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Bristol Rovers 0-0 Ipswich Town - Match Report
Tuesday, 14th Feb 2023 21:50

Town are down to fourth following a frustrating 0-0 draw away at Bristol Rovers. The Blues dominated the first half but without creating enough opportunities, then after the break were scruffier with both sides having chances but with the home side going closest to breaking the deadlock when Scott Sinclair saw a goalbound effort turned against the post.

Boss Kieran McKenna made four changes from the team which started Saturday’s 2-2 home draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

Janoi Donacien, Sone Aluko, Marcus Harness and Freddie Ladapo came into the side for Harry Clarke, Conor Chaplin, Nathan Broadhead and George Hirst, all of whom were on the bench.

There was no place in the squad for George Edmundson and Massimo Luongo, who were injury doubts going into the match.

Rovers handed on-loan Aston Villa midfielder Lamare Bogarde his debut and former Chelsea, Manchester City, Celtic and Swansea winger Scott Sinclair returned to the XI, which featured three changes from Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Lincoln. Former Blues midfielder Grant Ward started.

Town, wearing their black and red away kit, went close to going in front in the second minute.

Leif Davis played the game’s first corner from the left low to Humphreys, who hit a shot towards the far post. Keeper Ellery Balcombe saved, Cameron Burgess’s follow-up was blocked and the ball rebounded off the Blues defender and then hit Harness and bounced away.

Two minutes later, the Blues threatened again. Davis sent over a corner from the right this time, Wes Burns knocked it back across goal to Ladapo and the striker’s header was nodded to Balcombe by Burgess.

After Town’s energetic start, Rovers began to threaten and in the 13th minute went close to going in front.

Burgess did well to hook a ball aimed for Sinclair out for a corner and from Anthony Evans’s flag-kick, Jarell Quansah rose highest and headed over with Blues keeper Christian Walton claiming he’d been prevented from getting to the ball, not without reason.

Town quickly got back on top, however, Luke Woolfenden playing in Davis on the left of the box with an excellent cross-field pass and the former Leeds man’s cross was turned behind by Balcombe.

On 20, Humphreys scuffed a shot from the edge of the box through to Balcombe, who had forced out a cross from the right, not entirely comfortably.

Nine minutes later, Davis sent over another corner from the left and Burgess hooked wide at the near post, the former Australian U23 international having emerged as Town’s main set-piece danger.

In the 33rd minute, with Town dominating play with the Pirates happy to sit back in numbers in their own half, Woolfenden brought the ball forward before clipping a ball towards Humphreys breaking into the left of the area but the ball flicked off Quansah’s head, then Humphreys’ and wide.


Three minutes later, Ladapo held off his man on the right of the area before sending a dangerous ball across the area which no one was able to reach.

Out of nothing in the 39th minute, Gas skipper Aaron Collins was played in on goal on the right of the box by Evans but the 14-goal frontman scraped a weak effort through to Walton when he will feel he ought to have given the keeper a sterner test.

A minute later, Collins had another chance, James Gibbons crossing from the right and League One’s second-top scorer looped over when he again should have done better.

On 42, Ladapo turned and struck a shot on the turn straight at Balcombe with the Blues ending the half totally dominating but without finding a way through the massed ranks of the Bristol Rovers rearguard.

Town had started very strongly and might well have gone in front in the opening minute. From there, they remained in control for the most part but without forcing Balcombe into serious action enough.

The Blues hadn’t had it all their own way with Collins having shown his threat on a couple of occasions towards the end of the half on rare Pirates forays forward.

A minute and a half after the restart, a free-kick was played to Aluko, who struck a shot wide from 25 yards.

On 48, Harness knocked down to Ladapo on the left of the area in space but the striker looped well over when he will feel he should have made more of the situation.

Three minutes later, Davis crossed from the left after Ladapo had laid off to him and Harness flicked a header over the bar.

In the the 57th minute, Collins escaped behind the Blues backline on the right of the area and hit a shot which Walton turned over at his near post.

A minute later, Town made their first two changes, Broadhead and Kyle Edwards taking over from Aluko and Burns.

The Blues started to become scruffy with too many passes going astray and in the 64th minute, Humphreys gave the ball away on halfway and Sinclair burst forward before shooting straight at Walton.

Moments later, Sinclair was in action at the other end, taking the ball off Edwards’s toe after Ladapo had laid it off to the winger following Broadhead’s cross from the left. Moments later, Humphreys looped a header high and wide.

Rovers came as close to scoring as it comes in the 69th minute when a corner was played to Collins, who looped towards the far post. Walton dropped the ball, it fell to Sinclair, whose effort was knocked off the line and onto the post by Woolfenden when it appeared the Pirates were certain to take the lead.

A minute after such a miraculous escape, Ladapo appeared to be fouled as he rolled Quansah on the edge of the box but referee Paul Howard wasn’t interested and eventually the Town striker was pulled up for a foul, much to his evident frustration.

It had been a poor second half from the Blues but sub Broadhead was having some impact down the left, the former Everton man reaching the byline before his cross was blocked.

Moments later, Broadhead worked himself space on the left of the area before hitting a shot which Balcombe batted away.

The momentum was starting to swing back towards the Blues and in the 75th minute Town made a triple change, Harness, Davis and Ladapo making way for Chaplin, Clarke and Hirst. Rovers switched Harry Anderson and Bogarde for Luca Hoole and Josh Coburn.

There was a scare for the Blues as the game entered its final 10 minutes, Woolfenden just taking a cross from the right away from Coburn, then Edwards blocked Collins’s shot after the striker had cut in from the left.

On 83, Morsy played a ball over the top on the right for Chaplin, who cut back to Broadhead, whose shot was deflected out for a corner.

Following flag-kick, Clarke cut in along the byline but his cross-shot was forced behind. From that corner, the ball scuffed off the recent signing from Arsenal’s head and wide. Three minutes later, Clarke was booked for a high challenge on Hoole.

In the 89th minute, Morsy sent Edwards away on the right from where the winger crossed to Hirst, who shot at Balcombe’s near post and the keeper bundled behind. Following the corner, Bristol Rovers broke but Walton was quickly out of his area to clear.

The Blues continued to huff and puff in five minutes of injury time but yet again were held to a draw by a side they should have beaten, Rovers having lost their previous five going into the match.

Having dominated the first half without creating enough serious chances, the Blues started the second half positively before going through a scrappy spell and were fortunate not to go behind when Sinclair hit the post.

At the whistle frustrations began to show with skipper Morsy exchanging views with a fan at the front of the away section before being pulled away.

With Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton all winning, the Blues are down to fourth, two points behind the Trotters in third, eight off the Owls in second and 10 off leaders Argyle.

Town, who were top a week before Christmas, are going to need to go on a long run of wins if they’re to give themselves a chance of automatic promotion with 15 left to play, something which they show few signs of putting together on recent form having won only one of their last eight in the league and four in their last 15.

The Blues are in action next against bottom club Forest Green Rovers at Portman Road on Saturday.

Bristol Rovers: Balcombe, Connolly, Gordon, Quansah, Sinclair, Ward, Collins (c), Anderson (Hoole 76), Evans, Bogardem(Coburn 76), Gibbons. Unused: Jaakkola, McCormick, Marquis, Lawrence, MacDonald.

Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Burgess, Burns (Edwards 58), Morsy (c), Humphreys, Davis (Clarke 75), Aluko (Broadhead 58), Harness (Chaplin 75), Ladapo (Hirst 75). Unused: Hladky, Jackson. Referee: Paul Howard (London). Att: 8,542 (Town: 1,299).


Photo: Pagepix



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CustardCream added 21:51 - Feb 14
McKenna's lack of experience or stubbornness is really starting to hurt us. Any time a team doesn't allow us to play the way we want to play we drop points. He has no idea regarding subs/keeping a settled starting 11. YOU DONT NEED TO MAKE SUBS FOR THE SAKE OF MAKING SUBS!

Broadhead dropped. Why?

Forget top 2, I can't see us getting playoffs if we carry on this way.

I'm p1ssed off with this team, not for the first time this season

I'm sure we'll hear about how there were 'pleasing moments' from tonight but there weren't. We were lucky not to lose.
33

WonnorCickhamm added 21:51 - Feb 14
This is a very worryingly long bad run of form. I know there is a long way to go but I have genuinely serious concerns that we won't make the play offs. Just grossly mediocre. I really like McKenna, but sadly I think the owners will be talking. So disappointing, the hope kills us once more.
25

Miaow added 21:51 - Feb 14
I will be thrilled and stunned in equal measure if we somehow manage to get promoted.
22

Stato added 21:52 - Feb 14
His time is up. Come in Ashton be decisive. Show this fool the door
-27

ImAbeliever added 21:52 - Feb 14
Oh dear!
5

Nomore4 added 21:52 - Feb 14
Unfortunately KMcM is now on borrowed time
-9

StringerBell added 21:52 - Feb 14
Appalling performance.
We'll be fortunate to make the playoffs off now and we've got no chance in them on this form.
Got to ask if McKenna is the right man after that
15

Saxonblue74 added 21:52 - Feb 14
Count ourselves fortunate to come away with a point, which is useless to us incidentally.
13

StringerBell added 21:52 - Feb 14
Appalling performance.
We'll be fortunate to make the playoffs off now and we've got no chance in them on this form.
Got to ask if McKenna is the right man after that
4

TractorRob added 21:52 - Feb 14
Our inability to win games like these leads me to look at the team currently in seventh and wondering if they too will catch us.
21

iaintaylorx added 21:53 - Feb 14
This ‘blip' needs to come to an end, as it's actually very worrying! What happened to our ruthlessness in an attacking sense? Crossing at every opportunity just is not working. You look at the teams around us, they're all putting in 15/16 game unbeaten runs or winning 6/7 on the bounce! If we don't win the next 4 games leading into Bolton (who scored 5 AGAIN tonight), we might even bottle making the playoffs. Only 7 points above 7th now is frightening!
15

RedDust added 21:53 - Feb 14
442 FFS. 2 strikers in the box and direct football as a plan B
14

tobymeadz91 added 21:53 - Feb 14
Tonight is a pivotal moment… dear god we were horrendous tonight…

Our players are clearly good footballers but everyone can see something isn't right…

Let's be clear here we had one or two good opportunities against Bristol Rovers… can't believe how far we have fallen
22

Esseeja added 21:53 - Feb 14
You can't take Ladapo off and expect things to work! He was the only player today who I thought was trying his hardest to win the physical battle up top, and should have been given a penalty.
I don't get it, why do we not change our tempo? Why is our passing so slow and timid? Why were we searching for through balls in the first half, with 4 players on the edge of their box almost at all times, if they were going to sit back and not move for the whole half?
Even with the mild improvement in the second half, when we had our chances, our finishing was not good enough. Broadhead should have scored, and Clarke should have scored.
Once again, our plan B is visible, but it doesn't produce results correctly.
Ever since the 1-1 against Cheltenham, I foresaw our fall really early, but I was wrong — the problem is that our central midfielders are too slow, Humphreys, Morsy and Evans are not quick enough for the system we are trying to implement, and Morsy is not creative enough. We need a quicker Lee Evans. That 4-0 against Morecambe was a standard performance in my opinion, we didn't do anything differently, we just played against an opposition that was unfit to defend anything. This is what happens when we try anything against teams that sit back and soak up unthreatening pressure.
I'm so tired of giving up a good league position midway through the season in this league, this is the 3rd time out of the 4 seasons that it has happened now.
Until the start of this season, I never felt that Woolfenden was good enough for us, but when I thought he was playing well at that point, I had no reason to think otherwise, but I'm back to giving the opinion that he isn't alert enough in situations where anticipation is most necessary, and therefore not good enough for us.
We need a better plan B. Cook's wasn't good enough, McKenna's isn't good enough.
19

oxfordblue added 21:54 - Feb 14
That was painful to watch; to many changes so many players out of form. Can anyone see us winning Saturday?
17

rollercoastertown added 21:54 - Feb 14
Complete arrogance to think we can play a weaker team against someone from the same division as us.
16

Tractorboy58 added 21:54 - Feb 14
I am normally one of the most positive and last to moan, but that was just plain awful from start to finish - Manager and players - just so ploddy and slow. Why can't we play with more pace, urgency and enthusiasm ? - New players have not worked - probably unsettled and upset what was a good tight knit squad
17

RobsonWark added 21:54 - Feb 14
That was a PATHETIC performance tonight for the standards that we have set ourselves.
Please STOP making all these changes every match Kieran. It did not work for the "Tinkerman" at Chelsea and it does not work for us!
We have too big a squad with too many "good" players. We need to have a smaller squad so we can have a settled side instead of all this pointless rotation that does not build any momentum and understanding in the team. You can not build a team when you keep changing the team.
You are the manager. Make the tough decisions and pick your best team instead of trying to please every player in the squad or you will be the destiny of your own downfall.
20

HopefulBlue69 added 21:54 - Feb 14
I'm sorry to say this but the is a big problem with the team and that's the manager...
He doesn't know his best team and is afraid of picking the same 11... The other teams around us are not afraid and play there best... Were going to be in 7th place by start March...
14

jdtractor96 added 21:54 - Feb 14
9 points from the last 8 games. That really is unforgivable. Some games we blow the opposition away, but most teams have figured us out now. So slow, predictable and one dimensional, no urgency whatsoever. I love McKenna, but went does he start taking responsibility for some of these poor results? Something needs to change (but not the manager!)
8

brianbull added 21:54 - Feb 14
I'm sorry, just not good enough. If we can't beat teams like Bristol Rovers, then we don't deserve to go up. Very concerning, on this form we won't even make the playoffs. My only hope we do a Plymouth who fell away badly last year and didn't make the playoffs but comeback better this year and look like getting automatic promotion. Here's hoping
11

Gforce added 21:55 - Feb 14
Absolutely shocking, against a very poor Rovers side.
Anyone thinking we will win the next 5 in a row,against the bottom end teams,I'm afraid is in cloud cuckoo land.
Genuine possibility now,we'll finish outside the top six.
25

BlueChelmsford added 21:55 - Feb 14
That was a shower of… leaving it until the 70th minute to actually create anything. Also, am I the only one who is struggling to listen to the commentary on iFollow? Be honest about the performance and stop gaslighting. We will be lucky to make the playoffs at this rate, and the teams around us deserve automatic more. Let's hope McKenna comes out and recognises this in his post match interview. That performance is simply not on.
15

howsey51 added 21:55 - Feb 14
We are 7 points off 7th place and all 3 teams below us have 1 or 2 games in hand. Very worrying.
13

TimmyH added 21:55 - Feb 14
Good God! another draw!!....but on the showing of that didn't deserve anymore, lack of quality and composure in the final third with a lack of a plan b. Harness offers little, Ladapo is in and out and Burns is not the player he was last season, as well as others being inconsistent.

Listening to Kane Vincent Young on ifollow was cringeworthy, I lost count the amount of times he said excellent, brilliant and quality in reference to us - oh well at least I've won my £50 hypothetical bet from post Saturday that we wouldn't go on a winning run straightaway. Not good enough all round!
17


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