DL - Week 12 - Results Part 2

Blackpool v Harrogate:

Blackpool:
Friedel, Rafael, Garay, Umtiti, Cissokho, Capoue, Pirlo, Nani, Gaitan, Van Persie, Sturridge
Subs:
Gunter, Strootman, Kagawa, Wijnaldum, Drogba

Harrogate:
Mignolet, Boateng, Fazio, Astori, Caceres, Enrique, Verratti, Nordtveit, Fellaini, Oliveira, Lewandowski

The Match

Well the game gets off to a tame start really with no-one looking to create chances in the opening stages of the game. It’s almost we attack you attack but lose the ball just before you get the chance to put it into the box. But a moment of genius from the home side almost puts them in front. Capoue nicks the ball off Fellaini plays the ball to Pirlo who spots Nani breaking down the right and Nani whips a low cross into the box, but Sturridge fires the ball over the bar . Down at the other end from deep Verratti picks out a lovely ball to Fellaini who uses his chest to bring down the ball and plays it to Oliveira who passes the ball back to Fellaini then Fellaini feeds the ball through to Lewandowski who has a shot on the goal but it’s well saved by Friedel. Verratti is causing all sorts of problems with his long balls Lewandowski brings the ball down and Oliveira feeds off his knock down and hits the ball first time but it goes straight into the arms of Friedel. Then just before the break Nani gets a bit of luck and breaks down the right and cuts inside and fires the ball towards the goal and it goes in from 25 yards out. Blackpool 1-0 Harrogate

The second half is very much end to end stuff with Blackpool having many guilt edge chances to double their lead. However, Harrogate have an amazing chance of their own, with Remy on the pitch now he gets an amazing diagonal ball from Verratti and cuts in off the right flank and hits the ball from just inside the box but Friedel just gets his finger tips to the ball and manages to send the ball out wide without conceding a corner. Cissokho then picks up the ball and passes Gaitan who then breaks down the wing and crosses a ball into the box for Van Persie who heads the ball over the bar. After that the game doesn’t really get any livelier and the result remains the same.

Blackpool 1-0 Harrogate:
Scorer: Nani
MOTM: Verratti – despite been on the losing side he made enough chances for his team-mates just a shame they couldn’t find the back of the net.

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Dagenham and Redbridge v SC Cambuur:

Dagenham
Casteels, Lahm, Howedes, Papadopoulos, Alaba, Gundogan, Vidal, Marchisio, Mata, El Shaarawy, Balotelli
Subs: Muller, de Bruyne, Lucas Leiva, Shaqiri, Muriel

Cambuur
Koval, Fernandes, Dede, Juan, Alex Sandro, Rômulo, Danilo, Alex Teixeira, Coutinho, Bernard, Jackson Martinez
Subs – Rafael, Marquinhos, Giuliano, Felipe Anderson, Aubameyang

I had this down as a close match on paper. I found both sets of tactics to be thorough, with 21’s addition to his tactics involving his midfielders covering for his attacking full backs to a extent closing a loop hole that otherwise could have given an advantage to Lc in the slots I awarded.

However, as Dagenham’s full backs were very much given an offensive role this did make for a very entertaining match. When Dagenham’s fullbacks were assisting in attacking play they combined well with Mata and El Shaarway and gave Dagenham some excellent options, with Mata and El Shaarway cutting in and Mata having an early shot on goal which was saved by Koval. Balotelli also looked quite lively. A well marshaled Cambuur stood the test well though, and when they then hit on the counter, despite Vidal and Gundogan covering the full back areas they struggled to handle the pace of Teixeira and Bernard whose direct and fast play stretched Dagenham defence and this thus created space in the middle for Coutinho and Jackson Martinez – who combined for the opening goal with Coutinho’s lovely ball into Martinez seeing him strike his shot crisply past Casteels.

Both teams showed the tactical awareness to change their formation during this match depending on the flow of the game, and it was somewhat like a game of chess, with both teams reacting to the other.

Dagenham’s equalizer came through such a tactical change, needing more depth they changed to their more familiar 4231, and whilst Cambuur reacted to this with Danilo and Romulo oozing their usual class in defensive midfield we had a moment of genius from Mata, as from a throw in he drifts inside and launches a stunning long range effort which Koval nearly saves…. Only nearly though… so that’s 1-1

Meanwhile the front 4 of Cambuur worked deliciously well, and a great effort from Coutinho was put behind. Jackson Martinez also have a chance to put Cambuur back ahead but his shot just nipped wide of the post.

For Dagenham, as mentioned Balotelli was looking very sharp and nearly put Dagenham in the lead but his headed effort was cleared off the line.

This match started to look like it had a draw written all over it. Two excellent teams, with comprehensive tactics – but we did have a winner, and it was a late one – near enough last few seconds and it fell to Dagenham and that man Mata again. Yet another piece of individual brilliance – this time from a free kick. Again little Koval did wrong here, the positioning was perfect but the match ended 2-1 to Dagenham.

Dagenham 2 (Mata x 2)
Cambuur 1 (Jackson Martinez assisted by Coutinho)
MOTM - Mata

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Eastbourne Borough v Crawley Town

Eastbourne
Adler, Rafinha, Burdisso, Diawara, Balzaretti, Veloso, Rode, Chamberlain, Wilshere, Ince, Jelavic
Subs – Fabianski, Yesil, Johnson, Baker, Gorman

Crawley
Reina, Wallace, Godin, Martins Indi, Aurtenetxe, Iturraspe, Xavi, de Marcos, Navas, Tello, Soldado
Subs - Alonso, Canales, Cuenca, Morata, Amorebieta

An interesting match up here. Crawley have come on leaps and bounds this season in terms of personal, although like some other teams haven’t particularly had the rub of the green. Meanwhile Eastbourne I feel have a better team than the table would suggest and both teams have sound tactics.

I think based on formations this lived up to being an attractive match, with both teams looking to play good football with lots of intricate passing play building up to chances all around.

Most of Eastbourne’s attacking play came from their right hand side – with Rafinha being quite instrumental in starting offensive play – combining extremely well with both Chamberlain and Ince as these two youngsters interchanged through phases of the match.

Meanwhile Crawley fielded a more attacking formation than in the previous match that I studied, and despite a resolute Eastbourne defence – de Marcos and Xavi were both very much involved here and were enjoying a intense battle with Veloso and Rode.

De Marcos set up the opening goal for Crawley, with Soldado running onto a perfect through ball before placing the ball beyond the reach of Adler.

But only minutes later Eastbourne were back on level terms. The right wing back Rafinha, enabling the OX to receive the ball in space before launching an effort at goal – quite spectacular and a contender for goal of the day.

As we moved into the second half, Soldado nearly increased the lead not once but twice for Crawley – as a moment of chaos in the Eastbourne penalty area is somehow saved and then cleared by Adler.

Crawley seemed to be on top of the game during this period, and a further effort from de Marcos is palmed clear by Adler, whom again is then forced to make a further save from the incoming Soldado from the rebound.

Eastbourne however remained fairly resolute and did break up the field, again through that whippersnapper Rafinha whom was having a tremendous game. This time it is Ince who he plays in to a small space that has opened up. This time however Reina makes the save.

Crawley made changes and a change of formation to try and force the win, and chances for Morata who came on for de Marcos, and a long range effort from Alonso who had come on for Iturraspe nearly proved this to be the right decision.

Sadly for Crawley however, and joyously for Eastbourne, we were to see one more goal. With only 7 minutes to go Eastbourne found themselves winning a corner. Ince whipped in a wicked cross, which Wilshere played back to Jelavic just inside the edge of the box. Only for the forward to hit it low and unsighted by the vision of Reina in a crowded penalty box.

One last chance for Crawley to bring things level as Tello had a shot on goal, but Adler who also stood out was there to keep the score line at 2-1

Eastbourne 2 (Chamberlain assisted by Rafinha, Jelavic assisted by Wilshire)
Crawley 1 (Soldado assisted by de Marcos)
MOTM – Rafinha

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Shrewsbury v Bury

Shrewbury Town (4-3-3): Ali Ahamada, Debuchy, Evans, Nastasic, Blind, Neustadter, Lampard, L Bender, Shaqiri, Rodriguez, Ba

Subs: Oblak, Davies, Tadic, Draxler, Di Natale

Bury: Howard, Walker, Terry, N’koulou, Filipe, Barry, Gerrard, Callejon, Kaka, Podolski, Mandzukic

Subs: Nicola Leali, Thomas Kalas, Mitchell Dijks, Massimo Bruno, Imoh Ezekiel

Over at the New Meadow, hosts Shrewsbury Town played out a very forgettable against fellow newcomers Bury. Both had contrasting fortunes leading up to this game, with Shrewsbury having had a bit of luck to take themselves to a lofty 7th position in the league, whereas Bury are missing that bit of luck and are languishing towards the bottom of the table. In the first half Bury looked like their luck might be set to change as they dominated proceedings in an opening half hour that saw Gerrard hit the post from range and Mandzukic forced a great save from debutant Ali Ahamada. For all Burys good play though, it was an uninspiring start from the home side who looked more intent on stifling the opposition rather than playing their own game and couldn’t make their home advantage count, with a lot of the fans more occupied talking amongst themselves or on their phones, than cheering on their team. In Shrewsbury’s defence they were well organised and had some bite about them in their own final third, but it wasn’t until Bury went 0-1 up that they really started to try and make things happen. It was Podolski to break the deadlock on the 27th minute with a sweetly struck drill across the ‘keeper from about 12 yards out after Kaka had cut the defence open with a lovely pass. After the goal Shrewsbury started to grow into the game more, with Lampard seeing more of the ball and trying to make things happen with a bit more freedom with the two enforcers behind him. Although they still didn’t look too dangerous all half until they got a free kick just outside the area minutes before half time. Should it have been a free kick? I’m not sure – it was a tackle by Gerrard on Rodriguez and although it looked like a foul at first glance, after a second watch you could see if was the wrong call and Gerrard is furious with his . From the resulting free kick Lampard steps up and scores! It takes a fairly sizeable deflection on the way through, but it will stand as Lampards goal and it takes Shrewsbury in level at half-time, perhaps somewhat fortunately.

The second half was again uninspiring, as much talent as Bury have in their midfield, they’re an ageing unit and they were successfully nullified by Bender and Neustadter for most of the game, who didn’t quite have the same quality and experience on the ball, but had Lampard alongside them to provide that. This balance just gave them the slight edge in the end as while Bury pressed a lot they just couldn’t seem to find a way through Shrewsbury who didn’t give an inch and left absolutely no space behind the midfield. Whilst Bury were reduced to shots from distance and John Terry coming close from a corner kick, it was a moment of sheer quality amongst the dross that won the game, a moment deserving of winning any game. It was a beautifully worked counter with Bender dispossessing Barry in his own half and taking the ball forward past the centre circle before shifting the ball out wide to Shaqiri, who clips the ball across the field to Rodriguez who takes a sublime first touch on the run to beat his man and then puts a ball into the box for Ba, who has peeled off his marker and takes it first time on the volley from a tough angle inside the box, but hits it so sweetly that Howard has no chance at all. Ba has been quiet all game, albeit he’s had little to work with, but that was a brilliant goal. After the goal Shrewbury reverted to containing a little bit, much to the dismay of the fans, and Bury continued to press but they were only able to create a couple of half chances – Callejon shooting from the edge of the area, tamely into the goalies hands and Mandzukic with a header from the edge of the penalty area that looked to be looping in, but only landed on the top of the net. It was a good effort from Bury, but they were just outdone by a Shrewsbury side who got the 3 points despite an underwhelming performance but stepped it up when needed, the side of a top side? Time will tell.

Shrewsbury Town 2-1 Bury

Lampard – 44, Ba (Rodriguez) – 66; Podolski (Kaka) - 27


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Southend v Brentford:

LSTD’s Southend came into this match with nothing but hopes of victory; however, his team selection was somewhat of a surprise with Luiz starting in midfield and Andrew Wisdom playing CB. On the other hand, Loyal’s Brentford played a conservative 4-2-3-1 formation looked like it was going to turn this game into a stalemate. However, in spite of this it was an open affair in which both sides were looking to go forwards as opposed to backwards. Therefore, plenty of chances were created – with Southend largely dictating the tempo of the match. Benat was pulling the strings in midifield, consistently picking out the soon to be departed Blaszcykowksi and Hazard in space – as exemplified by when Hazard broke free down the left, cut into space inside created by Ozil’s movement, and struck a venomous shot that Begovic could only tip round the post. From the resulting corner, the home side went close again with the ball falling to Azpilicueta from the headed clearance who whipped it into the box but it eluded the head of Cavani by inches at the back post. Brentford were able to escape much of the pressure they had in the first half, largely due to the superb defensive work of Sandro in breaking up Southends creative stimulus. 0-0 at the break, Loyal had clearly got stuck into Brentford at half time and told them to try and step up the pitch, and they reaped their rewards with a goal just after the break. Sandro had been sterling in defence all afternoon, but his passing also was good and he got this counter-attacking going as he found Florenzi with a clever pass to leave Luiz floundering, and the Italian broke from deep, managing to find Dzeko who was able to hold it up, before turning Wisdom who had come to intercept the pass as a ‘sweeper’. The Bosnian then broke free, and managed to get a shot away through Dante’s legs and past the outstretched Courtois to give the away side the lead. In truth, Southend seemed shellshocked having gone behind and seemed to lack focus with Luiz coherent offering little going forwards, and thus LSTD soon made the decision to bring on Sissoko which gave them impetuous in the centre of the park. From then on, the match was largely in Southend’s control, and it was another substitute, Lamela who made a run in behind Schmelzer to pick up a Benat pass, got to the by-line then chipped a cross to the back post to find Cavani who got on the end of it this time, and powered the header past Begovic. Despite sustained pressure for the rest of the match, Brentford managed to escape with a point in a match where they defended well for much – albeit, Southend will be sure to see this as two points lost.
Score: Southend 1 – 1 Brentford
Scorers: Cavani (Lamela); Dzeko (Florenzi)
MOM: Sandro

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A massive thank you to Punting, Tbag and Welshy for contributing to doing the results this week .