Only watched from TV, but here is how I'd grade them:
Long 7 – A smart save in the first half, and an excellent reaction from a Collins blunder in the second. Lucky on the goal line incident but it was at very close range. I'm happy he is in instead of Howard, whether he is a long term fix depends on his development. Hopefully this run in the team will bring him on.
Brayford 6 – Solid defensively save for being skinned once and pretty much the only wide outlet we had when we went forward. He'll get better with a run of games, it's good to see him back in his rightful position.
McEveley 6 – No doubt should have been red carded, slow and reckless. Just no need to put that challenge in. At best he is a squad player to cover injuries, which he was of course yesterday, not sure how that qualifies him to be captain. His other mistake was being too deep and playing Armstrong onside for his shot in the first half. Other than this, he was steady at least and managed to avoid another yellow card which was an achievement...
Edgar 7 - A steady Division 3 centre half. Does the simple things pretty well and with our playing deep he was under little danger against the pace, but when he was it showed and he had to take a booking.
Collins 4 – A horror show, slow in thought and deed and a mistake waiting to happen. And the problem is you don't normally have to wait long. If we are to play from the back we can't do so with him in the team, he's so ponderous it must be a simple tactic to put pressure on him as errors will follow. Adkins needs to realise that if we are to stop conceding so many goals then Collins has to go.
Basham 5 – Perhaps a harsh grade as defensively he did OK, but a midfielder Bash is not. He simply doesn't have the passing ability and isn't mobile enough to cover the ground required. At the back is his position in my view where he can do the things he does well.
Hammond 7 – On the positive, he was decent in possession, passed the ball pretty well and was clearly the organising force in the team, and god knows we've needed that. He was aggressive too, and if he can stay on the right side of the law then Adkins' faith in him may prove to be justified. But the booking was needless and cynical, and he could have walked later on so has to be more careful in that regard.
Coutts 6 – Good in possession and can pick a pass as well as anyone we have, but lacks mobility. OK if we have players alongside we compensate for that but presently we don't. Perhaps that will improve as he continues in the side, I think he's worth sticking with this season as we can't expect to tear the side apart in January. But long term is he the kind of player that will get us out of L1? Hand on heart I'd say no.
Woolford 3 – Painful to watch. A winger without a trick with no pace to boot. As signings go, this one is a total bust and Adkins would be mad to have him anywhere near the team again. That he lasted 55 minutes was a mystery to me, I fully expected him to be subbed at half time.
Done 6 – I like Done, he has pace and heart and gives everything he has. Yesterday was tough for him and he battled hard for very little reward but I'd forgive that as it will come good for him.
Sammon 3 – I thought we'd found a cult hero in "The Fish", but it would appear that we'd spelt cult incorrectly. The complete opposite of the hard working Done, Sammon ambled through the game and won nothing. He'd be backup for me going forward, there can't be any chance of our wanting to sign him permanently in the summer.
Subs
Scougall 7 – So much more like the Scougs of old, and while not up to that standard as yet he caused Coventry problems and they had to respond by kicking the shit out of him. I hope he can continue this and force his way back into the 11, if he can get a run in the side he can offer the pace and skill that no one else in our midfield can.
Sharp 6 – I think he needs to trust his own game more. He puts a shift in, but has been snatching at shots recently when he'd usually be cool and slot home without a worry. The great news of his new born son will hopefully help him relax and do what we all know he is capable of. I totally agree with
Deadbat in that Sharp and Done need to be our front pairing.
Flynn – Good to see him back. He has limitations but is a good squad player and gave us the energy we needed late on. Shame he couldn't convert after an excellent run late on.
Overall, it was mainly awful to watch, but right now I'll take awful and a few more 3 pointers. It smacks of Clough's philosophy, but step one has to be ensuring you avoid defeat, and from there look to win the game. If we can have a decent Christmas period and edge back into the play off frame then with a couple of additions in January our season is far from over.
