Well that was majorly disappointing and I'm pretty pissed off. It was a poor match between two poor teams. We were certainly the better and had the best of the game, but the same old problems have re-emerged - namely that we can't hit a cows arse with a banjo. I thought that John Ward's tactics lost the game for us. First half it was hoof everything up to Harrold who doesn't look fit. This caused our most threatening player - Mohamed - to drift into the centre to try and get the ball which meant that we lost width. Too many moves broke down because of poor decisions. Second half we played it around a bit more but didn't get enough players up to attack when we finally got the ball into dangerous positions. On several occasions the ball was played across the six yard box but no-one was on the end of it. For God's sake John, why are you playing Lockyer, a central defender, in midfield? He can't pass the ball. Meanwhile we have our best passer, Norburn, languishing on the bench. Smith had a poor game by his standards and O'Toole did little. And then JW makes two subs, Ellis and Beardsley, yet plays Ellis through the middle and Beardsley on the right wing - what the **** was all that about? Why take Elliot off? After Mohamed, he was the player who carried the most threat. Accrington's goal was totally non-deserved. Sure they can defend a bit but their general play is poor and they deserved nothing from the game. if we don't put the likes of them to bed when we have the opportunity, then I can see us in the brown sticky stuff come May. We really do need to sign a striker within the next few days. Also the squad needs shaking up. I'd play Norburn in central midfield and give Clarkson a run out - he's got a decent shot on him and has that bit of guile needed to unlock the likes of Accrington. One final non-football related matter - it's the first time I've driven in Bristol since the implementation of the 20mph speed limits. What a total joke - not a single vehicle obeyed the limit. If I was a Bristol council tax payer I'd be ****ing livid that the Mayor has pissed over £2 million away on such a ridiculous and universally ignored initiative. Red trousered twat.
Personally I don't have any complaints about the result, Accrington were the better team in the second half and although they didn't test Mildenhall much they probably deserved something for their efforts. You could tell they were going to score as soon as that through ball reached Odejayi. Like you baldee I'm mystified with Ward's tactics tonight. Playing Harrold was a big mistake - 1. he wasn't fully fit, 2. what did Beardsley do wrong on saturday to deserve to be dropped? There was clearly a lack of invention, particularly in the second half, when we ended up resorting to hopeful long balls towards Harrold. Why wasn't Norburn on the pitch when we needed him? Instead Ward brings on Harrison who at the moment can't play football to save his life, and what's more, lays on the winning goal with a terrible crossfield ball. Mohamed was the one bright spark as he looked the only Rovers capable of making something happen. Richards and O'Toole were both not involved enough, while Lockyer gave the ball away too much ih midfield, though Clarke did quite well alongside him. One other point - I thought the behaviour of the Accrington backroom staff and subs when the goal went in was inciteful, and I think the officials should have done something about it. Sorry to sound negative, but that performance - in a must win game - was disappointing, and Ward should take his fair share of the blame.
I thought a point each would have been reasonable in what was a fairly poor game - I certainly didn't think that Stanley did enough to win. I agree AMOT on the Harrold/Beardsley conundrum - why change a winning formula? I was in the West Stand so I couldn't really see what the Stanley staff were doing when they grabbed their late winner, apart from celebrate of course. What did they do which was inciteful? It was, as you say, an important game to win and too many players just didn't deliver. That combined with Ward's poor tactics and substitutions lost us the game. If we play like that against Chesterfield on Saturday, we're going to get caned. In addition, I've never seen such poor away support in my 35 years of following the Rovers - Stanley took 20 fans ffs!!!
It was mainly gesturing and deliberately over-celebrating in front of the Rovers fans - it caused quite a few around me to react pretty angrily.
19 shots and 2 on target plus hitting the post. i guess ward had his players in today for shooting practise!!!
