Quote Originally Posted by MadAmster View Post
...... that's 4 points we have taken from them this season. Very pleasing.

Different type of game from us last night too. We didn't have the lion's share of possession but did more with what we had than they did with theirs. The opposite of what has happened so often this season thus far.

The Cherries had 57% possession 1st half and 67% 2nd half. They had 2 shots, 0 on target 1st half and 8 / 2 in the 2nd. We had 8 / 3 in the first and 4 / 3 in the 2nd. Of their 2 on target, the first was a gentle lob which any of us would have had, the other brought a brilliant save from Roos. Apart from the goal, their keeper had saves to make and there was a goalline clearance by a defender.

They are, potentially, (one of?) the best footballing sides in the League yet their major weapon appeared to be putting the ball over our defence and running on to it. It didn't work. Nearly did early doors but Solanke mis-hit a ball he should have put away.

They started both halves the more lively but over the 90 minutes we were the more dangerous team on a meagre 38% possession.

I was pleasantly surprised at both the performance and the energy levels as I had serious doubts that we would be more than slightly more lively than we had been against the Millers. It seems the players haven't been told the "rule of thumb" recovery rate

Worst performance of the night was the pitch. More on that in a separate thread.

I thought Roos had a good game.
Byrne continued his decent recent form.
Evans was excellent.
Wisdom too.
Clarke was Clarke.
Buchanan wasn't back to his previous levels but still had a good game.
Bielik shone.
Shinnie broke the play up well.
Knight was back to Duracell levels but seemed to have difficulty with ball control on a poor pitch.
Jozwiak was as industrious as ever but his ball control was on a par with Knight's.
Kazim was closer to his previous levels than he had been against the Millers.
Agree with most of that, MA.

Just add.

Roos...one fine save, excellent handling and distribution throughout but two or three bad errors of judgement of when to come out.
Buchanan...overcame a poor start...a good sign.
Bielik and Shinnie...both outstanding first halves...faded a little second half.
Clarke...outstanding...MOTM by a distance for me.
Rooney...strange reluctance to use subs, couldn’t understand keeping CKR on after eighty minutes. He could barely run and Waghorn’s fresh legs might have posed more of a threat. Increasingly impressed by his post match interviews.

Referee...worse than the pitch...not biased, just bloody awful.