Ritchie relying on return to home comforts (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
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SWINDON TOWN: Ritchie relying on return to home comforts
6:00am Friday 19th October 2012 in Sport By Sam Morshead
Matt Ritchie
SWINDON Town may now officially be better on the road than they are at the County Ground, but winger Matt Ritchie has not given up hope of rediscovering the sort of form that had teams quaking in their boots at the prospect of a trip to Wiltshire last season.
Following the 2-2 draw with Coventry last weekend, the Robins have claimed 10 points from six league matches in SN1, compared to 11 points from the same number of games away from home.
That is in stark contrast to last term where, following defeat to Oxford in mid-August, Town remained unbeaten in League Two for the remainder of the campaign.
With a realistic chance of challenging for a play-off place this time around, Ritchie said Swindon need to transfer some of the characteristics of their recent performances on their travels into their displays at the County Ground.
“When we’ve been away from home we’ve dug in and we’ve ground out results,” he said. “We went to Shrewsbury and we got a good three points, Bury as well was another great three points. They weren’t very nice games but great points to pick up away from home.
“Obviously our home form has dipped a little bit but we need to make it like it was last year when teams dread coming here and worrying about not getting rolled over.
“We need to put that right and Saturday’s a great opportunity to be on it 100 per cent from the whistle.”
One aspect that may have affected Town’s run of results at home of late is the improved quality of League One compared to the fourth tier.
However, Ritchie would not use that as an excuse.
He said: “There’s a lot more quality in League One and you can get punished a lot quicker in this league.
“In League Two sometimes you give the ball away and you might get away with it, in this league you generally do get punished.
“You have to concentrate that little bit more and be on your game.”
Comments(14)
old town robin
says...
8:24am Fri 19 Oct 12
Will be interesting to see how he deals with Callum Kennedy tomorrow, according to the Scunnie forum, they are not too happy with the way Knill has his full backs attacking and then being caught out in defence, should be an open game tomorrow if they try that tactic.
London Red
says...
9:16am Fri 19 Oct 12
.
Hope Kennedy is given a decent reception - he may not have be deemed good enough to stay but he always gave his all and is a local lad - so deserves a decent reception
.
Grella doesn't count to me as he played 3 game son loan - hardly makes him ex Swindon
.
Prutton - not bothered about - yes was part of that disasterous squad - but always felt he gave more than most of them
.
Clarke - well he deserves everything he gets!!!!!!
.
He Cries on the ptich - he Cries on the pitch - Leon Clarke - he cries on the pitch
.
He booted you out -he booted you out - PdC - he booted you out
SAPFanSTFC
says...
11:33am Fri 19 Oct 12
---.
He Cries on the pitch - he Cries on the pitch - Leon Clarke - he cries on the pitch
.
He booted you out -he booted you out - Paolo di Canio - he booted you out
---.
Scunthorpe tend to defend far more away from home but lets hope they view this as a 'We might as well have a go' game and don't sit with 10 men behind the ball....although I don't hold out much hope.
Northern Red
says...
11:45am Fri 19 Oct 12
The Arkell's reminds me of a morgue, full of grumpy olds who come to moan. Town End thankfully lifts it some which helps. Open the Bank!
Northern Red
says...
11:45am Fri 19 Oct 12
SeanG92
says...
12:06pm Fri 19 Oct 12
SAPFanSTFC wrote:I think taunts of "Paolo's gonna get you, Paolos gonna get you" (to the tone of our "Just because your losing" chant would be interesting.
Class act LR!!...Town End you HAVE to put these into the game tomorrow
---.
He Cries on the pitch - he Cries on the pitch - Leon Clarke - he cries on the pitch
.
He booted you out -he booted you out - Paolo di Canio - he booted you out
---.
Scunthorpe tend to defend far more away from home but lets hope they view this as a 'We might as well have a go' game and don't sit with 10 men behind the ball....although I don't hold out much hope.
SAPFanSTFC
says...
4:18pm Fri 19 Oct 12
SeanG92 wrote::-)
SAPFanSTFC wrote:I think taunts of "Paolo's gonna get you, Paolos gonna get you" (to the tone of our "Just because your losing" chant would be interesting.
Class act LR!!...Town End you HAVE to put these into the game tomorrow
---.
He Cries on the pitch - he Cries on the pitch - Leon Clarke - he cries on the pitch
.
He booted you out -he booted you out - Paolo di Canio - he booted you out
---.
Scunthorpe tend to defend far more away from home but lets hope they view this as a 'We might as well have a go' game and don't sit with 10 men behind the ball....although I don't hold out much hope.
---
Anything that winds the little tantrum / cry baby up is good by me - we need to get under his skin and make him lose it - the guy is too fragile to suffer the onslaught of a full on crowd attack.
---
Lots of noise, boos, wind-ups and whistles along with the fun chants will see him off the pitch on 60mins.
===
What was the start of the 'In the Jungle...' song?
...
Maybe - A run-away, A run-away or - to run rabbit run...
...
Run Clarkey Run Clarkey Run, run, run Paolo's gonna getchu with a gun, gun, gun!
....BOOOMMMM!!!!!!!!
Duh duh de duh duh de duhde duh de duh!!...Funeral march.
===
Amazing how I never made a song-writer eh!? :-)
Wilesy
says...
4:33pm Fri 19 Oct 12
Every time they touch the ball -
Grella - boo
Kennedy - cheer
Prutton - wolf whistle
Clarke - w*****r
I like LR's songs too, very good.
Oi Den!
says...
10:45pm Fri 19 Oct 12
.
Grella - decent player but didn't fancy a relegation battle. Should never have joined us in the first place if that was the case.
.
Kennedy - good lad with loads of potential. We should have kept him.
.
Prutton - exemplifies the reason we were relegated. Has some good skills, ran around a lot but hardy ever anywhere near the ball. Wilson's biggest c0ck-up, made worse by the fact that he continued to play him week in week out, when he was contributing nothing.
London Red
says...
11:33pm Fri 19 Oct 12
.
Den - the thing is Clarke is on his what 17th club now and has has bust up at most of them
.
That suggests to me that there is something not right with the guy and I would not be surprised if he ends up joining Pericard at his new clinic!!
the wizard
says...
12:00am Sat 20 Oct 12
You have definitely lightened up over the last 24/48 hours, and for the better, may I add.
I liked Kennedy, and I think he is a well decent young man, so I wish him well.
Prutton likes his "hair products", and it shows, he blew too hot or too cold in his games and often got carded for shear stupidity. the annoying thing is, he has got talent, but only when he can be bothered, which isn't very often.
Grella, well the rot had set in well before he got here, and why should he put himself out for the glory of the likes who were here full time.
Clarke ? Perhaps I'd better not go there, but like many others I would like to know what was said by who and when. Obviously a storm brewing there most days of the week, much like a weather map, out of one depression into the next.
If you are coming down tomorrow I hope the journey is worthwhile.
Wilesy
says...
12:11am Sat 20 Oct 12
Oi Den! wrote:I don't think we saw enough of Clarke to judge, but attitude says it all.
I think it's a great pity we lost Leon Clarke because two grown men couldn't patch up their differences over a storm in a tea cup. Once a player has been signed, all you can ask is that he gives his best, which I think Clarke did for us, even if he did let himself down with his antics after the bust-up with PDC.
.
Grella - decent player but didn't fancy a relegation battle. Should never have joined us in the first place if that was the case.
.
Kennedy - good lad with loads of potential. We should have kept him.
.
Prutton - exemplifies the reason we were relegated. Has some good skills, ran around a lot but hardy ever anywhere near the ball. Wilson's biggest c0ck-up, made worse by the fact that he continued to play him week in week out, when he was contributing nothing.
Grella looked good but didn't he get dropped for Calvin '1 in 13' Andrew, in a lone striker role? I think he would have been up for the battle but not on the bench.
Kennedy - yes good lad but no McEveley.
Prutton - agree, vastly over-rated, would have been out after 5 games under Paolo. Would think Dossevi and perhaps Pericard would push hard for the biggest c*ck-up award though, at least Prutton could run.
the wizard
says...
12:29am Sat 20 Oct 12
Have to agree, Prutton could run, but mostly like a headless chicken, here, there, every where but very in effective at times.
Must try to meet up again, hope your chips are of better quality next time, lol.
Cheers Buddy thats me for tonite.
old town robin says...
8:24am Fri 19 Oct 12
Will be interesting to see how he deals with Callum Kennedy tomorrow, according to the Scunnie forum, they are not too happy with the way Knill has his full backs attacking and then being caught out in defence, should be an open game tomorrow if they try that tactic.