Originally Posted by
Keyser Soze
It is as easy to get carried away with the win and forget the fact that we could have conceded a damn lot more. Tanner was good going forward and Romeo good in the tackle, but both were prone to defensive mistakes. Goutas and Phillips were outstanding, but had it been another day we could have been 4-0 down at half time.
As for Cian Ashford all fans will share in his joy of his first goal. First a view on his skills and attributes. He didn't seem blistering quick but seemed pretty nippy in terms of speed. He was equally passing off his left foot or his right, and combined short and medium range passing quite well. His crossing was OK and dribbling looked was confident, if not spectacular. Throw in confident at shooting and a debut goal (lucky but so what - strikers live off it) he seems to have a lot in his locker.
Decision making? I thought this part was exceptional for a young kid. What a mature player for his age. At first he settled in by keeping his game neat and tidy. When there was no option he passed back or sideways to available options to retain possession. When it was one he played it forward. So first and foremost, his decision making system seemed very professional and mature. He made hardly any mistakes. It could be summed up in the old adage "Don't give the ball away and take your risks in the final third". He read some good passes from Colwill and made well times runs, not being caught offside - so good intelligence and sense of timing there. So full marks there to the lad.
Work rate? I thought this was exceptional. Here is a kid that would die for the shirt it seems and off the ball he worked as hard as on-the-ball. When we lost possession he worked the flanks hard, or closed to the inside channel (half space) to seal off the ball from centre back to full back. He tracked back to help his full back. If I am not mistaken it was around 75-80 minutes on the clock when he decked a Southampton player with a good solid challenge back near his own third of the pitch. A hard working winger for sure, and just what you need when you don't have the ball. Josh Bowler and Jakub Meite - take note. Young man Cian, on a fraction of your wages, is showing what you should be doing week in, week out.
Finally the camera at the end and his deserved interview. A carefully crafted boring set of PR lines? No. Just a good dose of open hearted valley boy honesty on how he felt. What a lovely, humble kid who wears his heart on his sleeve was my first impression. However he has been brought up his parents have done a great job as he seems to display all the values required to succeed at a good level from a mental perspective.
Debut goal? Check. Good team work? Check. Mature decision-making? Check. Hard work ethic? Check. Humility? Check. If Cian can repeat this, then no matter if the chips are down and the team are off-point, you can rely on this guy to in the trenches ready to fight on behalf of the club. A few more games like this and he deserves a serious contract. Fans pay money to see local players like this, and I haven't seen this since a young Aaron Ramsey was here before going to Arsenal. Well done Cian Ashford, you brought a tear to the eye of a man in his Forties yesterday with your performance, sense of pride and love for the club, and your interview. May football treat you well, young man - I sense you will be a gem.
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