Quality strike gives a deserved point

With the sort of home record we have had over recent years it has been a strange feeling in the last few weeks to arrive at the ground with the feeling that we are not going to win but injuries has robbed us of key players and the fixture list has been unkind to us in leaving us playing nearly every game at this time against the best sides in the division to the extent that even a draw is looked on as a good result. Yesterday was no exception and despite the fact that we were robbed of any points in the reverse fixture by terrible refereeing decisions where we were the better side, the Blackburn side now are a completely different proposition and are both free scoring and worthy promotion chasers and in Bradley Dack have one of the best players in the division. The team selection saw us deploying Ellis as the lone striker again which disappoints me in a home fixture but with a depleted side and the lack of a consistent goalscorer to play up front with Ellis I can see what DC is doing and trying and succeeding in making us a difficult side to beat by containing the opposition in our half rather than higher up the pitch which does for me see the opposition having too much possession.



Slocombe 7 Another competant display from our number 1 keeper whose only mistake was a comical misthrow which almost presented an instant u tube success for goalkeeper bloopers.Thankfully he managed to get back to stop it and I think it probably would have drifted wide anyway. He has become a far more than adequate keeper.







J. Clarke 6.5 A useful squad member with his versatility and had an Ok game. Not sure he is the answer either as a full back or a centre back if we are to push on but there again I could say the same thing about Leadbitter and Partington. He is whole hearted and never lets us down which couldn't always be said about players at this club.



Craig 8 For me Tony Craig oozes class and his performance yesterday was assured throughout. Yes there was the odd mistake but who doesn't make mistakes? He can be relied on to clear up other peoples mistakes and I cannot praise enough the effect he has had on players around him with his experience and leadership. Exactly why DC signed him and for me has to be next seasons Captain and surely will become part of the background team at the club when he does hang his boots up. he knows when to pass the ball and when to send it into row Z.



Broadbent 5.5 Yesterday's performance showed why Tony Craig was signed as it was littered with poor decisions and mistakes that could easily have led to goals conceded. He can be a very good player and if he can erase the mistakes or the majority of them then he has a future but I am not convinced that he will become good enough to hold down a regular place in a Championship chasing team though I hope I am wrong because he is a player who is capable of bringing the ball out from the back and can be a good passer of the ball. Definitely worth keeping and can be proud of what he has achieved in his first season in the Pro game.



Brown 7.5 Back to his best and definitely a case of being prematurely written off as having his best days behind him by some. There are not very many better full backs in this division who can both defend and attack and for me the only decision next season is whether we should sign Bola (if he is available) as back up or whether Kelly who played last week is ready to provide that cover. The clubs future policy is to try to get as many players as possible through the Development squad and into the First Team squad and maybe left back is the position where we may have an ace within our own ranks and we only find out by giving them a chance.Browner kept his winger quiet yesterday and little danger was really evident.







Lockyer 6.5 One wonderful tackle that prevented a certain goal when Bradley Dack was clean through. As a stand in in centre midfield with a job to do in containing a quality player he performed very well but for me he lacks the qualities necessary to play regularly in that role as at times he does get lost in the game and does not possess the creative ability needed but he did a job again to help out in what has been a bit of a crisis in midfield.



Moore 8.5 MOM His best performance in a gas shirt where he really looks the part now and provides the balance in wing play that we have been missing for so long. Perhaps he has taken his time to settle in because he didn't really see a place in the team when Bodin was a reguler here? It is strange because he really has the ability to provide exactly what DC asks from his wingers in that he is very good at both getting back and defending and skilfully retaining the ball when attacking. Numerous times yesterday he was able to hold onto the ball despite having two players on him a lot of the time and it was great to see him get an ovation when he came off rather than the sort of comments he has received at times.On recent performances he will really be an asset next season.



Lines 6.5 In all honesty his overall performance yesterday was not one of his best and probably merited a mark of 5.5 but the quality shown in his vollyed equaliser in the 94th minute was worth a mark on its own from "one of our own".It was as good a finish as you are going to see and gave us a deserved point.



O. Clarke 7 One of his better games this season where he did a lot of positive things but he is so frustrating where too often he ruins good work by inexplicably giving the ball away cheaply. For a change he was probably a bit unlucky with the booking that looked a fair tackle but he must improve on his current disciplinary record as he rarely seems to go through a game without a booking.

Bennett 7 Blackburn obviously picked him out as our dangerman by ensuring that he was marked tightly and quite often with two players around him but he still managed to put in a workmanlike performance and show plenty of ball skills and clever play. I really feel that we have a good player on our hands and for the team he could even turn out to be better than Bodin - not in goal scoring but in being creative and providing for the team. He probably should have done better with a goalscoring opportunity that he put over in the first half but his chipped pass into Ellis in the second half was a wonderful piece of prompting creativity and there is a buzz in the stadium whenever he has the ball at his feet. I am really looking forward to next season as if DC can get a few more ace signings like him and Sercombe then next year could be our season..





Harrison 7 Worked hard throughout but the worrying thing for me is that he missed two clearcut chances that should have been taken. He was clean through in the first half but took too long and was neither confident enough or selfisah enough to finish with just the keeper to beat and after a superb flick on from Bennett in the second half he mis**t the ball slightly and hit it straight at the keeper from close range. That said he still gave a committed display in a lone striker role and ran himself into the ground. It is not his fault that unfortunately at the present time we do not have a partner for him and also lack creativity to launch as many attacking moves as we would like and our midfield really is lacking in the creativty to really get enough possession to set out with an attacking approach.











Subs: Gaffney 6 Did Ok but his lack of goals is really showing in his performances and yesterday was no exception as he should have got a shot away in a good position. I am not convinced that he has what it takes to be a promotion chasing striker in this division and he will probably end up in League Two next season which is a shame because he does work hard and does hold the ball up well at times but he is not good enough to replace Ellis and does not score enough to be his partner.



Telford 6 A busy late entry to the game, worked hard to find space and always looks dangerous and was unlucky with a shot that was blocked. I very much hope that we can sign him permanently as he definitely has something there and I wonder if restricted use of him is clever Management.

Baghdadi 6.5 Definitely looks a good prospect and was not scared to take on a player. the step up from Development squad to a game against a top side in League One is a formidable step up even as a late substitute but for me the fact that these youngsters have proved to be able to do this and not look out of place bodes well for the future of our club but also shows the excellent job Chris Hargreaves is doing in what I think was an ace appointment. Blackburn paid him the compliment of using two players at times to pressurised him when he was in possession but he looked comfortable and confident and signs of possibly being hot property.





Crowd 8 Great to have over 10,000 and as noisy as I have seen it in a while. Backed the team freom beginning to end and got just reward in the last minute of injury time.



Ref 5 I wouldn't say he was dire and the penalty decision looked correct to me but many of his decisions looked questionable and gave our players little protection. The Ollie Clarke booking looked harsh but overall I thought he was average and better than a lot of the officials we have had this season.

Blackburn 7 A good side that look Championship bound, littered with experience players and like most of the better sides a colossal centre half who dominates in the air and most of their players very comfortable on the ball. How they will do in the Championship I would say is questionable and they would need IMO to invest pretty heavily in new players to make an impression at that level.

DC- Not a lot wrong with either his selection or his tactics in the circumstances. Good to see him ready to blood the youngsters. It has been a creditable second half of the season in what is always a difficult season for a club- the second season in a division and I very much hope that we can retain his services because we are moving in the right direction as a club. The acquisition of Kyle Bennett and Tony Craig has restored my faith in his ability to get quality players and if he can add to this with four of five shrewd signings in the summer then the future looks rosy.

So we move on to another tough assignment next week in what has been for me the most difficult end to the season we have had for many a year with nearly all the top teams in the division. I really think the challenge now is to get over 60 points as since achieving safety we have struggled to win games but of course have not been helped in our quest with a terrible spout of injuries that have left us not only having key players unavailable but having to play players who are probably not 100% fit. Whilst there are those who would say that the owners have not invested much in our team the fact that we can still put out a reasonable side and squad with so many players injured for me says otherwise and the quality of our young Development squad bodes well for the future and perhaps their policy will pay dividends. The feel good factor is still evident before the game and the Memorial Stadium is as alive as it has ever been 1-30 onwards. Yesterday was another game unbeaten against good opposition and summer investment in players could really push our club forward. I would say that we have a squad of capable players most or all who are good to hold a place in the squad but lacking four or five quality players who are capable of playing regularly in the team. A dominant centre half,a couple of midfielders and a couple of strikers are needed and possibly another winger. UTG