our passing and work.

Even so, West Ham aren't favourites to go up for nothing. They put us under a lot of pressure, got a goal back, and we're pushing for that equaliser.

Santos will be focusing on that, rather than their poor start, believing they can turn this round.

We've got to keep the levels we've shown. Dropping back would suit the home side perfectly.

 

[Sheaf Saint]

Well, what a see-saw game this has been so far. Never would have expected a 3-1 HT lead before KO.

Really pleased for Dobs today. Popping up in the right place to tap them in like that is something I've seen him do loads at youth level. This has been his best performance for us by a long way so far, and hopefully that goal will be a real confidence boost for him.

[Suhari]

2 minutes ago, OttawaSaint said:

Or a nice stout for an Azaz worldie?

Reckon a Plum Porter is close enough?

[Saint_clark]

Really hope that -4 doesn't cost us automatics at the end of the season, we'd be 2nd right now and only one point off top.

[OttawaSaint]

Just now, Saint_clark said:

Really hope that -4 doesn't cost us automatics at the end of the season, we'd be 2nd right now and only one point off top.

Yeah. Fucking jobbed by those EFL cunts!

[Sheaf Saint]

1 minute ago, Suhari said:

Reckon a Plum Porter is close enough?

Titanic? Lovely stuff that is.

[Thripp87]

Missing Downes as they are playing through easily. Attack best form of defence against this lot. Next goal is key. 

[whelk]

1 minute ago, Saint_clark said:

Really hope that -4 doesn't cost us automatics at the end of the season, we'd be 2nd right now and only one point off top.

We are going to be immense after January when we have bought another striker

[Patches O Houlihan]

Genius from @Paul_B can you call that again a couple of times in the second half please 😁

[hypochondriac]

6 minutes ago, sfc4prem said:

That is less to do with our play or players and more to do with their attacking quality. Ridiculous, really, for the Championship.

Although it would help if we weren't so casual on the ball for periods of the game.

[egg]

2 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

Really hope that -4 doesn't cost us automatics at the end of the season, we'd be 2nd right now and only one point off top.

If we win the winners (i.e. Bolton), the -4 becomes irrelevant. This season is in our own hands. 

[saintant]

We'd currently be 2nd without the 4 point deduction.

[Saint_clark]

Just now, whelk said:

We are going to be immense after January when we have bought another striker

I'd put in a bid for Lankshear just to set the Boro fans off. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

8 minutes ago, Suhari said:

Big halftime decision to make.

The can of Sapporo I started the game with clearly inspired Matsuki.

Do I start the second half the same, or move to an English ale?

It's a team game. I say work your way through 11, then move on to the sub drinks.

[Saint Fan CaM]

6th as it stands - 5 pts off the leaders.

[Patches O Houlihan]

22 minutes ago, stknowle said:

Indeed. À team of two halves.

2x Center Halves?

[Holmes_and_Watson]

5 minutes ago, Suhari said:

Reckon a Plum Porter is close enough?

Love a plum porter. One of my faves.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Need to come out firing and with a high line. Don’t fall for their game whatever happens. Get Welington on at 65 mins.

[Suhari]

Titanic Plum Porter it is.

Which means Stephens will score.

[Saint NL]

Big chance for west ham.

Need to see these first 10 mins out

[egg]

6 minutes ago, saintant said:

We'd currently be 2nd without the 4 point deduction.

We'd also be 2nd if we'd beaten Bolton. 

We need to get over the -4 and do what we've got to do. 

[Saint NL]

What a save

[Mr X]

Bloody hell. Wake up. Saints! 

[Saint_clark]

What a save from Peretz.

[OttawaSaint]

What a save!!

[Suhari]

Fucking hell. Save Peretz.

Edited 6 hours ago by Suhari

[St. Ciervo]

Peretz is worth his weight in gold. Incredible save and recovery.

[Saint NL]

Matsuki looks done here

[Sheaf Saint]

Great save Peretz!

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Whew! Great stop. WHU not having a slow start in this half.

[stknowle]

Kin ell what à save. Was hoping for a calmer start to the 2nd half tbh.

[BotleySaint]

Just now, Saint NL said:

Matsuki looks done here

Hopefully it's not too serious. He has become an important player for us.

[Patrick Bateman]

Bit late to the match, any streams?

 

[Saint Fan CaM]

Just now, Saint NL said:

Matsuki looks done here

Really fucking cynical foul by WH and the Ref does nowt!

[Suhari]

That was a rugby hand-off.

Not even booked?

[obelisk]

Good moment to go down with an injury. Need to stop the WHU flow.

[saint michael]

Edozie is the answer

[OttawaSaint]

1 minute ago, Patrick Bateman said:

Bit late to the match, any streams?

 

Fawanews 

[Saint NL]

Edozie coming on.

He seems to be ahead of Fellows on the pecking order now

[Sheaf Saint]

Matsuki looks OK.

Dangerous FK here.

[Mr X]

Some save from peretz! 

[Saint NL]

Jander stupid challenge. He's been all over the place today

[Saint_clark]

Soft freekick there.

[Suhari]

That's a bad place to concede a free kick.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Saints letting WH back into the game - doing everything they shouldn’t do.

Now dangerous FK.

[saint michael]

Wake up saints

[Suhari]

We're going to need to score again.