BOLTON v Portsmouth…match thread

So disappointing.

We set off slowly and paid for it. Portsmouth defended strongly and continually used the dark arts to stop us but overall we were not good enough to break down the best defence in the league.

We were slow off the mark and Ogbeta was skinned early on for pure pace which was worrying.

Sheehan and Ogbeta, not for the only time today, got in a mess over passing and we were caught when Portsmouth’s greyhound of a winger pinched the ball and left them well behind before scoring from the edge of the box. Only 7 minutes gone and we had a mountain to climb.

We tried to get into the game and did to some extent but they were always dangerous on the break. We had a few near misses but, in all honesty, their keeper did not have a great deal to do.

We had one situation where we got 4 successive shots in but, sadly credit to Portsmouth, they blocked them well.

It had been decent pressure but no real good chances until Ogbeta centred for Collins to head home following a bit of pressure.

So 1-1 with lots of time left. Portsmouth slowed the game down ridiculously. How the referee didn’t speak to their goalie over the delays in taking goal kicks, I don’t know. Portsmouth had obviously come to defend and defend well and see what they could get on the break.

Portsmouth’s goalie them made his only decent save when he pushed a low shot out and Bodvarsson tried to hook it back in from the bye line but it went over. He really should have taken a second and seen Thomason unmarked 6 yards out.

So we got to half time at 1-1, a score that was no use to us seeing as what was happening at Derby.

Second half we continued to press and Portsmouth continued to defend well. We had pressure, they had some speedy breaks.

The one chance that we yearned for came when Dacres-Cogley got to the bye line, somehow retained possession and pulled the ball back to Bodvarsson who somehow shot over. A difficult chance looking at the position he was in but he had to score.

And so it continued – mainly our pressure but Portsmouth always dangerous on the break and we couldn’t get the 2nd goal we needed. Someone, not sure who, poked the ball against the post in a spell of our pressure but it just would not go in.



I think it is over now. Derby have Cambridge away and Carlisle at home. You couldn’t really pick any easier games.

It looks like it might be Oxford in the play offs, a team that have come good since we trounced them only a few weeks back.



We have to continue to try and win the last 3 games and hope beyond hope that Derby slip up.



Marks:-



Baxter - 6 Didn’t have a great deal to do and did most things fine.

Dacres-Cogley - 6 Some decent moves but his final ball into the box still leaves a lot to be desired

Jones - 6 OKish. Nothing outstanding

Santos - 8 Very good. Determined to dominate the Portsmouth attack and he did it well

Toal - 7 Solid defending and a couple of very good forward runs

Ogbeta - 5 Some neat attacking and put the centre in for our goal but he cannot defend to save his life. Caught out early on and then caught again for the goal. He really isn’t a defender

Sheehan - 5 Disappointing. Involved with Ogbeta for their goal. A couple of shots but no domination. Quite a few mistakes when he was caught.

Maghoma - 6 Some positive moves but nothing in the end to worry Portsmouth

Thomason - 6 Another who looked sort of OK but little domination

Bodvarsson - 6 Missed the best chance of the match in the 2nd half. Combined well with Collins

Collins - 7 Took his chance well. Sometimes a bit too deep, leaving us short in the box

Dempsey

Jerome

Morley

Charles

Williams