BOLTON v LEEDS ....... match thread

Very similar feelings to AndyL, apart from Trotter.


Probably the poorest home performance under Mr Lennon.

We must be happy with a point from a really average performance.

A match that we could easily have lost.

There was dip in performance throughout the side. Lonergan struggled with the wind to the extent of dropping the ball over the line for a corner when it was an easy catch; the two centre backs could not handle Morison who out-jumped/out-headed them throughout which together with some dreadful passing scared me all afternoon; the midfield lacked a bit of guile and were out played by the Leeds midfield and up front we struggled to make any chances.

We started poorly. I don’t think that we had crossed the half way line before Leeds scored. The defence was split wide open for a midfield runner to be through on Lonergan. I thought that he dived ridiculously and was amazed at the penalty award but how did Lonergan not get sent off?

One nil down after 4 minutes – a terrible start.

We did little to press Leeds and Morison should have scored with a header when Mills orchestrated an offside appeal wrongly and Morison’s header was excellently saved by Lonergan.

Trotter looked like he wanted to get sent off in the first half with a few lunges and we really could not create at all. Our main attacks came from corners when we won the ball often. A Mills header was scrambled off the line; Mills headed just wide when he looked to have received a hefty push but overall we just couldn’t get going.

Second half, I hoped for, probably expected, a strong push from us. It didn’t come. We kicked off and within 10 seconds Leeds were on the edge of our area threatenly.

Then we got our share of luck. Pratley somehow won a penalty when he swung at the ball and caught the Leeds player and went down.

I didn’t think that Leeds’ penalty was a good decision but our penalty was even worse – somehow equalling everything up. Gudjohnsen smacked it into the roof of the net well.

We couldn’t dominate though and the game drifted away to a fair draw. Eidur had a volley smash into a defender in one of our rare chances but Leeds were constantly at our defence and I was worried up until the end.

We now have 3 successive away games. We somehow need to get the neatness and good passing back into our game.




Lonergan    - 6 Cracking save to stop us going 2-0 down. Looked a bit shaky against the wind.

Vela    - 7 Classy again. Some good link up play.

Mills    - 5 Couldn’t handle Morison. Beaten much too often and too many hoofs.

Dervite    - 4 Same as Mills with Morison but his passing was terrible also.

Ream    - 6 Reasonable but still not able to help the attack.

Danns    - 6 Worked really hard. I am starting to warm to him in the defensive midfield role.

Pratley    - 6 Another game of hard work but a few misplace passes and poor passes.

Trotter    - 5 Real struggle. Got on the bad side of the ref and some of his passes were awful.

Gudjohnsen    - 6 Oozes class and took the penalty excellently.

Feeney    - 5 He did many many decent runs but his final centre or pass was hopeless.

Heskey    - 5 Not very good. I was surprised that he lasted 90 minutes. He struggled to hold the ball and bring players into the game.

Wheater     - 6 Very steady when came on.

Davies    - 6 Looked lively. I think he should have started.

    
    
Manager    - 6 I am used to the manager getting the player’s sorted at half time. It didn’t work today as we were sluggish throughout the game.