Holmes_and_Watson

Off the line!

Goals incoming ... Adams off... 🙂

A tackle from behind on Edozie, that Bednarek gets booked for. Thanks ref.

That looked like a bad one on Edozie.

It would have had to have been a special shot from Alcaraz to score form there. Their keeper will be happy with that. There is a reason why Fraser, Edozie and Alcaraz weren;t starting. We're relying on them having to be part of a team that now needs to break Rotherham down, rather than wait for opportunities that might arise with a lead. Meanwhile, ROtherham keen to be direct and make that difficult, sensing at least a point.

All that time spent learnign complicated positioning, possession and passing. Undone in secods by a direct, straight down the park attack. >sigh<

That was an oscar winning dive from one of theirs.

How's his passing? 🙂

Edozie did so well, but didn;t get it across the box in the end. Well, we made our triple subs so let's see if that offers anything.

Oh Noes!!!!!!! Baz chipped!

Adams making sure to block their 'keeper from our corner. Smart considering our record there. 🙂

Fraser looking for those cutbacks. Let's hope Adams will get on the end of one of them.

Crumbs! I had that one going in from Smallbone! Cracking move, and effort.

The changes, not unexpectedly, open us up to make a couple of errors. Which is what Rotherham have been waiting on all game. So, we'll have to stay focused and structured to deal with that; sharper to not give away errors and be ready ourselves to take advantage. Edozie a little rusty after a few games out. Again, to be expected.

Subs.... Arma, Stu and Sulemana off Alcaraz, Fraser and Edozie on More direct with Alcaraz and extra dribbling with Fraser and Edozie to hopefully open up a defence happy enough to sit back, hoping for a break.

Stu...Blazes it Over!

Booking surely! Sulemana did really well there.

That's the second Rotherham ball that could have caused problems had it had the quality to be a complete pass. Not enough to be worrying, but it's just that one goal margin.

Smallbone getting some crossing practice in today. Since he takes up so many poisitons in any game, he's being asked to have a lot of different skills.

Suleman gets it across, beating his man. No real chance of a tap in from anyone, but getting there.

We did a long hoof there, which is a least a little different. It'll be interesting to see how much Martin has instructed the team to break them down, even when we have a lead, and how he's getting them to do that.

Rotherham happy to sit deep. So we've had 100% possession. We've not done anything with it. And we give it away fro a throw in. Now we're one up, so this isn;t something that's as important as it stands. But just a reminder that it would good so see us make the most of such attacks by being a bit more incisive, when possession alone isn;t enough.

12 efforts on goal, 5 on target, 1.5 million passes... A number of nearly efforts too. 80.2% posesson Lovely early goal, and excellent work from Stu. We were patient, we kept good structure across the pitch in and out of possessioon. Lots of work from Smallbone, The Armstrongs and others. Sulemana offers a good outlet. There were a few occassions when a better, attracking pass was available. But 1) there's always going to be that and 2) there were a lot fewer of them than before, indicating a team confident in Martin's instructions faced with a side happy to let them grow into that confidence. They changed their shape, which gave them several minutes of being able to close down the gaps. But we were creating chances again before the break. On the occassions when we gave it away, or when Rotherham got forward, we had plenty back and there was cover. Another plus after some previous shambles. I'm not sure I'm ever going to fully like the pace of MartinBall. It's never comfortable on a single goal lead, but we're as in comand as we can be without a second.

Needed a tap in from Manning's ball. Anyone in the middle. Perhaps we're just not used to having a finisher up front, so we don;t have anyone in there.

Little stats bar has us with 11 shots and 5 on target,.