Points thrown away in the last minutes at the Valley but if I am being honest, a draw was the right result. Scunthorpe came to compete and they held their own from the off. They were unfortunate to fall one behind when they did and probably even more so to go two down. They looked like they would score and when they did there were a worrying 17 minutes left. That wasn't enough but the five additional minutes were.
The downpour for the couple of hours before kick-off meant most people arrived dripping wet, especially those of us who had been out in short-sleeves since the burning sunshine of midday.
We looked lack-lustre and evidently short on the pace and movement of the last couple of games. Bradley Wright-Phillips and Johnnie Jackson apart, I thought we looked sluggish from midfield and didn't do nearly enough in the first half. The goal , when it came, gave an unrealistic advantage and it didn't galvanise our performance. It was a looping header from Jackson which looked to be going over and then looked like it would cannon off the bar. Instead it dropped down on the line and I still expected it to bounce out, but in it went.
After the break I thought we would step up and kill it off. There was improvement, but nowhere near enough to control the game and it was at this point that Danny Hollands managed to drive a ball to the back post where BWP once again was first to it and nodded home. The two-goal lead flattered us and yet there was still no step up in the pace. I felt we should have made a couple of substitutions on 70 minutes but we didn't and within a few minutes Scunthorpe had cut the deficit. For once they managed to find a man in the box in a yard of space and he beat Elliot from close range.
We steadied the boat after that and had a couple of chances of our own. Danny Green whipped in a couple of decent crosses, having come on for Waggy and Jason Euell wanted to know in Paul Hayes' place. Unfortunately, we didn't get the break and we still weren't committing enough men forward. Scunthorpe hadn't panicked and on the announcement of 5 minutes added time, visibly moved up the field as they sought the equaliser. Chris Solly, who I thought had an otherwise excellent game, got in front of their ball-player in the box and won possession but he opted to clip it out to the wing instead of leathering it and it was picked up by a claret shirt and crossed to the back post. Three red shirts in-a-row went up but the ball beat them all and was nodded back down for another close range score. There wasn't enough time for a response and Bradley Wright-Phillips had just been replaced by Gary Doherty.
Perhaps it was too much to expect to win a fourth successive game and the point keeps us level-top with MK Dons and Sheffield United. It's early days and perhaps this will look a better point as the season progresses. It still feels a big disappointment after the previous three performances.
The crowd of 15,505 was a little disappointing too, as there were probably the same number of home fans as in the opener against Bournemouth. Clearly, repairing the damage of five years is going to take a little longer. Reading will offer some light relief on Tuesday and then we need to throw everything at Bury and go in search of another convincing win.
The downpour for the couple of hours before kick-off meant most people arrived dripping wet, especially those of us who had been out in short-sleeves since the burning sunshine of midday.
We looked lack-lustre and evidently short on the pace and movement of the last couple of games. Bradley Wright-Phillips and Johnnie Jackson apart, I thought we looked sluggish from midfield and didn't do nearly enough in the first half. The goal , when it came, gave an unrealistic advantage and it didn't galvanise our performance. It was a looping header from Jackson which looked to be going over and then looked like it would cannon off the bar. Instead it dropped down on the line and I still expected it to bounce out, but in it went.
After the break I thought we would step up and kill it off. There was improvement, but nowhere near enough to control the game and it was at this point that Danny Hollands managed to drive a ball to the back post where BWP once again was first to it and nodded home. The two-goal lead flattered us and yet there was still no step up in the pace. I felt we should have made a couple of substitutions on 70 minutes but we didn't and within a few minutes Scunthorpe had cut the deficit. For once they managed to find a man in the box in a yard of space and he beat Elliot from close range.
We steadied the boat after that and had a couple of chances of our own. Danny Green whipped in a couple of decent crosses, having come on for Waggy and Jason Euell wanted to know in Paul Hayes' place. Unfortunately, we didn't get the break and we still weren't committing enough men forward. Scunthorpe hadn't panicked and on the announcement of 5 minutes added time, visibly moved up the field as they sought the equaliser. Chris Solly, who I thought had an otherwise excellent game, got in front of their ball-player in the box and won possession but he opted to clip it out to the wing instead of leathering it and it was picked up by a claret shirt and crossed to the back post. Three red shirts in-a-row went up but the ball beat them all and was nodded back down for another close range score. There wasn't enough time for a response and Bradley Wright-Phillips had just been replaced by Gary Doherty.
Perhaps it was too much to expect to win a fourth successive game and the point keeps us level-top with MK Dons and Sheffield United. It's early days and perhaps this will look a better point as the season progresses. It still feels a big disappointment after the previous three performances.
The crowd of 15,505 was a little disappointing too, as there were probably the same number of home fans as in the opener against Bournemouth. Clearly, repairing the damage of five years is going to take a little longer. Reading will offer some light relief on Tuesday and then we need to throw everything at Bury and go in search of another convincing win.
Having recently returned fom hols I,ve missed tyhe other games, but had high expectations from this one. I found it very disappointing, and thought we were lucky to be 2 up.
ReplyDeleteThe midfield were non existent - apart from Waggers who was industrious but short on product. BWP was outstanding - we now know he can cross from wide as well. Morrison played well, and solly was MOM until the the fluffed clearance. I'd probably name Robbie now.
Didn't see much from Wiggins or Taylor to convince, and Hayes was very slow and nono existent in the air.
Taking that game in isolation things do not look good..
Pembury Addick