Just back from Preston

[Filo]

Dominated first half without really creating many clear cut chances, poor defending for the equalizer. Preston had the better of the 2nd half. One old lad, a Preston fan said as we walked back to the car that Rovers were the best side at Deepdale all season and he wished they could play that kind of football!

[Redandwhitewhizards]

Beat you!!

I thought they were very negative, 10 men behind the ball as soon as we picked it up, and there were several occasions in open play when they had all their players in their own half. Their plan seemed to be to lump the ball up and try hit us on the counter - wouldn't like to watch that at home all season.

We got sloppy, and too many misplaced passes, there were times when we should have just put our foot through it but insisted on playing like fannies. Lost count of the number of 50/50s that we bottled out of in the second half, but think a lot of that was down to fatigue - we really seemed to tire in the last quarter.

We also need to grow some b*llocks and stop be so sporting - yet again, the opposition have a player down, have the opportunity to put the ball out, go for a goal instead, and then we play it out. Its daft, if they don't want to put it out for one of their own players, why the hell should we? It happened at Hillsborough, so its not a one off, we need a bit of nastiness...

Chambers was lucky to stay on the pitch, looked like a nailed on second yellow to me, for once, we got the rub of the green on that one.

[Filo]

Redandwhitewhizards wrote:

We also need to grow some b*llocks and stop be so sporting - yet again, the opposition have a player down, have the opportunity to put the ball out, go for a goal instead, and then we play it out.

That annoyed me as well, and then when the t**ts give the ball back they kick it out for a throw in deep in our own half, hows that fair?

[donnievic]

Chambers just tangled legs i thought and was unintentional but agree it could have easily been a 2nd yellow.

 What i found funny was Arsene Wenger always moans when they play Stoke about lumping the ball in the box from throw ins,doesn't he know he has his own weapon in JET

[CusworthRovers]

Sulli - Solid

Chambo- the fittest player on the pitch when all were tiring. He's got to be the fittest player I've seen. Still making runs everywhere. Good solid game.

Roberts- did OK. He was targeted by the beast and Mellor (what a great pair of tits that lads got).

JOC- was OK

Ward- No sign of the dodgy knacker. I think this is a debate in itself....but we are very much into regimented zonal marking regardless of what the other side do. As said above, they dropped off onto Roberts all too often and we (JOC/Ward) seldom budged from our positions. Even on free kicks The Beast would drop back onto Gareth, and we just let him. Not saying it's bad or anything. Why I put this under Ward, is whenever Beast and Ward came together, Ward gaffered him almost everytime with ease, and twice laid the rotund striker out.

Oster- as said blew hot and cold

Copps- was unplayable. Great game

Wilson- frustrated in the first half, but have to say when we tired in the game, he was the one that held it together.

Hayter- put in a right shift again

JET- Looked good and did one move or turn in the first half that left 2 Preston defenders stone dead. He did that with his body rather than do anything with the ball.

Billy- was Billy all action and made them work at the back. Cracking game and a cracking player. We certainly missed him when he went off. JET or anybody, do not put the graft/ability in up front that he does in a way that makes this team tick.

Woods had a decent cameo.


Not one to criticise SOD, but those subs could have done with being introduced on 60-70mins. We really tired on a very wide pitch.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Kin ell Cussy, did you walk back?

[VikingJames]

I enjoyed the game last night. Shame about the penalty miss and the slack defending for their equaliser, but I thought that that the football we played in certain spells of the game was superb. Ward did a job on Parkin, and Hayter put in another pleasing performance. Quite impressed with Deepdale too. My first visit there and I thought it was a neat ground.

[RoversAlias]

It wasn't a great game, I think 'strange' is about right. We played well in parts. in others not so much.

I do wish we had Shacks back, we don't have that commanding big man without him. I thought O'Connot struggled tbh, useless long balls are becoming a recurring thing for him, and he couldn't judge bouncing balls a lot of the time. Course it's not his natural position so can't be too harsh on him. Robbo & Chambers were solid as usual, and Ward was MotM for me, didn't put a foot wrong at all.

Oster appears too casual on the ball at times, dunno what that's about. He makes some brilliant passes but sometimes doesn't see the better option. Ah well, he and Copps were creative enough in the middle of the park to cause plenty of problems. Wilson's passing was way off all night, but he was good in parts and held it together when we started to show signs of crumbling in the second half.

Hayter put in a tonne of effort and did very well, I just don't get why we had him marking Mawene at set pieces. The failure of the whole team to spot his run cost us the goal, that's not a knock on James, just seemed odd to have him marking the huge centre back, even if he is probably the best jumper + header of a ball in the side. JET showed his inexperience a bit, but at the same time showed bags of class. He is gonna be a big player in the near future, it's obvious to see. Finally Billy, worked really hard as usual and was unlucky a couple of times, but it wasn't one of his better games for the club. Fortunately for him he has mainly great games, so this being worse than usual is still fairly good! Any word on if he's ok as it seems he went off with a slight injury for Woods?

Speaking of Woods, glad to see him back, he had a decent cameo as Cussy said. Looked up for it and his usual self. Coincidental that he returned from injury at a ground where he could've been running out in a home shirt if we hadn't fended off a bid in January!

Overall, a good point but we could've won, as could they. Fair result.

[PDX_Rover]

Their equaliser looks offside to me.  At least one payer is offside (the lad on the left hand side of our box when the free kick was taken - clearly off) by about  a yard.