Rams v Bristol City

[AdiSalisbury]

Who cares, I'd rather be the underdog. Nearly there and everything to play for

[swaledale]

Who cares, I'd rather be the underdog. Nearly there and everything to play for

happy to eat my words if we make the play offs, today it looked as if we were going to get hammered but some good defending, taking our chances and getting the breaks from the ref put us in a position where its ours to lose.

[MadAmster]

The sort of away display we haven't showed for much of this season. They had 58% possession, 23 shots, 11 of which were on target but only 2 of them required good saves from Roos. The sort of stats we have had at home at times and failed to score. What the stats don't show is the tackling and covering the lads did that made life difficult for Bristol leaving them with only hope and hit chances from outside the box for the most part. Add to that one goalline save by Waghorn, one goalmouth scramble and a Weimann shot that hit the bar and we have a workmanlike perofrmance at the back aided by a little bit of luck. We managed just 8 shots, 4 of which were on target, 2 went in and the other two required decent saves. Two other attempts landed in the net but were ruled out for offside. Bennett was offside for his. I am very undecided on the other. Was it or wasn't it? I will have to wait until I can freeze frame the full 90 tomorrow to check.

More of this kind of performance away from home this calendar year would have seen us much further up the table. Playoffs or not. Promotion or not. This was a good away performance IMO and will be a decent foundation for next season.

Roos - Getting better as his confidence grows with this run of games. Candidate for MOTM
Bogle - Defended well. Caused Bristol problems in attack as well. Took his goal well. Candidate for MOTM
Keogh - Solid performance.
Tomori/Evans - Shame for Tomori getting an early injury. I hope it isn't a severe one. Evans. I thought Hudds would go CH but Evans went there. Very good performance. Candidate for MOTM
Malone - Played well
Mount - Defended well, caused them problems going forward, good assist for Lawro's goal. Candidate for MOTM
Hudds - Good performance
Johnson - Good performance
Wilson - Not in it again. Still goes down way too easily. I know he has scored a lot of goals but I keep asking myself, is he a luxury we can't afford?
Waghorn - Yet another workmanlike peformance. Put himself about, Attacked. Defended.
Lawrence - Got himself a goal and I hope that sparks him on to be the player he can be.

Referee. Not many mistakes and got the important decisions right IMO. The 1 decision I think he got totally wrong was booking Lawro. Lawro slipped over. Yes, he did cause their player to go over but once he fell there was no intent and a card was wrong. It was a free kick. No doubt about that but that incident did not warrant a card.

The subs. Already mentioned Evans. Nuge was Nuge. Bennett? Used his speed and strength to win the ball, good pass (and we didn't have many of those) to Waggy who slid Mount in who hit his shot wide. Assist for Bogle's goal (Don't those 2 work well together in both attack and defence?) and some good defensive work. Seems to be cementing himself the impact sub role.

Manx - I think we are seeing the benefits of a run in a side with a couple of players this season. Bogle had the potential, was given a chance and has taken it brilliantly and has thoroughly deserved the plaudits he has had. Roos has waited patiently for a chance and is growing into the role of first choice keeper. Bennett, for the first time in his career, might just make 30 seasonal appearances and he too is starting to look the biz. I would agree that, at the moment, his best role is that of impact sub and, when he does come on he can operate in any of the 3 forward positions and, I think, he could fill in at right back as well. He's not there yet but this number of appearances this season have given him the chance to progress as a player and I believe he has. More of this next season and who knows?

[MadAmster]

Bennett WAS offside for his disallowed goal. I didn't at the time, and still don't, think Lwaro was offside for his disallowed effort.

[Geoff Parkstone]

looks off to me measuring against the lines of mown grass on pitch, but the angle from nearer half way does muddy the waters