Brown Get's It Wrong

Last updated : 20 September 2005 By Stray Shots Team
Under-fire Terry Brown spoke of his pride after watching his men save him from another difficult week in the Aldershot Town hot seat.

Speaking to the Aldershot News, Brown was full of praise for his troops after admitting he got his tactics wrong in the first half — an error which led to a dire performance in the opening period and a subsequent two-goal deficit.

But his decision to make two changes in personnel and revert to a more balanced 4-4-2 at half time, turned the game on its head, as goals from Ryan Williams and Tim Sills capped a spirited fightback and earned a hard-fought point against all odds.

The boss was naturally mightily relieved afterwards, while owning up to his tactical error.

He said: "You have to hold your hands up when you get something wrong. Tactically we were all over the place in the first half. I wanted to stick an extra centre half in to be tighter at the back but not only did we concede two diabolical sloppy goals and never got out of our own half.

"We spent all week together playing that system but we looked like to just threw it together half an hour before the game.

"I was however, very proud of the second half performance. They needed to show the supporters that they wanted to play in a red shirt and they showed heart and character.

"Once we got Critts wide right and Ryan wide left we looked like taking the game to them and deserved to get something out of it. It was almost like getting three points in the end."

Given his biggest strengths being the threat from wide areas, Brown's decision to drop arguably his best player this season in Nick Crittenden and employ a rather obscure 3-4-1-2, system, was baffling to say the least.

You could argue, however, that Brown's decision had centred around giving a debut to new signing, Andre Boucaud — the former Reading Academy player, who joined on a three-month loan deal from Peterborough.

But expecting Boucaud to perform in a raw system alongside half-fit skipper Steve Watson, was a big ask, and it was that area of uncertainty with wide man Williams playing a lone role in front of him, which caused the confusion.

After a desperately difficult start to the season, which has brought just one win from the first seven matches, Brown has been feeling the pressure of late from some sections of a frustrated Rec crowd.

And he must have wanted the ground to open up and swallow him once Stevenage looked like adding to that sorry tally with first half goals from Anthony Elding and Justin Gregory.

When you're struggling for form and confidence, Graham Westley's Stevenage are the last side you want facing you.

Fit, strong and well-drilled like all Westley sides are, Stevenage added salt to the Shots wounds by dominating an otherwise dour opening period.

After rather non-descript early exchanges, Stevenage soon settled into their rhythm and took the game to their hosts without really testing home keeper Nikki Bull.

Indeed, only Rob Quinn's speculative effort from a full 40 yards came close to breaking the deadlock — Bull palming his dipping effort over the bar.

But in the 29th minute, Elding gave the visitors the lead with a looping header over the out-stretched Bull after Jon Nurse — brother of injured Shots midflder Chris Nurse — had charged down Greg Heald's attempted clearance.

Westley's side were now well on top and should have doubled the lead twice within five minutes — George Boyd's dangerous low cross just eluding everyone in a packed box before Nurse headed his cross just wide.

A second goal had to come and when it did, on 40 minutes, it exposed more defensive frailties in the Shots back line.

A free-kick routine had the rearguard at sixes and sevens and after good work on the left flank by Boyd and ex-Farnborough full-back Gregory, the latter was able to fire home past Bull after waltzing his way unchallenged into the box.

Brown's reaction was to haul off the disappointing Tarkan Mustafa and Boucaud, who suffered a thigh strain, while introducing Crittenden and full back Hassan Sulaiman.

Thankfully for Brown, it was a tactical ploy which worked a treat as within three minutes of the re-start, the Shots pulled one back.

Crittenden, who did more in the first two minutes than any other attacker managed in the opening 45, carved out the first home threat of the game when forcing Stevenage into conceding a free-kick 22 yards out, just right of centre.

On-loan Williams, just like he did in his flying debut game against Crawley two weeks ago, stepped up to brilliantly bend the ball round the wall and beyond keeper Alan Julian at his near post.

Chances came thick and fast at both ends with Julian perhaps the busier as the Shots piled forward.

First he superbly kept hold of low shots from Crittenden and Williams, before diving expertly to thwart a 25-yard stinging drive from Watson, keen to impress against his old team-mates.

Bull, at the other end however, was also busy, first tipping Elding's long range free-kick round the near post and then diving acrobatically to deny Simon Weatherstone's goalbound effort.

But the Shots for their endeavour were worthy of an equaliser and with seven minutes left on the clock, they got it.

Williams fed Chris McPhee out wide and after his delicate chipped cross into the box, Sills beat Julian to the punch to bravely head home into an empty net, taking a battering at the same time.

Elding came within a whisper of spoiling the party late on with a close range effort which drifted wide of the post, but, in truth, it was McPhee who should have had the game wrapped up — bending an injury-time effort just wide of the far post with the Rec ready to roar.

For Brown it was a rare moment to savour in an otherwise torrid season. Fans however, on leaving the Rec on Saturday certainly got the sense that this could just be a turning point.

All attentions now switch to the Interlink Express Stadium tonight (Tuesday), where the Shots aim to continue this resurgence with a visit to Accrington Stanley (ko 7.45pm).

Brown will be without skipper Watson this evening who is still struggling to overcome a groin injury, while Boucaud will undergo a late test on his thigh.

Showing his frustration at the ever-increasing queue for the treatment table, Brown said: "My luck at the moment, the new boy has come in and pulled a thigh muscle. I just can't believe that the people I bring in keep getting injured, it's doing my head in.

"He hasn't had too much football and hopefully it won't be too long before he's back offering us another body in there.”

With thanks to the Aldershot News.