Hi all, big grin on my face tonight because I was at the game and yet again saw us beat our neighbours from down the road, annoying my brother (bonus ) no end as he confidently predicted Rhodes would bag at least a double and Rovers would win 4-0.
As to the match, here's how I saw it.
The ref had a complete shocker but thankfully he was equally woeful for both teams. We were both denied a stonewall penalty in the second half and he flashed so many cards I thought I was watching a Poker Tournament. However for the first time all season it didn't kill us and it didn't take the starch out of the lads spines. I'll come to the players in a minute but I want to touch briefly on Neil Lennon. I thought he got the selection just about right today, of course there wasn't a lot of choice but the team was probably the best 11 we could start with under the circumstances. And it was an absolute joy to see his reaction when we scored and at the final whistle. He hasn't looked that happy and that animated since he first got here and I'm hoping this game has reignited the passion for the game we all know he has.
Now onto the match. It was dire in large parts, really poor and scrappy as befitted two teams in the bottom half of the table playing a local derby. There was lots of passion, plenty of commitment and no one gave an inch but there was very little skill on show especially in the first half. On our side Clough looked like our only real threat, Madine looked a bit lost and flustered when he was in front of goal and his off the ball running was more of a headless chicken impression than any kind of space creator. Rhodes was (imo) unusually poor, I've seen him play a few times and this was the worst performance I've seen from the Rovers man. He seems to be having confidence issues much like those Elmander had under Megson. The defences were mostly solid when called on but nothing really exciting happened in the first 45 minutes.
The 2nd half was much the same for the most part but with two subtle and (imo) very important differences. I understand Wheater was given MOTM by Sky, I agree, the man was a rock and Rhodes basically bounced off him as did the rest of the Blackburn front line and midfield. Amos was also solid apart from when he booted a clearance into our own man (slight palpitations there) and deserved the luck when the ball came back off the post into his arms in stoppage time (Very near heart failure and despair when that span past him followed by me thinking God has decided it's our day after all). In fact the Trotters defence was the best I've seen so far this season. It got a bit scrambled in our box when Rovers were chucking the kitchen sink at us but in all honesty other than the handball (which the ref missed thankfully) and the deflection off the post Blackburn never really looked like scoring. Whenever there was danger a white shirt was throwing itself into the fray with more fight and commitment than I've seen in a while. All our players threw their hearts and bodies into today's game, I can't pick out a man who wasn't giving maximum effort for every second he was on the pitch.
Madine's goal was a beauty imo. Sure it broke kindly but the shot itself was neatly placed and on balance we just about deserved to be in the lead. I felt a bit sorry for Clough who scuffed one into the side netting because his endeavour probably deserved a goal but thankfully it didn't matter in the end. We should have had a penalty ourselves but I'm not going to complain about it now because it really only balanced things out and in truth, since it was 0-0 when they were denied I think we benefitted more from the ref's failures.
This wasn't a match to tell your grandkids about but it didn't matter. What really matters is we got the win, we finally broke the awful streak that's gone on for far too long and we finally had some luck ON the field that might help us all deal with the off field stuff a little better.
In conclusion I'm not claiming we've turned a corner or are about to become invincible but this IS a big day for BWFC and it could turn out to be pivotal. If we do somehow survive relegation then come May I would fully expect people to look back to this match and say "That's where it changed for Bolton, that was where the turnaround in their fortunes began."
Sometimes it's not so much HOW you get the result that matters, just getting it is the catalyst we need to kick on and do better. I hope this is such a moment but as I'm sure others will point out it's too early to say. We'll only really know how important today is when the season is over but right now it's like seeing the first crack of dawn at the end of a much too long, far too dark night.
lPp's Match Report
posted on 29/12/15
I'll agree that Madine wasn't a great threat first half (Although should have done better with the chance that fell to him from Clough's deflected shot, but he admitted that) but on the other hand he's never going to be a 20 goal a season striker, what he brings to the team is the same sort of fighting spirit and bullying of defenders that Super Kev gave us. There was one instance that summed that up where he chased through a lost ball down the right and pressured their keeper in to a poor clearance in to the stands. If he did that more often he'd probably get less criticism as the fans would see he is at least running himself in to the ground.
As I said on Benny's match thread the weak link for me is Pratley. No first touch, can't beat a man in possession and his passing is woeful 90% of the time. He genuinely scares me every time he gets that ball.
posted on 29/12/15
lucky peter, Thank you for the match report. I'm exceptionally pleased we got the win.
For myself, I had promised to take my six year old grandson to the game but my daughter and son in law had other ideas. They had bought us tickets to the Coronation Street tour and then dinner in a fancy Italian restaurant near House of Fraser, just off Deansgate. The meal was excellent so I can't say we didn't have a great day, we did and it was topped off by the win.
Would I have preferred to have gone to the game? Of course I would but sometimes you have to bite the bullet.
posted on 29/12/15
It's important that we win (or at least don't lose) our next match. Another scrappy 1-0 will do, just to build some momentum.
posted on 29/12/15
Madine for a big man looks way too lightweight, gets knocked off the ball far to easy. This team is only 3 players away from being a good team. A quality centre half, upgrade on feeney and a striker like gray at Burnley. Shame it looks the other way with the better players sold off in January. Fingers crossed a takeover happen first.
posted on 29/12/15
comment by SUPERWHITEINEXILE (U2020)
posted 4 hours, 34 minutes ago
lucky peter, Thank you for the match report. I'm exceptionally pleased we got the win.
For myself, I had promised to take my six year old grandson to the game but my daughter and son in law had other ideas. They had bought us tickets to the Coronation Street tour and then dinner in a fancy Italian restaurant near House of Fraser, just off Deansgate. The meal was excellent so I can't say we didn't have a great day, we did and it was topped off by the win.
Would I have preferred to have gone to the game? Of course I would but sometimes you have to bite the bullet.
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SWIE, in all honesty but for the result you missed nothing mate. The football as I've stated in my report won't have had journos reaching for the thesaurus or comparing anyone to Pele. It was an instantly forgettable bottom half clash that matters more for the result than the game itself would ever merit on its own so if I were you the fact I missed it wouldn't worry me.
posted on 29/12/15
I have tk disagree. Best atmosphere at the ground for a long time especially at 1-0 with the crowd singing the great escape song. The tension towards the end was nearly unbearable. The quality of play not great but dramatically had it all. Short highlights link on the match thread.
posted on 29/12/15
I admit I would have loved being there just for the win.
I have been here a week now, had a funeral to attend on the Wednesday before Christmas, the day after I was ill, not sure if it was the food on Wednesday, not properly recovered since and on top of that I've things to do and I have been running around like a headless chicken. I'm exhausted and need to get back home.
Big 80s fancy dress party New years eve at my daughters. The costume have got me is a shell suit a campo wig and a long black mustache. It's weird!!!!!!
Taxi!!!!!!
posted on 29/12/15
Match report / it was a derby game,most players gave everything, there last chance to be in the t.v. Shop window.
I expect it to be business as usual on Saturday , we will go down ,we have won one game,it changes nothing
It's all doom and gloom with a little sparkle because we get results agains Blackburn .
posted on 29/12/15
comment by Bennythedip (U9359)
posted 9 hours, 17 minutes ago
I have tk disagree. Best atmosphere at the ground for a long time especially at 1-0 with the crowd singing the great escape song. The tension towards the end was nearly unbearable. The quality of play not great but dramatically had it all. Short highlights link on the match thread.
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Benny, I agree it was a great atmosphere and a fabulous result but the football itself was for the most part pretty ugly on both sides. Yes there were some tense moments here and there but as an entertainment it really wasn't great. I think this match will be remembered in May only if we avoid the drop and then it'll be the "turning point" or "key moment" in our season. If both teams had been mid-table this wouldn't have been remarked on beyond "A scrappy encounter settled by a single goal"
posted on 30/12/15
Madine has had a bit of stick for his performance l, but im not so sure. Hes having said himself he didnt play that well. I thought he did ok. He won loads in the air, in fact i was quite surprised how good he was in the air. That allowed us to retain the ball in there half. Generally i thought the gane was poor, mark davies can be a liability. Hes great on the ball. But hes terrible at tracking, if we are to play him he needs to be protected and treated as a luxury. Nothing mich more to say om the game. I sat in the breightmet end with all the ultras and didnt think the atmosphere was mega either. Nice to see us win tho! Maybe a turning point