Brief Synopsis!!! (Bristol Rovers)

[Quintrell Green]

In 36 years of watching Argyle that’s only the second game I can recall without a single offside.

Did Sawyer not play it to Reuben in the 1st half early on by the Barn Park end? That was flagged for offside.

You are correct. It was towards Zoo Corner. It was a close decision from what I could tell.

 

[Nobby]

Not going to go into detail, but thought Joe Riley had a very good game, as did Lameiras. Sarcevic was rubbish.

Rovers weren’t very good, we were slightly better. Blow to concede late but a point closer to safety than we were today. That’s the main thing.

 

[chunkymonkey78]

A draw but felt like a defeat. On Adams that result in my opinion, reverted back to the negative sit back and invite pressure tactics rather than giving Anderson or Taylor a chance.

Ended the game with 5 defenders and Songo'o on the pitch in a game we were winning against a really average looking, defensive team. The inevitable equaliser soon came as it has so many times under DA.

Macey's save was great but he'd played the percentages and guessed where the ball was going as far as I saw it, it hit his trailing leg and he didn't know too much about it. Had to be there to save it though and it was an important save.

The second equaliser was really weak though, I'm surprised Letheran is on the bench now he's fit again as we looked solid with him organising the defence.

In a way I think DA has tried to tinker a little too much, he said he wanted the win when he spoke to CE then set up so defensively.

 

[Justin]

So frustrating that we can’t see out a game like that.

One of those where the manger has tried to be too clever.

 

[Justin]

A draw but felt like a defeat. On Adams that result in my opinion, reverted back to the negative sit back and invite pressure tactics rather than giving Anderson or Taylor a chance.

Ended the game with 5 defenders and Songo'o on the pitch in a game we were winning against a really average looking, defensive team. The inevitable equaliser soon came as it has so many times under DA.

Macey's save was great but he'd played the percentages and guessed where the ball was going as far as I saw it, it hit his trailing leg and he didn't know too much about it. Had to be there to save it though and it was an important save.

The second equaliser was really weak though, I'm surprised Letheran is on the bench now he's fit again as we looked solid with him organising the defence.

Chunky, if you watch the save again, it clearly doesn’t hit his trailing leg. He gets his full body behind it. Incredible reaction save.

And he could do absolutely nothing about either goal.

 

[Knibbsworth]

A draw but felt like a defeat. On Adams that result in my opinion, reverted back to the negative sit back and invite pressure tactics rather than giving Anderson or Taylor a chance.

Ended the game with 5 defenders and Songo'o on the pitch in a game we were winning against a really average looking, defensive team. The inevitable equaliser soon came as it has so many times under DA.

Macey's save was great but he'd played the percentages and guessed where the ball was going as far as I saw it, it hit his trailing leg and he didn't know too much about it. Had to be there to save it though and it was an important save.

The second equaliser was really weak though, I'm surprised Letheran is on the bench now he's fit again as we looked solid with him organising the defence.

We won promotion defending many one goal leads in exactly the same fashion. Adams is good at it. We don't concede many late goals by my reckoning, we score more in 85' onwards than we concede.

 

[Bristol Rich]

A draw but felt like a defeat. On Adams that result in my opinion, reverted back to the negative sit back and invite pressure tactics rather than giving Anderson or Taylor a chance.

Ended the game with 5 defenders and Songo'o on the pitch in a game we were winning against a really average looking, defensive team. The inevitable equaliser soon came as it has so many times under DA.

Macey's save was great but he'd played the percentages and guessed where the ball was going as far as I saw it, it hit his trailing leg and he didn't know too much about it. Had to be there to save it though and it was an important save.

The second equaliser was really weak though, I'm surprised Letheran is on the bench now he's fit again as we looked solid with him organising the defence.

We won promotion defending many one goal leads in exactly the same fashion. Adams is good at it. We don't concede many late goals by my reckoning, we score more in 85' onwards than we concede.

We also blew 2 championships and a promotion with these tactics.

 

[Quintrell Green]

If GC was available Argyle would have won that game today, but it was ironic that their were very few free kicks near the opposition's penalty area, which would have been GC's speciality.

I was disappointed with Ness's contribution in attacking play and I felt he was lacking pace around the midfield area of the pitch.

As regards Rover's late equaliser, it was a pity that no Argyle defender attempted to play the ball as the Rovers player ran parallel from right to left along Argyles penalty box line for fear of giving away a penalty. The ball reached a spare Bristol player who put in a knee high cross which went through a number of Argyle's retreating defenders allowing a Rovers striker to get down low and make a good glancing header for a goal. The irony was that both Sawyer and Lamerias has put in a number of similar low crosses in the first half towards the Barn Park end and they were all blocked.

I thought Argyle's ex- loan player Holmes-Dennis had a very decent game for Rovers in the second half.

 

[Balham Green]

A draw but felt like a defeat. On Adams that result in my opinion, reverted back to the negative sit back and invite pressure tactics rather than giving Anderson or Taylor a chance.

Ended the game with 5 defenders and Songo'o on the pitch in a game we were winning against a really average looking, defensive team. The inevitable equaliser soon came as it has so many times under DA.

Macey's save was great but he'd played the percentages and guessed where the ball was going as far as I saw it, it hit his trailing leg and he didn't know too much about it. Had to be there to save it though and it was an important save.

The second equaliser was really weak though, I'm surprised Letheran is on the bench now he's fit again as we looked solid with him organising the defence.

We won promotion defending many one goal leads in exactly the same fashion. Adams is good at it. We don't concede many late goals by my reckoning, we score more in 85' onwards than we concede.

Could you remind me of the times of goals conceded in last 2 away games?. Dont let facts get in the way of a good argument .

 

[Nobby]

A draw but felt like a defeat. On Adams that result in my opinion, reverted back to the negative sit back and invite pressure tactics rather than giving Anderson or Taylor a chance.

Ended the game with 5 defenders and Songo'o on the pitch in a game we were winning against a really average looking, defensive team. The inevitable equaliser soon came as it has so many times under DA.

Macey's save was great but he'd played the percentages and guessed where the ball was going as far as I saw it, it hit his trailing leg and he didn't know too much about it. Had to be there to save it though and it was an important save.

The second equaliser was really weak though, I'm surprised Letheran is on the bench now he's fit again as we looked solid with him organising the defence.

We won promotion defending many one goal leads in exactly the same fashion. Adams is good at it. We don't concede many late goals by my reckoning, we score more in 85' onwards than we concede.

Could you remind me of the times of goals conceded in last 2 away games?. Dont let facts get in the way of a good argument .

This season we’ve conceded 10 goals after the 80 minute mark. We’ve scored 8 in the same period.

 

[Tugboat]

Maybe nothing in it but CE asked Adams if Carey was a big miss today and DA’s said not no, not really. Ness came in and did a job. A little bit of me takes that as message to Carey and maybe the team that we can infact cope without him if need be.

 

[rsp4]

Replacing Fox with Jones and disrupting both midfield and defence was a poor, poor substitution in my opinion.

Yep lost us 2 points today. DA at his worst. I thought wtf at the time and it invited them onto us.

 

[AlanMS]

I did enjoy this game! I thought Reuben was outstanding but we missed our talisman Carey. To me Ness was very frustrating - at times he appeared to be simply loping around the pitch but then suddenly would do a sublime pass. He certainly did not have the energy of Carey.
Riley had a very good game and at the moment is the best choice for right back - some of his overlaps and crosses were great - much better than Oscar when he came on.
Ladapo will be fine once he learns not to take that extra touch. his heading did improve in this game.

I think Argyle will be safe with another 5 points.

 

[JannerinCardiff]

Replacing Fox with Jones and disrupting both midfield and defence was a poor, poor substitution in my opinion.

Yep lost us 2 points today. DA at his worst. I thought wtf at the time and it invited them onto us.

I agree not a great decision, wasn’t Fox injured.?maybe DA thought Rovers were going to just pump it up front and that having some extra height at the back would nullify that threat.?

But I agree, having so many big CB’s is great at clearing the ball but after clearing it it will just come back.. maybe Taylor would have been a better move?

 

[davie nine]

Another entertaining game at Home Park that finished with a frustrating 2-2 draw. On the plus we started the game 3 points clear of the relegation zone but are now 4 points from the drop.

We twice deservedly took the lead and always needed a two goal cushion, we didn't and paid the price in the 91st minute when Rovers grabbed their second equaliser.

Rovers first goal and our second goal was all about the linesman on the Lyndhurst side, we were attacking and the ball clearly went over the line for a corner to us, he didn't give it and Rovers broke away and Clarke-Harris scored a fantastic long range effort.
Our second goal from a corner was adjudged over the line by the linesman when Reilly scored an own goal after attempting to head the ball away from danger.

Our attacking display deserved to win the game, Lameiras was superb and linked well with Sawyer and Ness in the first half, Fox pulled the strings and Ladapo was always a threat with his pace.

Graham Carey was out through injury and Ness replaced him - Adams switched to three centre-backs and two wing-backs with a diamond midfield of Lameiras at the tip, Fox at the base, Ness on the left and Sarcevic on the right.

In a great atmosphere (dozens of Rovers fans were stood on the steps because there didn't appear enough seats) we started well and our change in formation seemed to surprise Rovers.
Everything was created down our left side with Lameiras, Sawyer and Ness playing neat triangles and working the ball into good positions.
Ladapo had a low shot that was tipped around the post by Bonham in the Rovers goal, Riley supplied low fierce cross from the right that just evaded Ladapo at the far post while Lameiras had two efforts from the edge of the area that he hit too high.
Rovers' defenders did well to block shots and close us down but we were guilty of taking one pass too many and not pulling the trigger - we were too elaborate.

On the stroke of half time a rare Rovers attack saw Macey pull of a magnificent close range save, it looked like Nichols had scored but somehow Macey kept it out and the follow up header went over the bar.

We started the second half again on the front foot and this time Lameiras operated more on the right side. We forced a couple of corners and Ness had a shot saved - the pressure was building.

We looked stretched on one Rovers attack with Riley the only defender in the far side of the penalty area, he managed to get a great clearing header on a cross that found its way to Lameiras, he fed Fox who passed back to him, he advanced into the area and sent an angled shot into the far corner for a superb goal and Home Park erupted!

We looked for a killer second goal and with Rovers pushing forward we always had Lameiras and Ladapo reading to break free, however much like the first half we had some promising passages of attacking play that didn't result in a clear chance or shot on goal.

Threlkeld replaced the injured Riley at wing back.

The linesman then played centre-stage, he didn't award us a clear corner and Clarke-Harris rode a few weak tackles and sent a cracking shot into the top corner from 25 yards. It was poor defending from us but you have to admit it was a great goal.

Just three minutes later we got our noses in front again when a Lameiras corner was kindly headed in by Craig, he was unmarked and smashed his header into the crossbar, the ball bounced down and was clearly over the line - all eyes were now on the linesman who has a problem with balls clearly over the line - thankfully he got this decision correct and awarded the goal. A goal and now an assist for Lameiras - Carey who?

The focus now was not to defend too deep and Paul Wotton kept urging the defence to push up.

We still had chances on the counter attack with Ladapo having his best spell of the game. Jones replaced Fox and played in midfield and with time running out it looked like the 3 points would be staying in Plymouth.

In the 91st minute a speculative cross was sent in and Reilly glanced in a header to beat Macey. 2-2 and a late sucker punch.
It was gutting and finished 2-2.

Lameiras had a great game and was the focus of nearly every attack, his work rate - vastly improved since the Burton game in December - was excellent.
Ladapo had good spells and with the new formation he rarely had an Argyle shirt within 10 yards of him.

Fox was exceptional, always finding the right pass and keeping play ticking over

Macey has returned to the team as a totally different and better keeper, one sliced clearance is now a rarity rather than the norm and saved us a point with that fantastic first half save.

Ness was one of better players in the first half, although as expected he ran out of steam late in the game.

Riley was unlucky with an injury but he did play a big part in preventing Rovers from scoring and setting up our first goal.

Edwards was our best defender and won a lot of headers, we needed a bit more from Sarcevic - we still wait for his usual exceptional game from a run of 4 or 5.

Overall, we played really well, it's just that we were caught out with a wonder goal and a late late goal.

Man of the match: Lameiras.

Macey 7, Edwards 7, Songo'o 6, Canavan 6, Riley 7, Fox 7, Sawyer 7, Ness 7, Sarcevic 6, Lameiras 8, Ladapo 6. Subs: Threlkeld 6, Jones n/a.

Is that really how basically you see the game? We were done by a wonder goal and a 'late goal'? It had nothing to do with Adams going to a back 6 for ten minutes and asking Rovers to have a go? That bizarre tactical change doesnt even get a mention. Wow.
Also Riley had been subbed by the time they scored in the 91st so I'm not sure what game you were at

Reilly (a sub) was their goal scorer in the 91st minute. I believe that the own goal for our second was scored by Craig.
At least, if you want to sarcastically correct someone, make sure that you get it right or were you not at the same game?