Just Back v Rovrum on iFlop

silverlion

Well-known member
Staff member
A scrappy and unconvincing performance won by a great finish to take all three points.

W started brightly and pushed forward well for the first five minutes. A great interception in the middle by Hutch set Danny free on the right but his cross came to nothing. We continued to get our foot in and a decent Jed corner was knocked back by Cooper but Hutch couldn't direct it goal wards. Then there was a lot of scrappy play which had little flow in it. Both sides were guilty. They were hoping to profit from long throw ins and free kicks. Their Ladapo was dangerous and Smith was putting himself about. However we were trying to play some football. A good link up between Bennett and Jed got the both in a tangle and the attack came to nothing. Another good challenge by Danny set Molly free on the left and his decent cross was just too far for Jed. Then we had to reorganise. A clearance from Hutch tweaked a calf muscle and he had to go off for Pearce. They sensed a chance and had a couple of free kicks which didn't quite fall for them in the box. One that did saw their defender head firmly into the corner but Bart clawed it away on the line.
A good diagonal from Molly to Jed proved difficult to control and it went off one of theirs for a corner. It was hit to the near post for Bennett to sweep it goal wards but it went wide. And the half finished with them slightly on top but with nothing to show for their efforts.

GR was clearly looking for more control and quality in the second half and we started well. Molly nutmeged their defender and his low cross was pushed wide by their keeper. Murray hit a first time shot but it hit Bennett and went off their defender for a corner. Molly hit a shot wide from the corner which looped wide. Then cam the turning point of the game. Bennett clipped a great ball to Jed who was goal side of the defender who clipped his heels and was off for an early bath. Jed hit the resulting free kick at the wall but the rebound was hit fiercely by Danny and the keeper flipped it over. Then Molly hit a great cross to Bennett but his effort was just wide. A corner quickly followed which fell to Jed who hit a screaming volley into the roof of the net for 1-0. We thought we had it all sewn up and there was a clever piece of play and cross from Danny. It was time for fresh legs. On came Bod, Ken and Mahoney for Jed, Bennett and Mitchell. They were pressing and we lost some control which encouraged them to push forward. A great ball to Mahoney from Woods on the edge of the box set Connor up. He dragged the ball from left to right but placed his shot wide. Then their chance came. A solid challenge from Pearce won the ball but their attacker fell over and the ref pointed to the spot. Bart made a great save to preserve justice. A tiring Woods was replaced by Kief and there wasn't too much drama in the four added minutes.

Bart had little to do except for an excellent stop from the spot for his 16th clean sheet. Danny was solid and energetic. Hutch was similar until he went off injured but Pearce was a good replacement. Cooper was solid and Molly was enterprising down the left.. Mitchell had a reasonable game and so did Evans who was tidy. Woods hit some decent passes but is vulnerable when pressed hard outside his own box. Bennett was busy but Jed shaded MOM with a great goal and a busy performance. Mahoney had a couple of class moments, Ken looked strong up front and Bod was busy. Kief bottled it up for the last 6 minutes.

So, not a pretty game but a great winner, three points a clean sheet and seven points behind a play off spot in tenth. I'll take that any day. Monday will be a tougher task but two home wins on the spin gives us momentum.
 
Thanks, Silver.

Bart made a decent save low at his far post in the first half (idiot co-commentator called it his "near post"). So two excellent saves ti has right.

Blotted his copybook slightly for me when he failed to get down to gather the ball that fizzed across the box late on. Keeper should always take those at his near post.

It was that incident which cost him his MoM for me.

Thought our substitutions were insane. We entirely lost our balance and our grip of the game from that point onwards.
 
Thanks, Silver.

Bart made a decent save low at his far post in the first half (idiot co-commentator called it his "near post"). So two excellent saves ti has right.

Blotted his copybook slightly for me when he failed to get down to gather the ball that fizzed across the box late on. Keeper should always take those at his near post.

It was that incident which cost him his MoM for me.

Thought our substitutions were insane. We entirely lost our balance and our grip of the game from that point onwards.
He made some very good saves before he saved the penalty 5 minutes before the end to win us the game and you deny him the MoM because "he failed to gather a ball that fizzed across the box".

Your love for Bart never fails to make me laugh.
 
Cheers Silver. In depth report as usual.
Bart was superb today. We are lucky to have him.
I actually thought it was a foul by Pearce, but glad Bart saved the day.
16 clean sheets is incredible. What a defence.
Danny Mac and Billy Mitchell have been plus points for us this season.
They both have a good future in the game.
If only we could score more goals though.
 
Thought you would have been out Dogging today now the restrictions have eased.
The lockdown never stopped me, J, except instead of peering in through car windows, I went to nosey in people's bedroom windows.
Quite productive too, with the exception of being regularly stopped by the filth and asked why I was carrying a ladder at 2am.
Thankfully they're all thick fuckers, and believed me that I was a window cleaner starting my round early.
 
Cheers Silver, but Bart was MOM for me, as someone else pointed out he made a Gordon Banks worldy save before the pen, and without those two saves of the season contenders, we lose 1-2. As for the subs, how can you start a game with no recognised striker in the line up, and end, protecting a flimsy 1-0 advantage, with two on the pitch? Rowett has lost it for me.
 
Did anyone else hear the microphones pick up comments from someone during the game. Onw was Same as against Wycombe and something about Rowetts tactics I think was another one.
Head down time I feel.
 
Did anyone else hear the microphones pick up comments from someone during the game. Onw was Same as against Wycombe and something about Rowetts tactics I think was another one.
Head down time I feel.
Yes, bit embarrassing because I thought the bloke was going to swear any second. Mind you it made a change for our two commentators to shut up long enough to hear anyone else
 
He made some very good saves before he saved the penalty 5 minutes before the end to win us the game and you deny him the MoM because "he failed to gather a ball that fizzed across the box".

Your love for Bart never fails to make me laugh.
He made one very good save before the penalty, which I mentioned and I don't think Silver did.

His penalty save was excellent. So, overall, his shot-stopping was faultless.

But I like to see a keeper who commands his six yard box like Horney, Keller, Stepney, Kingy and Goddard. He abdicated responsibility on that cross and we were lucky it didn't end up in the net.

Mac, on the other hand, didn't do anything that may have ended up as a goal against. He was superb on the ball, hardly ever gave it away, make the block tackle of the game (which was probably worth a goal) and was desperately unlucky not to score. For me, he shaded it as he was the one player who gave use a little bit of composure and quality - especially in the first half - when no-one else did.
 
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Jed I thought was shit today apart from the goal, bad touch ,wrong decision, sloppy passing but produces a moment of class/magic that's why I wouldn't drop him.
Bart adl motm just for world class save down to his right Gordon banks like and thought Danny boy came closest to Bart even Malone and Bennett came closer than Jed for me. But yeah his goal won it for us.
 
Just watched the highlights and the penalty award several times and saw it was never a pen. Murray got to the ball first with his left foot and the opponent then kicked at the ball with his left foot and fell over. Must admit a great con. VAR would have overturned the ref.
 
Just watched the extended highlights and, on reflection there are three things to add to my Just Back. I had forgotten to mention the quality save from Bart midway through the first half. It was a decent and well placed header from their defender following a long free kick. Bart got down well to claw it away at the far post.
The second was how we got away with one when Ladapo was pulled back slightly by Hutch. I think he made more of it than really happened and that is the only reason why the ref waived his appeals away. It was a close call and if the ref had pointed to the spot I don’t think we would have had too much to complain about. It was a pleasant surprise when they pulled Ladapo off in the second half as I thought he always looked a threat.
The third was Jed’s quality strike for the winner. Fat Dan thought that Cooper had got a touch from the corner but it is clear that it sailed over his head, took one bounce before Jed hit it on the volley. It was a strike of the highest quality and a worthy winner in what otherwise would be considered to be a fairly dull game.
My mate is still of the opinion that we could still make the playoffs. It would take an extraordinary effort to get there, especially as I think we may have to do it without Hutch. GR said in his post match interview that he would be out for “weeks” and there are only 5 left before our final game at Coventry. But, anything could happen and momentum can sometimes get you anywhere. Who knows?