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Bolton vs Barnsley

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81Bolton vs Barnsley - Page 5 Empty Re: Bolton vs Barnsley Mon Apr 14 2014, 01:17

karlypants

karlypants
Nat Lofthouse
Nat Lofthouse

Report: Bolton 1-0 Barnsley

IN BRIEF

Jermaine Beckford’s ninth goal of the season was to prove decisive as Bolton extended their unbeaten run to six games with victory over relegation-threatened Barnsley.

The returning striker, starting his first game since mid-January, stole in behind the defence before coolly finishing for the only goal of a frantic affair.

Beckford came close to doubling his and Wanderers’ tally, only for his curling shot from an acute angle clip the foot of the post.

Barnsley did huff and puff, particularly in the second half, and saw a late O’Grady penalty kick come back off the woodwork after some mind games from Adam Bogdan, as Bolton held on for three points.

TEAM NEWS

The starting line-up showed six changes following the midweek victory at Doncaster.

Matt Mills, Alex Baptiste, Liam Trotter, Robert Hall, Andre Moritz and Beckford were all in from the off.

FIRST HALF

From the get go Barnsley started on the front foot, but it was Wanderers who engineered the game’s first opportunity.

Beckford raced onto a ball over the Barnsley rear-guard and clipped a deft pass into Moritz’s path. After a somewhat heavy touch the Brazilian then dragged a weak effort into a ruck of defenders, when the better option would have perhaps to allow an unmarked Hall a shot.

As the half wore on, clear chances were few and far between.

Hall curled a 25-yard effort straight down the throat of Luke Steele whilst up the other end Dale Jennings saw a shot from a similar distance bend wide of the far post.

The best move of the half came on 23 minutes and it started and ended with the visitors’ lively wide man Jennings.

He skipped beyond a few challenges in midfield before releasing Ryan McLaughlin down the right. Jennings burst into the area connected with a low return cross, but from six yards out skied a powerful effort over the bar.

Bolton responded. Beckford adjusted well to volley a close range effort goalwards following Chung-Yong Lee’s cross, though Steele was on hand to save.

An off-balance Lee then blazed a first time effort over the bar when arriving late at the back post, as the half seemed set to end scoreless.

That was until the final minute of the half.

A raking long pass from Mills once again found Beckford in behind the Barnsley defenders. He steadied himself before rounding the goalkeeper and tapping into an empty net.

HALF TIME

Barnsley began the second half as they had the first.

Chris O’Grady twice saw snapshots from just inside the area gobbled up by Bogdan.

The game became increasingly stretched, as Barnsley sought out an equaliser.

That almost played into Wanderers’ hands, and as the visitors piled numbers forward Beckford once again raced away from a hesitant set of defenders. After seeing his initial effort blocked by the onrushing Steele, his second shot from the rebound skimmed the outside of the far post before trickling wide.

Barnsley did carve out opportunities of their own. On 64 minutes McLaughlin arrived at the back post to head Tomasz Cywka’s cross narrowly wide of Bogdan’s post.

Moments later O’Grady tumbled inside the area following an innocuous collision with Trotter. Referee James Adcock waved away the furious appeals from Danny Wilson and the Barnsley staff.

But on 84 minutes the referee was pointing to the spot when Baptiste felled McLaughlin in right channel of the area.

However O’Grady spurned the opportunity to level the scores from the resulting penalty kick, as his effort came back off the angle of bar and post as Wanderers eventually saw the game out.

FULL TIME

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82Bolton vs Barnsley - Page 5 Empty Re: Bolton vs Barnsley Mon Apr 14 2014, 01:17

karlypants

karlypants
Nat Lofthouse
Nat Lofthouse

Freedman - Could have been more

Dougie Freedman believes his side’s margin of victory over Barnsley could have been greater than the solitary goal.

Jermaine Beckford, starting his first game since mid-January, struck on the stroke of half time to extend Wanderers’ unbeaten run to six.

Chris O’Grady saw a late penalty kick come back off the woodwork.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Freedman said: “Overall, I felt the margin of victory could have been more than the one goal.

“We created a number of chances, but credit to Barnsley, they kept going and fought for their manager right to the end.

“Barnsley were always going to make things difficult for us because their season is far from done. We had to make sure we were at it right from the off.

“I felt we started the game particularly well and we’re happy with the win.

“Jermaine is in a good place right now, both on and off the pitch. I felt his performance was very mature today and after such a long time out injured it was pleasing to see him still going strong right at the end of the game.

“We can’t doubt the penalty decision at the end. I felt the referee had a good game today.

“Because we didn’t go and finish off Barnsley they then threw everything forward. We’ve been a little guilty of not finishing teams off this season.

“In the end, the lad has missed the penalty and we’ve gone on to win the game.”

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83Bolton vs Barnsley - Page 5 Empty Re: Bolton vs Barnsley Mon Apr 14 2014, 10:40

wanderlust

wanderlust
Nat Lofthouse
Nat Lofthouse

Apart from Baptiste, the defence was fine. What worried me was the inability of the front six to create clear cut chances and the inability to put them away when they did come along. No problem with Dougie's tactics but very concerned about the lack of quality at the club.

Worse still, if the plan is to replace them with better players, I'm struggling to see how that would be possible on a shoestring budget.

I think it would be a miracle if the manager is able to put together a team with the potential to compete for promotion.

One hurdle at a time though. The good news about the Barnsley game is that it ensured we can't get relegated this year.

84Bolton vs Barnsley - Page 5 Empty Re: Bolton vs Barnsley Mon Apr 14 2014, 10:57

Natasha Whittam

Natasha Whittam
Nat Lofthouse
Nat Lofthouse

wanderlust wrote:

Worse still, if the plan is to replace them with better players, I'm struggling to see how that would be possible on a shoestring budget.

I think it would be a miracle if the manager is able to put together a team with the potential to compete for promotion.


I just don't agree. A decent manager would have had this team in the play-offs. We've had an ultra shit season, didn't win for about 12 games, and still we're only 4 wins off the play-offs.

With a couple of decent acquisitions and a more positive approach the least we should expect next season is a top 6 finish.

85Bolton vs Barnsley - Page 5 Empty Re: Bolton vs Barnsley Mon Apr 14 2014, 12:34

wanderlust

wanderlust
Nat Lofthouse
Nat Lofthouse

Natasha Whittam wrote:
wanderlust wrote:

Worse still, if the plan is to replace them with better players, I'm struggling to see how that would be possible on a shoestring budget.

I think it would be a miracle if the manager is able to put together a team with the potential to compete for promotion.


I just don't agree. A decent manager would have had this team in the play-offs. We've had an ultra shit season, didn't win for about 12 games, and still we're only 4 wins off the play-offs.

With a couple of decent acquisitions and a more positive approach the least we should expect next season is a top 6 finish.

Unless the manager - any manager - is given a reasonable budget to work with, "decent acquisitions" will be hard to come by.

I think that the approach has been positive for the most part, but the current players haven't got the quality to implement it successfully - especially when playing 451/433 where the wide midfielders spent most games on the back foot instead of attacking in numbers as that system requires. The reason they were under the cosh was clearly due to handing over possession far too easily and frequently. Woeful passing and finishing has been rife and it's a small consolation that the defence (Baptiste apart) has stopped throwing winnable matches.

So I have to disagree with you as this squad has demonstrated it is average at best throughout the season. Replacing them with lower paid players isn't the obvious recipe for improved performances unless some serious magic is worked in the transfer window - or youth players step up and prove to be exceptional. A miracle is needed.

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