EFL Trophy Burton v Rovers (Pizza Cup)

[Boz]

Disappointing. I was at a concert and unable to follow the second half, but we seemed to be going quite well up to half-time, but failing to convert dominance into a healthy lead. Poor show with the penalties, but didn’t we have subs still to use including Burton/Taylor who might have been better suited to taking spot-kicks?

 

[Sparky]

Good point about the subs boz. I’m not sure how many we’d made at that point but cogley and OConnor were always likely to not score

 

[ALDO MUSSY]

just got in after 5 Xmas parties in 5 days and yet again our front players are missing in action something has Gotte given in January, we have a complete overhaul in the front compartment my next chance to see rovers will be in Jan as we are fully booked over next month and a half and I for one am glad I don't have to freeze my balls off being bored shitless watching the footie the home crowds will drop if Tranmere are not careful and with Northampton to come on sat can you see any points from that well I am very positive normally but i just don't see it we will lose, and you watch we will do a Rovers and will win 2-0

 

[Ian]

Our last five league games have produced, wait for it, a grand total of 2 goals! Are you not entertained?

 

[Sparky]

Our last five league games have produced, wait for it, a grand total of 2 goals! Are you not entertained?

GOALS GOALS GOALS!!!

 

[Boz]

Good point about the subs boz. I’m not sure how many we’d made at that point but cogley and OConnor were always likely to not score

Have checked the match report. Assuming that you're allowed to make 5 subs on up to 3 occasions like FL games then as we brought Lewis and Hawkes together and Hughes later, there would be the option to bring Burton who's already scored a winning shoot-out penalty in this competition and possibly Taylor, though no idea about his spot-kicking ability.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I am gutted for the players after that. We were the better side by a distance, created chances and managed the game well. However, the two strikers had four or five good opportunities, a couple of them absolute sitters, and took none of them. Nevitt in particular simply had to do better with the one v one he had in the second half after a great counter attack.

The harsh reality is that if your forwards are not capable of scoring a goal you are not going to get very far. We defended well tonight and restricted Burton to scraps, but we can't keep a clean sheet every game. One goal is not enough.

I thought all the back four and Merrie had excellent games, and Nolan had his best match in a Rovers shirt, picking up good positions and tidy and imaginative in his use of the ball. He did fantastic work in the counter attack mentioned above where Nevitt should have scored.

It must be soul destroying for players like Cogley to put in the performance he did tonight and end up on the losing side again because of our ineptitude in the final third. He and Bristow again put some great deliveries into the box which were not attacked.

 

[Brightonian]

Watched this from Spain and even a bottle of best Rioja can’t console the disappointment at losing after such a fantastic display of neat possession football for 65 minutes of the game. I watched having switched to home commentary and they said we were much the better team, only their keeper making 4 good first half stops keeping them in it and saying how well we had managed the game.
Agree totally with RLC our fullbacks must be gutted to lose having provided so many dangerous openings and worked tirelessly.
Actually our penalties from Hemming’s , Hughes, Merrie, and Hawkes were excellent and can’t believe we let the shoot out slip
away and this time Hewelt didn’t get near to being the hero.
Sadly our substitutions were a retrograde move as we didn’t keep the ball nearly as well after which is disappointing but really we should have been out of sight by then if a couple of those chances had been taken. All strikers miss but we are so toothless right now.

 

[mellow submarine]

I was at the game , Rovers played really well for most of the game, up until the last 10 really. taking off Nevitt and Morris could well have contributed to losing the shootout , not sure why those subs were made with no game on Saturday, Nevitt, Hemmings both have 4 goals from 19 appearances in the league, we will be lucky to make mid table with those stats. Fingers crossed we can get a loanee in to get us some goals.

 

[drwhoman]

This just about sums up the season so far. Not one to remember with any joy!

 

[Boz]

On the subs, am guessing there may have been an issue with Nolan’s match fitness and Micky might have felt Lewis more likely to score than Nevitt, who was having a bad night. The Morris replacing by Hughes was a more puzzling one, as Kieron’s experience would have been. better helping us see out the game with our lead intact. I’ve not seen any of the action but some suggestion a Hughes misjudgement led to the Burton equaliser. Though he did score his penalty.

There is some suggestion that JDC and maybe a few others will be off in January. That would be a concern as O’Connor isn’t such an attacking option at right-back and is best for us in midfield. The striker issue also needs resolving as none of the 3 used regularly are delivering at present. Currently it’s hard to see Rovers getting close to the play-offs.If we move on without replacing any key players who leave or getting a half-decent striker in, then think we’ll be closer to the bottom than the play-offs. If that is without development of youngsters and the more attacking play Mark alluded to pre-season, then future season-ticket sales are likely to slump too.

 

[bigmart]

Getting nicked out leaves us with little room to manoeuvre in the transfer window. It looks like Aberdeen are back in for Cogley so unless he doesn't want to move to them I expect he will leave in January.
I think there will likely be 1 or 2 others leaving and hopefully some options out wide and up front will be arriving

 

[Sparky]

Thanks for the reports. Can I ask where did Nolan play given merrie and O’Connor were starting too? I’ve always liked Nolan but his fitness record over recent years hasn’t been great.

re Cogley I’m guessing in January he can start talking to other teams who may try and agree a deal for him with us, knowing they could get him for free in the summer. I guess if we were seriously in the promotion hunt we’d keep him and take the risk but if we’re not then arguably Palios may take the cash

 

[ALDO MUSSY]

yea Nevitt' no goals in 8 LG 2 NW player of the year says a lot really and Kane 2 goals in 13 games that's Entertainment for you as you say not the best stats the way things are going home attendances will drop if they keep playing the same way

 

[Ian]

I think will we have to make sacrifices elsewhere on the pitch to strengthen up front as the situation is pretty grim up there. We need goals that the current setup will not provide.

 

[Ian]

 

[bigmart]

Poor header by Hughes in the lead up to the goal and 1 if not 2 if their players look offside when the ball moves forward

 

[Boz]

It did look from the highlights as though Rovers had plenty of opportunity to kill the game off but failed to do so. Hughes should have done better with the header, but there's still a lot to do for Burton at that point. Offside, certainly a strong suspicion, but arguably we should have done better clearing the overhead kick too.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Hughes was uncharacteristically poor when he came on last night. He gave the ball away too much and Nolan having to go off did not help in that regard either.

However, I did not think Burton looked like scoring in the ninety minutes in general play, despite having a little bit more pressure in the final ten. We still looked pretty comfortable and the goal came from nowhere really.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Just reflecting on last night's game, it is encouraging that several of our players looked as good as, if not better, than their League One counterparts, albeit against a struggling League One side (Cogley, Bristow, Merrie, Turnbull, Simeu, Morris and Hemmings, even if the latter is not in great form at the moment). I think there is some real talent in the first eleven and it is just a pity we don't have the depth in the squad and the options up front.