Exciting! How we did not score I'll never know. 30 shots and no goals. Dagnall, O'Grady, Mellis, Dawson, M'Voto and O'Brien all missed great chances and after we failed to even hit the target with the first two penalties you started to think that it just wasn't our night. The first half was poor. When we had the ball at the back their 3 front men put us under pressure meaning we could only hit it long. I don't know what's happened to the O'Grady from last season but he's winning a lot less in the air than he did. We struggled to break them down and had very few chances, but they had even fewer. O'Brien was easily our best player and beat his man on numerous occasions, the final ball let him down though. When Scotland came on for Mellis early on in the second half we switched to 3-4-3 and came to life. We also brought Cywka on for Kennedy with Golbourne switching to LCB and Cywka playing LM. From that point onwards we were all over them and they rarely made it into our half. Playing 3 up top meant that their full backs were pinned back so there was a lot more space for O'Brien and Cywka. Their wingers then spent the rest of the half defending which left their loan target man isolated against our back 3. M'Voto won the majority of their scrambled clearances in the air and Wiseman and Golbourne tidied up and help set up the next attack. It was just an onslaught. Dawson was much improved from Saturday and linked up well with Cywka. Clever flicks from Cywka twice set Dawson free who crossed from the by-line, but they weren't turned in. Dagnall missed the best of those chances, blazing over from 6 yards. Perkins had a good game, he looked just as fresh after 120 minutes as he did at the start and played a lot of sharp passes into Scotland, Dagnall and O'Grady's feet. Despite us switching from a midfield 3 to a midfield 2 he still bossed the game. However, I can't really recall their keeper having to make a save. We couldn't hit a barn door. All the possession, all the territory, all the shots but very few on target. I think it highlights the need for a striker who can hit the net on a regular basis. I don't think that we're too far off getting it right though. If we create half the chances we did in the second half next Saturday I'd be happy, we just need to finish them though. I'd be tempted to give O'Brien or Cywka a start because they provided the direct wing play we desperately lacked on Saturday. £10 well spent. Wembley here we come.
Good report. The only point I'd question is that I thought Jim O'Brien put a lot of very good balls in to the box, it's just the forwards didn't attack them. The majority were all in the right area. I thought so anyway. Jim was excellent tonight.
thanks for that - definitely more upbeat than some of the reports on here. Couldnt get to the game so cheers.
Totally agree, my MOTM and a night game as well t'boot. The beard is back. That great run of form he had in his 2nd season was a beardy period too. Hide the razors. And the mirror....
Perhaps a little harsh on him because he did put some decent ones in. In the first half he kept trying to feed through these chipped crosses from infield that were too straight for anyone to get onto the end of.
I agree that not every cross was bang on the money, but I thought he put more good ones in than bad ones. I was really disappointed that our forwards didn't do more to get on the end of them.
Last time Jim looked at his best was when we were in our worst form under keef with the whole squad disenfranchised! Let's hope Jim's good form doesn't indicate another one of "those" periods.
When was the last time we scored in open play from a cross and a header? I can't remember a single goal last season...
2 i saw v wolves in pre season if they count? Ogrady & scotland v huddersfield dont forget its been close season!
Ah yes Scotland headed in from a cross against Huddersfield. Not that long since we scored a headed goal then.
