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Post by andyl on Dec 22, 2014 11:06:01 GMT
I'm looking forward to this one. Rhodes will be a handful as ever and might not miss so easily as recent opponents. Time for Eidur to shine?
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Post by Trotter on Dec 22, 2014 15:51:09 GMT
Win at all costs, play bad and win will do me
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Post by Trotter on Dec 22, 2014 15:55:55 GMT
Nearly forgot ................... 2-1 win?  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 21:49:25 GMT
Tough game but ain't they all, would love 4-0 but would settle for 1-0 N.L. is doing a great job there is hope in the team but must get a striker.
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Post by socalwanderers on Dec 23, 2014 5:48:41 GMT
A bit of good news!
Contrary to previous reports, Bolton defender Matt Mills will be eligible to face Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day due to a change in Football League rules.
Mills received his fifth booking of the season in last Friday's 1-0 victory at Millwall, for a late challenge on Lions forward Martyn Woolford. In previous years, this would have resulted in a one-match ban as he accumulated this total before the December 31 amnesty date.
However, upon posting this update, Burnden Aces readers were quick to point out that a change to that date had slipped under the radar.
Indeed, Mills will now escape a suspension after the amnesty date was brought forward until November 30. The next cut-off point arrives on the second Sunday in April, before which any player who receives 10 yellow cards will automatically be hit with a two-match ban.
Should any player be booked 15 times throughout the course of the campaign, they will receive a three-match ban from The FA. |
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Post by OohMac on Dec 23, 2014 20:49:15 GMT
Don't thihink i've ever enjoyed a Blackburn game until the final whistle. This must be the first game in years since both teams went in with some optimism. Usually we're either both struggling or one team is doing much better.
Don't like to call it, and am nervy but its far from being "must win" its just a "great to win" But i'd love a full crowd, great atmosphere and another 4-3 like that Ewood classic (probably 10 years ago???)
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Post by Pedro on Dec 24, 2014 20:12:29 GMT
I hope Heskey plays. He is still a real handful and looked fit enough on Monday night. He can still get up really high for flick ons and headers and "hang" in the air as NL noted. Good to see the Manager at a reserves game and stay right to the end.
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Post by whitesince63 on Dec 26, 2014 12:57:47 GMT
Definately need to win this if we are to have any chance of getting into the play off positions. We can't afford to drop many more points at home and certainly not against teams like Rovers who we are hoping to overtake. Despite our great run we are still no closer in reality than we were weeks ago still 12 to 13 points behond because other teams are winning too. We are getting up there in terms of league position and leaving the bottom behind but if we're to really challenge we need a couple of reliable strikers in the window. Eidur and Heskey might be a short term answer but other than that we are short of real class and we can't rely on Cravies being the answer. Hopefully one or other of our own kids will stand up as well but without Chungy who's been different class we must hope either Vela or even Medo can replace him. I think we'll have enough to see off Rovers today so I'll go for 2-1 to the Whites.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2014 16:00:49 GMT
Not good being over run in midfield 1-0 down at half time at least ten yards off side  |
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Post by riochforthereebok on Dec 26, 2014 16:01:23 GMT
I'm well late with my prediction here as I've had too much turkey and too much ale and we're already a goal down at half time.....
If we protect our unbeaten run with a 1-1 draw, I'll take that, but being the greedy bugger I am, I want all 3 points and I believe NL can inspire us in the second half to get us the win
COYWM
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Post by whitesince63 on Dec 26, 2014 16:10:26 GMT
Not surprisingly they seem much more effective up front than us which just shows again why we'll struggle against teams like this until NL can do something about it. If we do lose this though I think it just about puts the mockers on our top six chances so we need something in the second half. Even a draw might not be enough but at least it would keep Rovers in sight. COYWM.
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Post by socalwanderers on Dec 26, 2014 16:57:34 GMT
YES! YES! YES!
Get in you beauty!!
There goal shouldn't have counted!
But what character to comeback from 0-1 down and fight back!
Heskey anyone?? He will do for me.. Both ends of the pitch!
Can't wait to hear from one of the 23k fans of their views.
Well done lads! Keep it going.
What a turn around.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2014 17:01:31 GMT
yes 2-1 win easy come on you white men game over
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Post by andyl on Dec 26, 2014 18:27:40 GMT
I thought that was a quite splendid match. The first 75 minutes or so were end to end, full of incident , had lots of near misses and some moments of exquisite class , especially shown by Chungy and Eidur.
We began slowly and were pressed strongly by a confident Blackburn side but then fought our way into a terrific first half. Rhodes missed a couple of very good chances one headed on to a post and the other screwed wide. These were after breakaways. Danns got himself into a tangle to set up another which Lonergan did really well to divert for a corner. In amongst all this Eidur played some delightful passes and both Feeney and Hall carried the attack to Blackburn. We clearly lacked a cutting edge in the orthodox sense but Eidur all but converted a Feeney cross on the far post and another zipped across the goalie with Chungy and Hall inches away.
Allas they took the lead after another breakaway. Feeney sold Ream down the river and they fired a pass to a player who was standing alone and unmarked. How was he not offside? It was one too many chances and this time was easily converted
Lennon introduced Heskey at half time and what a difference he made. He was strong and powerful and used his experience and strength really effectively. Our goal came after a lovely pass by Ream up the line to Eidur who broke away quickly before placing an inch perfect slanting through ball for Heskey to tap in. It was a triumph of experience and know how and just what we have been missing.
This drove us into furious action and Blackburn looked rattled. We won possession and corners and the a ball came to Pratley who slid it through with a first time left foot shot. Suddenly we were in the lead and deservedly so and we went on to dominate the next ten minutes
Out success was built on the excellent play of Pratley and Danns in midfield. Apart from the one gaffe Danns was a thorough nuisance to Blackburn. His skill is such that time and time he turned over play to spark forward movement. Pratley was quite outstanding right in the thick of the battle wherever it was being fought. He is playing so much better. A tame shot early on was the only moment he was sub par but what a difference
At full back Vela and Ream were excellent. Vela impresses more and more. He was so sure footed and so calm. Some of his work was terrific and how that contrasts with the likes of Baptiste last year is a sight to see.
If we had an Achilles heel today it was in the aerial inconsistency of Mills especially but also Dervite. Too often they stood off and especially when Gestede came on and this encouraged Some dangerous route one attacks. Lonergan again made three or four excellent saves but his aerial weakness did get exposed a couple of times. An almighty scramble ensued after a missed punch and how or indeed whether the ball stayed out was a mystery
For all the aerial pressure though I felt that in the last quarter we were seeing the game out reasonably comfortably. We gave away a daft free kick but otherwise held firm. This is such a different team from DFs. Mills's hadxa patchy game but I really think NL has said he will be fined for every aimless punt. I didn't see any today and we are so much better as a result
A great game for a delightfully big crowd. Just what a Derby game on Boxing Day should be!
Lonergan 8 Vela 8 Mills 6 Dervite 6 Ream 7 Danns 8 Pratley 9 Chungy 8 Eidur 7 Hall 6 Feeney 7 Heskey 7 Trotter 5
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Post by davidm on Dec 26, 2014 19:40:11 GMT
As usual, pretty much agree with Andy’s comments.
First half, we started slowly and should have been behind after only 4 minutes when Lonergan flapped the ball onto Rhodes’ head and he hit the post. Not just Lonergan at fault here, Rhodes was left totally alone.
This slackness defensively continued with Rovers finding too much space behind our defence.
Lonergan made a magnificent save, Rhodes remarkably shot wide when clean through and then King did the same.
We were also though attacking – Feeney had a good spell down the left, swopped to the right and put an excellent centre onto Gudjohnsen’s foot which he somehow put wide.
We got caught out when Ream failed to win a 50/50 pass from Feeney (it shouldn’t have been 50/50 but Feeney sold him short), Rovers hoofed the ball upfield and King seemingly yards offside broke and rounded Lonergan to squeeze the ball in. King had been a constant thorn to us with his pace so I was relieved second half when they first moved him back to midfield and then took him off.
1-0 to Rovers was a reasonable reflection on the first half although 2-0 may have been a bit fairer.
Neil Lennon deserves immense credit for the second half change. Much more attacking straight from the start and what should have been 3 goals in2 minutes.
Ream fed a lovely pass to Gudjohnsen and he played a magnificent pass to Heskey to tap in.
Almost immediately, CYL should have scored but Hanley somehow got his shot off the line and then Pratley calmly scored from a Mills knock down.
A tremendous few minutes.
After that Rovers brought the giant Gestede on and launched the ball quite productively. Gestede won numerous balls in the air.
Mills got away with falling on the ball in our area and Rhodes side footed into the net but the ref gave a foul on Mills. Very, very lucky.
Lonergan flapped at a centre and generated carnage in the box. The ball hit the bar, bounced on the line, got half scrambled away, back in, scrambled off the line again, onto the post and somehow out for a corner. How that stayed out, I’ll never know.
We stayed calm and organised though and full credit for the team for playing out the final minutes.
A game we could have lost, probably deserved to draw but won with endeavour and hard work.
If there were any neutrals there today, they would have seen a fantastic match.
One comment on the referee. Can we please have no more Premiership refs. He gave some ridiculous free kicks when players (including ours) simply fell over when challenged and then failed to book Hanley when he blatantly pulled Heskey’s shirt to stop an attack.
Lonergan - 6 A couple of realty good saves. A couple of really bad flaps though and poor kicking.
Vela - 8 Absolute calmness. Class.
Mills - 6 Struggled aerially.
Dervite - 6 A few poor passes early in the game. Gave Rhodes too much room.
Ream - 8 Good game. Good to see that he has more confidence going forward.
Danns - 7 Worked really hard. Got caught in possession a couple of times. Argues with referee too much also.
Pratley - 8 I am (maybe should say was) not a Pratley fan but he is starting to change my view. Worked his backside off. Good.
Chungy - 8 Class as usual. What a shame he will be missing after Sunday’s match.
Gudjohnsen - 8 Absolute quality play. Missed a sitter but his passing was brilliant including the pass for the equaliser.
Hall - 6 Ran well but is lightweight which will hold him back.
Feeney - 7 A good first half when he caused problems.
Heskey - 7 What an entrance. Some really good movement too.
Trotter - 6 Did a decent marking job on Gestede.
Manager - 9 Again excellent.
Magnificently entertaining game.
Good attacking football.
Reacted well at half time.
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