TALKING POINTS

Chris Wade – @tufcchris

Chris discusses the key points

BUSY SCHEDULE

After a midweek free September, we hit a busy time of the season, with three midweek engagements between now and the end of November. Going to Plainmoor is always special, but there is something extra special about midweek games. And we’ll be under the new LED lights for the first time. It promises to be a special evening.

HOME V AWAY

Let’s deal in facts for a minute. We have 21 points from 12 games, 16 out of 18 at home and 5 out of 18 away from home. Regardless of your views on whether we have a problem in how we play away from home (we do), that is an unbalanced points sheet. The attacking style we have been able to impress on teams in most home games simply isn’t the case away from home. As mentioned in these pages before, the home record ends up under more pressure if you are collecting no points away from home. The odd draw, as against Dagenham, is fine if you back it up away from home. But Saturday’s listless defeat at Chesham has made this fixture even more important. There are no must win games in October, but winning at home is massive given the away record.

STRIKING OPTIONS

The untimely injury to main striker Cody Cooke has put undue pressure on Cillon Dillon. Bright and breezy in all three starts so far, no goals yet show the challenges of progressing to men’s football. It’s more than just about goals, but it’s the currency for a striker. Fitness permitting I’d expect to see Louis Dennis return to the starting eleven against Chippenham. He has been a vital link in between the lines this season and allows the wide players to roam and involve themselves in the game. Whether Matt Jay gets a start may dictate the system.

FAST START

One of the leading features of the first four home games was the fast start and early goals. Getting on the ball and attacking teams early sets the tone for us dominating on our own turf. This has not been the case in the last two games versus Ebbsfleet and Dagenham. Getting into the opposition and pushing them back will be an important component to getting the three points.

THE OPPOSITION

Chippenham Town come to Plainmoor bottom of the National League South table. One win in their opening eleven games leaves them looking up at everybody, and they were victims of one of the few fast starts at home last season, trailing 3-0 within the first 20 minutes. A similar start wouldn’t go amiss this time, with the goal of three points to keep us moving. That would set us up nicely ahead of Saturday’s trip to Dorking Wanderers.