A distinct lack of confidence...

...in front of goal.

I sat there for 94 minutes today, and at no point did I ever really expect us to put the ball in the Huddersfield goal.

Was it due to us misfiring?
Was it due to a remarkable display by Alex Smithies in the Huddersfield goal?
Was it due to Huddersfield having one of those pop up force fields on the goal-line?

No.

It was down to a sheer lack of confidence in and around the penalty area.

The build up play, from back to front is fine and at some stages, it was a joy to watch. We passed the ball around well and in all honesty, no bias coming into play, I thought overall, we were marginally better than Huddersfield who I didn't think were anything special whatsoever. It was another defensive lapse that cost us, as Barnsley target as of last week Simon Church managed to get his cross from the left over far too easy and Jermaine Beckford rose to meet it, glancing the ball past a comitted Luke Steele. It was against the run of play.

The Reds came out after the half time interval all guns blazing...well, loaded at least - the trigger finger never even came anywhere near the actual trigger. For 15 minutes, we penned Huddersfield in and played around them, but that was it. We needed a goal, but it never came and never really looked likely to come. Huddersfield came back into the game and if not for the heroics of Steele after some shabby play from Dawson, we'd have been 0-2 down. Steele came to the rescue again later on to deny Church from adding a goal to his assist for the afternoon.

Hill threw on Jim O'Brien, Reuben Noble-Lazarus, and Mido - fresh from his exercise cycle seat on the bench. His first contribution was to scythe down Sean Scannell on the far right and side, and recieve a justifiable booking.

The Reds pushed forward and they probably should have been level. Noble-Lazarus burst down the left and fired the ball across the box aiming for no one in particular, but Jim O'Brien suddenly found himself in acres, 8 yards out and all he had to do was meet the ball with his head, and it was a certain goal, unless Smithies were to pull off a miraculous save. O'Brien, decided to attempt to bring the bullet like cross down on his chest and in the process, mis-controlled allowing the ball to harmlessly trickle into the thankful gloves of Smithies.

Huddersfield were now content to see the game out, and resorted to ping the diagonals to hold the ball up in the corners.

The Reds tried to hit it long towards the big strong boys of Mido and Harewood. Sorry, did I say BIG, STRONG, boys? Apologies. Needless to say, it didn't work. Huddersfield picked off the long balls and looked comfortable sitting on the edge of the area, soaking up the attempts at pressure.

As the game looked lost, the Reds were thrown a lifeline - 5 minutes injury time. In hindsight, it could've been 5 hours. It wouldn't have mattered. Marlon Harewood finally won a header on the edge of the box. The ball looped high into the air and dropped perfectly for the on rushing Jacob Mellis 10 yards out. He watched it come down exquisitely and all he had to do, was smack it. Eye on the ball - laces through it, surely a goal? No. Again, Mellis this time decided to bring the ball down for a touch before shooting...and again, miscontrolled.

The confidence in and around the box, is as low as whale dung. We looked comfortable when on the ball, and worked it up the pitch as well as we could, but as soon as the 18 yard line comes into sight, it all falls to pieces.

Harewood was good four years ago. He's a waste of time and money these days.

Mido, despite his enthusiasm is some way of fitness. He looked knackered. My grandad is in better nick...he's also been dead 22 years.

We sorely miss Craig Davies - he was bursting with confidence when he got injured, and we are dearly, dearly missing him.

It's all well and good knocking the ball about and trying to play football the right way, but if we can't put the ball in the net...

MOM: Luke Steele

 

i thought harewood held the ball up well 2day no movement around him imo

 

Ok, thinking back, he didn't do too bad on that front. Harmless none the less.