Bournemouth 2:1 Tranmere

[SCooperSomersaults]

Well, I managed to listen to the game (cheers Noel) but unfortunately we seemed to turn in another poor showing in what was a vital game. 3 points was very very important, given some very tricky games coming up and this seemingly one of the easier fixtures against the team with the poorest defence in the league.

After the worst possible start (how many seconds did it take them to score???) it just appeared to get worse when they scored their second. A dreadful first half basically killed any ambitions of winning the game.

2nd half we seemed better, but never did the commentator suggest the onslaught was forthcoming and we were gonna score, well, until we did! Kay with another goal, he has scored 6 now, not bad from defence, shame he is our 2nd top scorer! We really need goals from all areas, and other than him, Moore and Greenacre, I don't think anyone else is contributing goal-wise.

Basically a very disappointing afternoon. We've put pressure on ourselves to win some MASSIVE games at Walsall, home to Forest and Southend. If we don't we won't make the play offs. The dream is fading I'm afriad, I'm still right behind the team but after today we have to admit it's an uphill struggle now :-( gutted

 

[Ian]

It's very disappointing to lose, just because we want to get into those play-offs so desperately! To be fair, the own goal was unfortunate, and you're basically starting the game a goal down, such was the timing of the goal (40 seconds was it?)..

A draw would have been a decent result to be honest. Bournemouth aren't a great team but i don't think it matters as much this far into the season. They are fighting for their lives down there.

But.. like Coops says, every game we lose now, brings added pressure to the games we have left. Our home games are must wins now.

With teams such as Southend, Leeds, and Carlisle in good form recently, we really can't afford to lose too many points now.

 

[I swear she touched my...]

Went to this one, I don't know how many of us turned up but we were the noisiest out the home sides lot and there seemed to be around 400 hundred travelling.

Its the usual senario I'm afraid, a game we should have won but we put pressure on ourselves from the word go. You could just see this being a tough game even with the rain lashing down.

Basically we sat way too deep and even when we looked to have space in midfield we ended up passing back to the keeper, far to many times in my view. Lacked any cutting edge and the two front lads just didn't get any support at all during the first half. Chris ended up coming way to deep just to find the ball and when he did was shut out quickly by the cherries defence/midfield.

The first goal was just unlucky, the second was just poor defending. Taylor was having a torrid time on the left and if it wasn't for half a dozen good tackles from Ian and saves by Danny we could have ended the first half more than 2-0 down.

You would think the second half they would come out all guns blazing and to some extent they kept the ball better but still ended up passing back to Danny too often. In the end we ended up chanting 'attack attack attack attack attack'. When we started floating the balls out to the left and right we ended up with better penetration against a rickerty Cherries defence. So much so Kay scored and then all of a sudden everyone was having a pop and their goalkeeper was having to do some work for once. So much so he pulled off a string of saves which kept them in it.

If we had played the last 5 minutes for the whole duration of the 90 we would have won and won well. Bournemouth are a poor side but on the day we were too defensively minded and lacked invention so that was our own downfall. This was a game that slipped through our fingers where we should have grasped it by its throat and choked the living *hit out of it.

Play-offs??? Hold on to your knickers chaps the ride is going to get bumpy

 

[Ian]

Knickers are firmly strapped on!
Ronnie wasn't at all happy with his sides first half performance:

"To perform in the way we did during the first half was a big let down.
"I don't know if some of them thought it would be easy.

"If our wingers had done what they were told there wouldn't have been a problem. Unfortunately for us they were brain dead."

Come on Ronnie, it's your job to make sure the players don't go into the game with this mentality!

 

[Boz]

Ian Goodison must hate playing Bournemouth, sent off there last year, nightmare back-pass led to their goal at PP this year, now og in the first minute.

Too often, we get into a promising position then screw it up, the games at home to Bristol Rovers and away at Oldham before this demonstrate the point. If the players can't stick to the game plan RM should drop them give others a go. Too much complacency for my liking.

 

[Joe_TRFC]

I'm hugely disappointed after yesterday. It was a massive game and a great chance to cement a play off place especially after seeing the results in the other games. Not looking good to be honest. It certainly wasn't good enough from the players or the manager. It even spurred me into writing an email to the club which i'd like passed on for Ronnie and the players to read. Never going to happen I know but it helps get it out of my system!

 

[Ian]

It's strange isn't it Joe. With six games to go, what more do you have to do to motivate the players? There's no excuse for a poor showing, no excuse at all.

 

[Joe_TRFC]

It wasn't even like the effort was there. They went in with the wrong mind set and so we lacked effort at least until we realised it needed more effort and then it was too late. I do wonder sometimes whether certain players who know they won't be here next season if we make the Championship really want promotion. I think the club want promotion but some players worry about it i'm sure. Seems mad I know because surely promotion would be a massive achievement in their career?