It would be disrespectful to Bristol Rovers to have suggested this one had a whiff of banana skin about it. Our record against them is pretty poor and they beat us at their place early in the season. But on the back of a good rebound from Rotherham and six points bagged, making it five wins and a draw in the last seven (with 16 points taken out of 21), our hopes – and expectations - were high. Even to the extent of thinking how good it would be to score an early goal or three and turn on the style a little, being able to relax a little – but at the same time hoping the players had no such thoughts, have to win the game first and we badly needed another three points, no room at all for any complacency.
In the event, glory be for once it went (almost) according to plan. Bristol Rovers started brightly enough, but once we’d taken the lead we progressively took over and had a second before the break. One more and it would have been truly game over, but in truth playing within ourselves against modest opposition – but defending well - it wasn’t needed and we never looked like throwing it away. We were even able to conserve some mental energy at least for Saturday and had the added good news before the game of Jones (the player) signing a new contract. A satisfactory evening all round, although you did feel a little for the Bristol Rovers fans who had made the trip.
The team showed a couple of changes, perhaps surprising ones. Ramsay was selected to start, not as a wing-back but rather as the third centre-back alongside Jones and Gillesphey, with Mitchell taking a break. Edwards and Small kept their places as the wing-backs. No change in the central midfield three, but up front Leaburn was also put among the subs with Godden starting, alongside Campbell(T), breaking the ‘big man/little man’ set-up. It meant Leaburn, Aneke and Kanu were the forward options from the bench. No idea whether the changes were to rest some tired legs and freshen it up, slight knocks, or something in the Bristol Rovers set-up that Jones thought we might exploit.
Again, they started the brighter, keeping possession well and with Sinclair threatening to do damage down their right, once getting past Edwards. But nothing came of it and with 12 minutes on the clock, after Small had sent a weak shot wide, we took the lead. Small again, but his ball across seemed to have been dealt with, only for Campbell and Docherty to work it back. Campbell put in what might have been a shot or a cross and Godden sneaked in behind defenders to get on the end of it and poke it into the net. It was a goal that emphasised his intelligent movement and poaching instincts within the box, something we have too often lacked.
Godden almost repeated the exercise just before the half-hour. Berry hit a free-kick which was palmed out by their keeper only for the ball to be played back in. Jones headed it goalwards and again Godden appeared in the space, only this time his touch was not decisive and the keeper was able to block it. A good contact and it surely would have been his and our second.
We at least didn’t have to wait too long as a spell in which we were dominant and might easily have added to the lead – a snap shot from Godden was turned over the bar, Berry got on the end of a Small cross and turned it just over, an unmarked Docherty headed wide from a corner, and a Gillesphey header from inside the box was saved well – was rounded off on 35 minutes with a splendid goal from an unlikely source. Another free-kick was half-cleared and came to Edwards outside the box. He cut inside and from a central position hit a sweet low drive into the corner of the net. Great to see him score and also nice to see a left-sided player able to shoot (well) with his right foot.
After that we really just needed to see it out to half-time, which we did with no alarms, although Maynard-Brewer had to save to his left a curling free-kick by Sinclair from just outside the box. The stats at the break showed Bristol Rovers had enjoyed 53% possession but we had registered 11 attempts on goal, six on target, against their three and one (that free-kick) respectively.
Rovers made one change at the break and three more before too long and, with our intensity and ambition reduced, the game in the second half turned into a rather boring stalemate. We were content to protect what we had and to look to get another on the counter, they pressed but we defended well in our half and they only occasionally looked like they might get one back to put the result in doubt.
Of the two possibilities we looked more likely to add to our lead and probably should have done. An Edwards long throw dropped to Godden close in but he couldn’t turn it home, Godden played in Small but his shot was easily saved. Aneke and Kanu replaced Godden and Campbell on 76 minutes and you thought it was laid on a plate for Chuks to score. In truth he made a mess of the opportunities that came his way, shooting when others were in better positions. Perhaps he was trying too hard – with Jones having resigned and the focus now on whether Small will do the same, he may have been feeling a little overlooked as his contract also runs out in the summer.
The closest we came was when Aneke moved it on to Kanu, who cut inside but saw his low shot turned aside and Small was only just unable to put the ball in the net. Towards the end understandably Ramsay was looking knackered – but still managed an excellent header away under pressure inside our box, taking a bang on the head for his pains. And when the change came it was Edwards replaced by Edmonds-Green, Small changing sides. In truth we saw out the game comfortably.
The final stats showed their possession percentage had risen to 63% - which implied 73% for them in the second half. They were unable to do anything with it, as the goal attempts numbers confirmed – 19 attempts for us, 10 on target, just five for them, only one on target (that first-half free-kick). Their manager Calderon said after the game: “In the last third, when we have to create something, we are not doing it. Still, I would say in the middle of the park, I think we have been better than them. It’s true that in the boxes, where you lose or win the game, we were worse than them.”
Other results were mixed for us. Stockport, Bolton and Leyton Orient all winning kept them above us, but Reading, Mansfield and Barnsley all lost and sit below us in the table. Moving into the top-six gets more difficult. We’re four points below Stockport in fifth (and they have better goal difference) but with a game in hand, one behind Leyton Orient (they also have a better goal difference), and one behind Bolton with a game in hand on them (and better goal difference). Be nice if those three weren’t in good form – Stockport have won their last three, Bolton have rattled off two wins after we beat them (and they sacked their manager), while Orient have won nine of their last 11. But on Saturday Orient play Stockport and Bolton are away at Reading. Away at Blackpool is going to be tough (they are unbeaten in six and have won their last two), we just have to do our job and see how other results go.
No comments:
Post a Comment