Bolton V Rochdale

I agree, we should win tonight but then how many times have I thought that? Still, I think after Saturday and a confidence boosting win we should have too much for them. Saturday was by no means good in terms of football but at least we did look like scoring for a change. Well beggars can't be choosers but I'm going mental and forecasting a 3-1 win for the mighty whites.

Did ALF get injured or is Madine bulletproof??
It's 0-0 after 63 mins and PP takes off Alf
Hope you know what your doing PP

1-0 great result 6 points from our last two home games sets us up nicely for two very tough away games at Bradford and Sheffield.

That was a quite dreadful game. We saw one good Rochdale pass lead to a shot fired wide and a deft Trotter pass find Spearing who tried I know not what and there ended the passing. Alnwick's was the boot that launched a thousand kicks. Few achieved other than lost possession.

I hope PP now knows that Beevers and Wheater can't do the forward movement a three requires. Derik probably can but after a good first half and one excellent long ball pass he was cruelly found out as Rochdale targeted his aerial weakness in the second and he got wilder and wilder.

Morais again stood out in terms of skill and he seems to be being credited with the goal. I do think it crossed the line but as to what happened prior to that point haven't a clue.

It was a stalemate really. I think Trotter and Vela were disciplined in defending and we weren't for once overrun in midfield but Spearing was fifty shades of awful, battling but never retaining possession

We had a few crosses. ALF all but got to one on the near post but it is I think clear that Long should start some games at his or Madine's expense. Moxey on for Taylor did take us forward and had one good shot but he lunged in and was bested more than once. Defensively he's an accident waiting to happen.

So- a dire game but three points on a night when others fell back. I fear the outcome of the next two games.

Alnwick 3  Derik 5 Wheater 7 Beavers 6 Taylor 5 Moxey 4 Morais 7 Vela 6 Trotter 6 Spearing 4 Madine 6 Le Fondre 4 Long 7

I agree with all, very poor all round, with 5 in midfield why were orders to punt upfield and as Andy says just to lose possession.
Sixes all round to me except Morais, a 7, he can pick a cross and Trotter 5.
Andy, you continue your love affair with Trotter, two tackles and a block in the first half, one pass in the second, but little else, he was a passenger most of the night, in my opinion does not rate 6, the pace picked up when he was substituted.

We are at the stage of the season when points are crucial. Achieving points overrides playing entertaining football so a good 3 points achieved particularly the way other results went.

That’s the end of my positivity.

What an absolute horrible game of football that was.

First half we had a Madine header cleared off the line and Trotter’s follow-up blocked and, I think, that was it. Rochdale had no shots and we ran about aimlessly, hoofed the ball upfield and achieved nothing but at least we were the dominant side.

I don’t know what happens at half time!

Either Mr Parkinson bores the players with negative talk or the opposition manager has us sussed out and changes tactics but in nearly every game recently we have been dreadful in the second half. And last night was the same.

The only tactic we had in the second half was to hoof it to Madine who occasionally won it but mainly lost it. The midfield backed off and off and Rochdale probably felt they could win the match but they were toothless also.

The manager is in danger of alienating the fans. There was one move in the second half where Spearing had the ball 20 yards into Rochdale’s half. He needlessly turned and passed back another 25 yards to Beevers who then turned and passed back all the way to Alnwick. Alnwick then hoofed it forward only for us to immediately lose possession,

Terrible terrible tactics which brought a chorus of boos. We need the fans behind the team but these tactics will kill us.


I am off to Bradford and Sheffield and expect us to play dour defensive football and hope for two 0-0 results.

I hope they surprise me.



Alnwick - 6 Nothing to do. One scrambled save in the second half. But endless very poor quality hoofing of the ball.

Derik - 7 Steady and a couple of really good quality passes. As Andy says, troubled by high balls in the second half.

Wheater - 7 As usual steady. Very little got passed him.

Beevers - 7 A couple of wayward punts but I thought that he was steadier than the last few matches. A good clean sheet for the side.

Morais - 8 The only one to appreciate that football can be played on the floor. Endlessly on the move.

Spearing - 5 A real struggle for me. His passing has deteriorated. His determination is there and he breaks up play but creativity is none. Pointlessly booked so he will miss Bradford and Sheffield apparently.

Trotter - 5 The reason why loads of fans dislike him. He ambled about, hardly tackled and was by-passed by the Rochdale midfield. He made one excellent break and pass in the second half which Spearing absolutely screwed up.

Vela - 5 He looks lost in a more central role that he has had to move to since Le Fondre’s arrival. Just not in the game.

Taylor - 7 Did well at left wing back until his injury.

Le Fondre - 5 A few little darts but has not yet worked out how to play next to Madine.

Madine - 6 He won quite a few long balls with both head and chest but the moment he brings the ball down to his feet he wastes everything. Worked really hard but cannot pass the ball at all. Excellent header in first half which was cleared off the line.

Long - 6 A couple of decent runs plus a couple of dives.

Thorpe - 5 Hardly noticed him but, of course, that partly why he is brought on. Just to run the game down.

Moxey - 5 A couple of good bursts forward but terrifies me in defensive situations.