Got to the match today - and for the majority of it really enjoyed the buzz of being back in the Championship. This being said there are some real lessons to be learned from today and we need to learn them quickly if we want to enjoy the rest of the season. First half was a tight and competitive affair - it seemed to start at a hell of tempo with both sides getting stuck into the cut and thrust of the midfield. One player stood out for me on the Ipswich side - Bru - and not for the right reasons, we was a dirty ******* and eventually picked up a yellow card. Not long before half time Kent took him on for pace, skipped past him, and was brought down with a lunging foul - the kind of leg breaker that can end a season - and the refereee bottled it big time. He should've been sent off. Sadly the ref and his one sided decision making only went down hill from there. In the first half our defence looked robust and composed - and while Ipswich made one or two decent chances, I didn't count anything as clear cut. We looked tidy and went in at the break having taken the upper hand. We moved the ball out from the back nicely - finding men with good lateral movement. We played dangerous balls into the box from different angles - and really chances were missed. For me - at half time we should've been 1-0 up and they should've been down to ten men. The loss of Winall after five minutes to what looks like a hamstring injury was bad news - but fair play to Marley when he came on, he made a very good contribution, not to mention his goal in the second half. Hammil was a genuine threat all day - and every time he touched the ball he displayed the same confidence, and craft and guile that we'd come to expect from last season. He was skipping past players, he was playing good balls into the box, and a typical cut inside and dipping right foot shot narrowly missed the far post. Although the tempo seemed to start at kick off at an incredible rate - we weathered that - and we definitely got on top. The second half, however, was a different tale. Worst possible start with a goal shortly after kickoff conceded in soft style. Bru - who looked nailed on for a red card had he stayed on the pitch - was swapped for Ward (?) by McCarthy at half time. Ward went on to score a debut hattrick. Let me be absolutely clear here - this lad Ward is not Christiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi - he didn't light the pitch up and aside from the goals, he seemed like nothing much. HOWEVER - and this is a big however, he sat in a little pocket in front of our defence and attacked the second ball ruthlessly. We didn't cover that position at all, and again and again he had time to wait for the ball to arrive, come down, and he did little more than put his foot through it. I can't blame our keeper - who was confronted by a shot that arrived through a crowded box at genuine pace. The defending that seemed so solid in the first half, seemed really soft in the second - there was insufficient cover from the midfield, and nobody was chasing out the ball when it was headed away. This is an absolute must for us - or we will get caught time and time again this season. Our equaliser was very well deserved. Having let in the first - we responded positively - and we still looked the better side. A suicide five minutes let down though - and we looked out of it at 3-1. The second goal - another finish from a ball gathered and delivered back in at pace - was soft. The third was a penalty - I can't say how fair it was, I was unsight - but I have to say the ref gave it very quickly and he was very one sided throughout the game. Genuinely. So I have my suspicions. McGoldrick potted it easily. So at 3-1 it looked like game over - but still the spirit of last season wouldn't give up. We continued to press, we continued to cause problems down the wings, Hammil was threatening throughout and tenacious with it. Our second goal was a scrappy but determined affair - first a ball in from Hammil, and when that was cleared another ball in from - was it Hourihane (who had an excellent game btw) and Marley got on the end of it to toe it home. At 3-2 an equaliser was not out of the question. Our glass jawed defending let us down again though. A simple ball in, cleared as far as the edge of our area fell again to Ward and he (again) had time to arrow a shot on target relatively unopposed. He lashed it into the net with less that ten minutes to go - and I think we all knew that the game was over. Despite this another promising run from Hammil in the final moments was clipped into Payne - who was on as a substitute - and his effort was smothered on the line. The lads never gave up. I think two out and out wingers might be too attacking for this division, and we'll find that teams are more likely to punish us for mistakes that we could afford last year. We can't let in three or four goals per game - and we will play against sharper attacking lines that Ipswich as the season continues. We either learn to defend that second ball robustly and consistently, or we will soon get sick of having to score five to win. Outstanding players today - Hammil, Hourihane, Yiadom (looked very promising) all stood out. Kent looks quick and tricky, but needs confidence - may also be a little small. Payne looked a bit lost when he came on to be honest - and possibly even a bit overweight and slow? I think we can do things in the league - we can aim for safety - but we need to address the defence and the cover that is provided to the defence on the edge of the box. We need to close down more consistently - and the pieces of excellent play don't forgive the moment where the lapses came. Championship is a big step up - but look on the bright side, we will score goals.
Good report that, I agree watching the highlights we need to learn to defend as a team, just like we attack as team and the amount of space for the 1st and 4th goals is really poor but I think it'll come in time and we should give Robbo and Alf the time and support to gel again like last season when they were the best CB partnership in the league. Onwards and (hopefully) upwards
thankyou BRF for that report despite the hurt of a defeat your report gives heart. I believe its going to be a very very tough season for us, but I do also believe we will not end up in the bottom 3 ... how far fromthat is debatable, But I am confident of championship football next season. ... we have not yet finished in the transfer market in my view and we have barely touched the loan market too. If we get another nail biting/roller coaster of a season then that's fine by me...after all that's what Barnsley FC and being a BFC fan is all about innit...... and TBH I would not want it any other way.
An accurate report on the game - and I'd also add Marley Watkins and Josh Scowen to your outstanding players list. Both had an excellent game.
I may be being a little harsh, but I thought Scowen faded a bit in the second half and it left the defence exposed. It was one of the hottest days I've attended a football match in England and Scowen's energy packed approach was bound to tell. We could have subbed him, but there was no-one on the bench to do that job. The pace and precision in this league is amazing. I'm sure we will step up as a team, but not all the players will. We have to judge after 10 games and I wonder what the team will be then?
Agree in the main on your report but would say their 17 Bru should have been sent off for the blatant elbow on Scowen (which the ref was close to and didn't even give a foul!!) never mind for his persistent fouling - not surprised Mick dragged him off at 1/2 time! Unfortunately, the sub who came on did all the damage 2nd half. thought it affected Scowan's game and he was slow to block two of Ford's shots - at least 1 of which I thought Davies should have saved!
Thanks for that - sounds like we miss a Brownhill type player to get on the 2nd balls and snuff out their attacking before it starts Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Having seen the highlights on C5, I believe I saw Watkins head the ball in for our second, not 'toe' it in.
