| Home from Home - Reflections of Yesterday’s Win Over Bolton 10:51 - Sep 17 with 9429 views | HarryfromBath |
Suffolk. Don’t ever take this place for granted. For those of us living miles away from here there is nowhere quite like it on the planet and trips to the Mother Ship are treasured pilgrimages. When MrsHfromB suggested a weekend of football and exploring the coast earlier this summer, the fixture list was on the kitchen table and options being considered quicker than you could say ‘Park Life’.
You know the feeling heading here. Driving up the A12 and you catch a first glimpse of Ipswich on a road sign after several hours behind the wheel. Then you see the signs for Bentley, Capel St Mary, and Copdock, and the deep red-brick houses and black slatted timbers start to appear. It isn’t home, but it sure as hell feels like it.
So here we are in a superb self-catering house in Wickham Market (and not the West Wickham I have been telling everyone and which is near Croydon) enjoying probably more Ghost Ship than I should be drinking and looking back on what was a great day at the football. This county — or maybe it’s just the beer — knocks the sharp edges off you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was a definite sharp edge of Autumn in the air heading down the hill to the pre-match pub and on to the ground. I always aim for decent seats in the Co-op but must confess that I didn’t feel old sitting among the regulars. It is not to judge in any way, but there would have been no shortage of Robson and Cobbold stories had I asked around.
The team was predictable once we knew that Knudsen was injured. Chambers flanked by Iorfa and Spence with a midfield of Skuse and Adeyemi behind Ward. Connolly and Kenlock wide and Joey and McGoldrick up front. Bolton started with three giants at the back in Mark Beevers, David Wheater and Reece Burke. Gary Madine was leading their line and linking with Filipe Morais and Craig Noone.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The early exchanges revealed little. Bolton were playing a high defensive line on the basis that we lacked pace. They aimed for Madine most of the time with Noone in particular being industrious in trying to feed off his knock-downs. The first notable moment came from a Trotters’ freekick after Morais was hurt in the ‘North Stand’ area. It’s funny how people always smirk when this happens.
Myles Kenlock was our most noticeable attacking threat in the first half. He announced himself with a thunderous early tackle which drew wide applause and made several threatening runs directly into the Bolton penalty area. There were a couple of ponderous ball-watching moments later on but we saw the composed high-energy Myles today and he was not afraid to take the game to the Trotters.
As the half emerged, Craig Noone’s clever movement and running were proving more problematic than Gary Madine’s efforts leading the line. Noone only arrived two weeks ago and he represents Bolton’s best chance of engineering a recovery this season. He elevated their play and brought their midfielders and wide players more into the game, forcing us on to the back foot throughout the half.
Skuse was my man-of-the-match yesterday and not just for his goal. He was directing operations in the middle, having a sharp word with young Connolly early on for not reacting more quickly to one pass, but his ability to read the danger sooner than anyone was visible when he gave himself a two-second start on Madine to fillet the ball away from the striker after Wheater had put him through on goal.
Bolton were very adept at finding players in small pockets of dangerous space, not least when Madine found himself free to have a crack on goal which Bart clawed away. The next notable moment was when Dominic Iorfa had a late header just before the interval from a corner kick which could barely be classified as a chance. It was a fleeting excitement in what was a prosaic first half.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The muted response to the half-time whistle summed up a lacklustre reaction to a lacklustre display. Bolton had marginally more of the play but lack the incisiveness of fluidity to capitalise on this. We were being dragged down to their level. It felt like we had another gear in us, but the game could go the way of Rotherham away last season if we didn’t find it. Something needed to be changed.
One obvious alteration was the removal of Callum Connolly. Bolton were a physical side and were starting to target him as the half wore on, including one sly challenge from Antonee Robinson by the touchline just before the interval. Connolly played well and by all means gave as good as he got. He is a technically composed player but he is not quite yet on the same wavelength as his colleagues.
It was also obvious that our attacking balance was flat and the game was crying out for Celina to step on to the stage. His introduction made obvious sense, as did switching away from a back three which was mirroring Bolton’s shape too closely. Skuse and Adeyemi were handling Bolton’s midfield, and Ward would find more space to drive at Bolton on the right with Celina asking questions on the left.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shortly after the interval the miracle happened. Celina worked the ball well out on the left and fed McGoldrick, who with little else on, laid the ball back to Skuse. The Bristolian had spurned a chance to have a crack on goal in the first half. Not this time. He let fly, it took a deflection and thundered past Ben Alnwick and into the goal. Skuse wheeled away to embrace the North Stand’s adulation.
There’s something amusing about defensive midfielders scoring goals. They are always memorable. Centre-halves generally nod the ball home from corners but the 30-yard piledriver is the speciality of the midfield incontrista. Every time Toumani Diagouraga would bear down on goal at Griffin Park, Brentford fans would become hysterical as a moment of destiny suddenly beckoned out of nowhere.
Bolton were stung by this and came straight back at us, with the otherwise ineffective Jem Karacan forcing a save from Bart. They then took advantage of careless passes by Celina and Iorfa to keep us pinned back. One small thing I would ask Mick about is his habit of not stationing an out-man on half-way when defending set-pieces as it allows opponents to maintain momentum and pressure.
Bolton had two serious chances to level around the hour mark, one of which was blocked heroically by Jordan Spence with two Trotters free with the ball and the goal gaping. Spence was involved in a terrific battle all game with Madine and never let the former Owl get the better of him. Madine grew increasingly frustrated and peripheral as the game progressed and ended up being taken off.
Shortly after Spence’s block, Madine was put through on goal but his poor lob over both Bart and the Town goal summed up his contribution and said volumes about Bolton’s attacking threat. Their impotence in front of goal could end up condemning them, but it could equally be argued that there are many teams in this division who would have buried the chances we gifted to them in this spell.
Bolton by now were committing more men forward, but having Celina on the field meant that we had a counter-threat. He was direct, running and slaloming straight at the Bolton back-line and he was taken out on two occasions. He was also a terrific foil for Garner and McGoldrick, giving them space to try out their ideas. He can be casual on the ball but he can also get more from our strikers.
At one point in the second half, Celina cut inside after a corner had been played back out to him and he let fly one rasping shot which Alnwick did well to parry away. With more space to exploit, Tom Adeyemi also played more of an attacking role after the break and his characteristic lung-bursting runs through traffic are something with which we will become accustomed as the season progresses.
Grant Ward’s alertness before the break was eye-catching and he was all around central midfield both breaking up dangerous Bolton combinations while also spying for opportunities to release McGoldrick in particular. I felt that he and Iorfa were a solid attacking platform on the right flank after the break and they kept Antonee Robinson quiet despite Iorfa’s occasional momentary lapse.
“The ref has no idea what he is doing.” Mentioning refereeing in Bolton games at Portman Road is dangerous territory but Andrew Madley had an odd game. He generally got the big calls right — and there weren’t too many of these — but 50/50’s and typical Championship challenges would often see us penalised. MrsHfromB picked up on it after the break and she is much more objective than me.
One person who kept the referee busy was Joe Garner. I enjoyed his sideshow immensely and he was in his element in the later stages of the game, being the arch-disruptor and worming his way inside Bolton players’ heads. He is fearless and won his fair share of headers against the three titans in the visitors’ back-line. Few chances fell to him yesterday but he is such an effective operator.
The contrast between Garner and McGoldrick's playing style is obvious but there is a bond of trust developing between the pair, something which could be seen by their exchange when McGoldrick was substituted. Mrs HfromB wondered if Garner is a more natural partner for McGoldrick as Didzy was more in Murphy’s shadow. Garner actively tries to complement his strike-partner’s strengths.
On which note, McGoldrick’s strengths were evident all afternoon. With more space to exploit after the break, he was like a safe-cracker with a set of keys and the Bolton defence were never quite sure which one he would use next. Clever flicks, deft back-heels and lay-offs and intelligent passes helped keep moves flowing and his tenacious side was also evident as he burst through robust challenges.
It was his tenacity which earned him his late and game-killing goal. Garner’s disruptive work drew the Bolton cover and the former Preston man clipped the ball to McGoldrick who engineered the space to arrow the ball past Alnwick and into the top corner. It was fitting that these two combined for the second goal as they are on the same wavelength and this relationship will surely blossom.
As the game petered out, Bolton were in the market for a consolation goal to break their three-game drought. When Mr Madley gave yet another Trotters’ freekick for another 50/50 tackle, Craig Noone spooned the set-piece high into the Sir Alf. He was their best player but this effort summed up their problem. The final whistle was warmly greeted, with the result reflecting the balance of play.
The sun came out as the players shook-hands and departed, but there was still time for Chambers to arrow in towards the North Stand and treat everyone to his fist-pump. All good fun, but it was great watching him then scampering back to the tunnel like an eight-year-old who had just been given his perfect Christmas present. Chambers is a winner and his influence at the back yesterday was pivotal.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heading back up to the car, an autumnal edge crept into the evening and we finally had one of the showers which had threatened all afternoon. It had been a workaday three points in a game which was often mundane, but seeing Burton beat Fulham and Millwall turn Leeds over brought home that there truly are no easy games at this level. Bolton will click and hurt teams as the season progresses.
In this context, with teams in this division knocking lumps out of each other, we are in the world of accumulating points and keeping in touch. Like many on here I just want to see us safe, but have opened a little play-off bank account in my head. Fifteen points in September is a terrific foundation and yesterday’s points are worth the same as any we might or might not get at Leeds next week.
Right then, off to Aldeburgh, Orford and a walk along the beach today. Bath is a beautiful City but you have no idea how much I envy people living here. The running joke at home involves me playing Benjamin Britten’s ‘Four Sea Interludes’ from Peter Grimes and the inevitable voice from the room adjacent saying ‘We’re not moving to Suffolk!’ We can dream, and maybe start to dream a little about this season too.
[Post edited 18 Sep 2017 8:33]
|  |
| |  |
| Home from Home - Reflections of Yesterday’s Win Over Bolton on 12:25 - Sep 18 with 846 views | hoppy |
| Home from Home - Reflections of Yesterday’s Win Over Bolton on 08:32 - Sep 18 by Bluebell |
A great read Harry and I am pleased you enjoyed your weekend in Suffolk. How you remember all that about the game amazes me. All I know is we won 2.0. 
We spent the weekend in Suffolk too and were also in Orford yesterday. As I don't know what you look like we probably passed you while we were there.
The coffee and cakes in the tearoom on the quay are to die for and we always have to go in there after our walk. I am not sure the newly baked scones with clotted cream and jam are particularly healthy but I can't resist them. |
If you passed a bearded chap carrying a street map of Croydon, talking about being home, and sounding not unlike Dara Ó Briain, you could well have passed him... |  |
| |
| Home from Home - Reflections of Yesterday’s Win Over Bolton on 13:14 - Sep 18 with 804 views | No9 |
Thanks Harry however, it is disconcerting how little resistance there was from Town's midfield which allowed even a poor Bolton team from getting to Town's 18 yard box with ease. |  | | |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
