Excited and nervous

These next few days are going to drag so much… Can’t believe how nervous I am for this game, considering I had no expectations going into the play offs, to feeling like this, I think that shows just how far we’ve come in such a short space of time, and we have players, fans and a club to be proud of.

Also excited as to what could be. I feel as though if we were to go up we would be able to retain the majority of our players and really kick on, potentially do what Bristol Rovers did off the back of their national league promotion campaign…

I'm not nervous. All along 90% of us have said it's a free hit this year in the play offs. All I wanted and hoped is that we'd get to the final and we have ♥
Obviously I want us to win but I'm just going into it positively and going to enjoy the whole day and experience. I just hope the players play with no pressure on their shoulders

Said to my friend before the play offs, I think we'll beat Notts and Wrexham then lose to Solihull in the final. Hope I'm wrong!

But nervous and excited. On the day I'll be a nervous wreck

I was calm for the county game then all hell broke lose in the 96th Min ..... I've been a wreck since . Lol.  To play 3 games like this over 2 weeks is enough to test anyone . Also to be the underdogs in all 3 games in this league is incredible

It’s the hope (not despair) that gets you every time!

Pressure is on Solihull imo. I genuinely expected nothing so much to get this far in this manner is incredible.

Lose on Sunday and we still have great memories, win and it surely goes down as the greatest play off campaign from any side ever.

The closer you get to the prize, the more is at stake and the nerves multiply.

To think we are one game away from a speedy return to the EFL is equally exciting and nerve wracking.

If we lose, then who knows how long it will take to have another shot?

At least we have a chance, which is something I wasn't sure we would have.

If we do win, at what point do we wave to them lot down the a180
As they go past?

I didn’t have a lot of expectations for our play off hopes , now there nearer we get the more nervous I am .
I’m certainly not over confident

We HAVE to win. I cannot stand this league, it’s purgatory. In fact, no, it’s just hell!

A win could take this club in such a positive direction, I cannot contemplate defeat. So much hangs on it.

We need to be aiming to replicate what Lincoln did, and I hope we never have to stoop so low as to play Scunthorpe again.

There’s no way we aren’t going to win this. After getting to the final the (very) hard way, do you think the manger and the squad will get this far and not win? We are coming into the final arguably playing our best football of the season, coupled with a determination and belief that I think will take us all the way. I think the 2016 squad said they knew they would win the final. I think that Paul Hurst’s experience in this situation will be invaluable and I also think we have probably the fittest squad in the league. I thought extra time against Wrexham would count against us after 120 minutes against Notts County, but it didn’t - if anything we looked stronger that extra time at Notts. All of the momentum is with us.

Quoted from Stockport Mariner

There’s no way we aren’t going to win this. After getting to the final the (very) hard way, do you think the manger and the squad will get this far and not win? We are coming into the final arguably playing our best football of the season, coupled with a determination and belief that I think will take us all the way. I think the 2016 squad said they knew they would win the final. I think that Paul Hurst’s experience in this situation will be invaluable and I also think we have probably the fittest squad in the league. I thought extra time against Wrexham would count against us after 120 minutes against Notts County, but it didn’t - if anything we looked stronger that extra time at Notts. All of the momentum is with us.

Great post my thoughts exactly …it’s just our time

I don’t get this “free hit” theory but also I didn’t expect us to get to the play off final.

I’m really nervous already and will be all over the place on Sunday, so much so I may need the odd drink to calm me down.

Despite us going behind a couple of times at Wrexham you know I always thought we’d come back to at least take it to pens.

After the Braintree game away last time Dis said the team always knew they’d win in the final as they’d come through a tight semi final, let’s hope this team go into Sunday confident then who knows?

First two play off games we have come out flying and dominated first 10/15 more muted which has given the confidence we can win the game whatever follows.
I hope now there is some much at stake on Sunday we don’t become more cautious.

If you compare the side now to the start of the season and the side that flew out of the blocks, this one is much better. They’re calculated, have a plan and to a man they die for the cause and love every minute of it. I wasn’t always a fan of Abraham but that 50 yard sprint to tackle their player, win the ball and then get it back epitomised the work ethic and self belief Hurst has instilled in them.

I don’t think it’s a free hit now we’re in the final nor do I think Solihull will roll over and die, I can’t decide how the games gonna go but I’m already nervous. I’m at knebworth the day before but I’m not sure even that will calm the nerves…

Quoted from aldi_01

If you compare the side now to the start of the season and the side that flew out of the blocks, this one is much better. They’re calculated, have a plan and to a man they die for the cause and love every minute of it. I wasn’t always a fan of Abraham but that 50 yard sprint to tackle their player, win the ball …

I was shocked at this (in a positive way) I don't massively rate Abrahams as I feel he doesn't tend to bust a gut like the others but that one instance alone makes me question myself about questing him 🤔

Quoted from HertsGTFC

I don’t get this “free hit” theory but also I didn’t expect us to get to the play off final.

I’m really nervous already and will be all over the place on Sunday, so much so I may need the odd drink to calm me down.

Despite us going behind a couple of times at Wrexham you know I always thought we’d come back to at least take it to pens.

After the Braintree game away last time Dis said the team always knew they’d win in the final as they’d come through a tight semi final, let’s hope this team go into Sunday confident then who knows?

I’m someone who felt the play-offs were a ‘free hit’ for us given where we’ve had to come from and where I expected us to finish at the start of the season (about 10th).

I felt relaxed going into play-offs as I hadn’t allowed myself to get my hopes up. The notion of us winning two games against some of the league’s top sides on their own patch, and then again in the final seemed a very long shot indeed. Even going into the 95th minute at Notts and having gone 3-2 down at Wrexham I felt deflated but there was a rational sense of acceptance all the same.

But having overcome those two adversaries in the most dramatic and stunning fashion imaginable, we find ourselves just one win away from the returning to the EFL. It took us 5 seasons to get that far last time down here, and you simply don’t know how long it might take again if we don’t succeed on Sunday.

And so, reluctantly, I can no longer see this as a free hit, it’s an absolutely massive game for us, just as it is for Solihull. Winning, by any means, would be an unbelievable way to cap off two of the very best Town matches in over 30 years following the club. Make no mistake though, defeat will hurt far more at this stage than it would have done at any point during the last two games.

We’ve come so far, but there’s still so much at stake. Yep, I’m nervous now and it’s only going to get worse with every hour that ebbs away.  

Quoted from Poojah

I’m someone who felt the play-offs were a ‘free hit’ for us given where we’ve had to come from and where I expected us to finish at the start of the season (about 10th).

I felt relaxed going into play-offs as I hadn’t allowed myself to get my hopes up. The notion of us winning two games against some of the league’s top sides on their own patch, and then again in the final seemed a very long shot indeed. Even going into the 95th minute at Notts and having gone 3-2 down at Wrexham I felt deflated but there was a rational sense of acceptance all the same.

But having overcome those two adversaries in the most dramatic and stunning fashion imaginable, we find ourselves just one win away from the returning to the EFL. It took us 5 seasons to get that far last time down here, and you simply don’t know how long it might take again if we don’t succeed on Sunday.

And so, reluctantly, I can no longer see this as a free hit, it’s an absolutely massive game for us, just as it is for Solihull. Winning, by any means, would be an unbelievable way to cap off two of the very best Town  matches in over 30 years following the club. Make no mistake though, defeat will hurt far more at this stage than it would have done at any point during the last two games.

We’ve come so far, but there’s still so much at stake. Yep, I’m nervous now and it’s only going to get worse with every hour that ebbs away.  

Totally agree with all of this, except I don’t feel nervous as I’m so confident we will win. Not wanting to underestimate Sollihull, as they are obviously a good side, but there’s no way we will lose to them 3 times in a season. That being said I’ll probably have a few butterflies just prior to kick off!  

The play off final was beyond my expectations this season so, yes, a free hit for me. More than hopeful we can make it.

The consequences of this game are enormous, no matter how we play up the ‘free hit’ angle. That said, this Town team have been beyond magnificent in the play-offs, and I’ve got total faith they will finish the job.

Yes we had 2 free hits.  Now this is a different game with mor any stake.    Our last playoff final was built on an away win at Braintree.  Very difficult because we lost the home game.

This season we had 2 very difficult away matches.  We stood the pressures and succeeded showing great character.  We need to continue like this on Sunday.

We do have a better team than when we topped the table at the start of the season.  Only Clifton, Waterfall, Taylor and McAtee remain as first team regulars.  Although after 6 months or so out of the team we now have Sousa mark 2 starting and finishing the last 2 games.  How did he last 4 hours in less than a week?

We are aiming for our 5th consecutive playoff away win away from BP.  3 won in extra-time. (Other matches being Braintree and FGR).

It is incredible that we have come this far. I would`ve never believed this after that long streak without a win earlier in the season, but now we are just ONE game away from a League return. It makes me really excited and nervous at the same time. As I live abroad I miss IFollow desperately, so for me it would really be a MASSIVE return to a whole other world for me.
I think we probably beat the best team of the play-offs in our last match, but it would be a mistake to underestimate Solihull Moors. I really hope we are 3-0 up at half-time to make the blood pressure go down a little, but I fear another tight and nerve-wracking game.

All the best fellas! Up the Mariners!

It’s never ever a free hit. You hope with every fibre Town will win every game they play. You might not expect anything but you always hope.
As for Sunday, I’m  not expecting us to win, but I hope to the bottom of my ballsack they do. That would cap one of the most remarkable changes in fortune I’ve seen at Town. A team destroyed by Holloway and Fenty roaring back with everything you could dream of. Trouble is we don’t do fairytales do we…? Or maybe…🧚‍♀️

We have the nice fall back of scunny and York if it all goes fenty up. But hope we pull it off

Just to think.  Here we are on the brink of an immediate return to the elf.  Can we do it?  Of course we can.  Won't be easy, but neither will it be for Solihull.
And to think we were literally 5 seconds away from going out at Notts County.

I retract my last statement. I keep having nightmares that I wake up and miss my train and the game  

Exited yes, nervous no. Always said we would go up, full of positive enthusiasm for a victory and a return to proper league football. Are we going to do it, of course we are.

Quoted from lukeo

I was shocked at this (in a positive way) I don't massively rate Abrahams as I feel he doesn't tend to bust a gut like the others but that one instance alone makes me question myself about questing him 🤔

I find that odd, one thing he has always done since he arrived was be a willing runner, working really hard from the front. In fact he made a point of doing that in his very first game.

Quoted from The_Laughing_Mariner

Just to think.  Here we are on the brink of an immediate return to the elf.  Can we do it?  Of course we can.  Won't be easy, but neither will it be for Solihull.
And to think we were literally 5 seconds away from going out at Notts County.

Indeed.  Let's hope for a sprinkling of fairy dust on Sunday !

I definitely felt it was a free hit when we started - we wouldn't have even qualified for the playoffs finishing 6th when we were down here before. I didn't expect us to win (again!) at notts anyway although I thought we had a chance.

But the manner if the equaliser was so incredible with I think just 7 seconds left, and then to win in the 119th minute of extra time, well it was just joyous. One of the best feelings I've had about a match.

For the second game I thought the odds were significantly tougher, they finished  way ahead of us, beat us at home and had a great home record. The only thing was their last two bottled games, and our great performance at county, which made you think just maybe.

This time it was the greatest town match I have ever seen, the best in my lifetime I think, simply utterly incredible how entertaining that match was.

Now I've gone from seeing the playoffs as a bonus to feeling that if we don't go up it will be heartbreaking after those last 2 performances. But Solihull will be really tough, beat us home and away and are a good side. Pleased they don't have jamie Osborne to come back and haunt us but I am so so nervous for this game now. The monumental balls up the NL have made of the final only adds to the desperation to get out of it.

Please town just one more heave....