42 Unbeaten but cup catastrophe

Hello and welcome back to the Terrier Blog. A few things have changed since the last post, courtesy of a friend with a penchant for design, so hopefully you enjoy the new interface.

Anyway, on to the most important thing of all football. Since the last blog we've equalled Nottingham Forests run of 42 league matches unbeaten (contrary to anything Adrian Durham says), and we've crashed and burned down in Wiltshire.

The record deserves special mention, to equal such a fantastic record is an achievement to be rightly proud of, 7 years ago when Arsenal matched Forests record they were justly praised, and I hope the same happens to us . In the future we will lose a league game, and I hope that the lads are applauded of the pitch afterwards in recognition of what they have done since Southampton. Now onto the game against Walsall, a false result in my opinion. We dominated the game and, had we taken our chances the scoreline would have been very different. However we didn't and we had to settle for a draw, but thankfully we managed to consolidate 2nd position. After the work against Walsall was over, the next task was a tricky looking FA Cup tie away to Swindon Town, for which Lee Clark decided to ring the changes.

Regardless of the changes made by Clark, the team that faced Swindon on Saturday should have been capable of recording a victory, and they didn't. A string of defensive lapses, a blunt attack and a lack of concentration cost us dearly. From the beginning of the second half it was clear to all to see Swindon's game plan, they intended to shut us out and hang out to what they'd got. We just needed a bit of creativity, a bit of imagination and invention, but instead we got misplaced passes and predictable attacks. It was no shock when the Robins broke away and added a third (offside) goal. Another lapse in concentration and a goalkeeping error led to the fourth, which slightly flattered them considering their second-half approach.

A humiliating defeat at the hands of a team the league below us, and a worrying insight into the strength of our squad. However, I don't feel that this is too much of a blow, we have been at the wrong end of embarrassing defeats before under Clark, but thankfully this was not in the league. This was in a cup which we had no chance of winning, and are not reliant upon for income. So yes it is disappointing to lose in this manner, but we have to get over it, regroup and come back stronger in the league. There will be no glamour trips to the Emirates, no poundings at Brunton Park and no 5-1's at Goodison park, but is that really so bad? 29 more cup finals to come, and hopefully they'll see us to where we all want to be, the championship.

Notts county, Charlton and Bournemouth are next up for the Terriers, and they will be massive games, if we can come through them with 7 points, I for one will be delighted, and I'm thoroughly confident that Lee Clark can steer us to the promised land. Until next time.....