So a chance to get closer to the play off places was spewed thanks to a linesman who quite obviously couldn't keep up with the pace of the one Rovers attack of real quality in the first half. A strong challenge made by Douglas in winning a ball that he had no right to win saw the ball squirt through to Joe Rothwell via Armstrong, Joe was far too quick to be brought down by a desperate attempt to trip him by Joe Allen, Rothwell carried the ball forward in typical style and as he drew the panicking centre halves toward him Adam Armstrong peeled off into acres of space to his left and was found perfectly by Rothwell and left with a clear run on goal. His shot wasn't the best but it was good enough to roll under the despairing dive of Bursik and over the line. 1-0 ......... until the linesman's flag wrongly intervened! A major mistake to go with a lot of minor ones made all afternoon by Referee Eltringham and his partners in crime.
To be fair a win though welcome would have been daylight robbery on Stoke City, not that anyone north of the Manchester Ship canal would have been the slightest but bothered about that. Apart from the blistering break which resulted in Armstrong squeezing his shot under Bursik the Rovers did not have one shot on target all the first half and to be quite honest struggled to even get into the Stoke half for most of the time. A severely misfiring midfield being the main reason for that. Only Joe Rothwell played to anything like his normal form until he slipped and twisted on the dreadful Ewood cabbage patch and quite obviously tweaked his groin. Not badly enough for him to come off but clearly badly enough for him to be replaced during the HT break.
Credit to Stoke's 5 man midfield orchestrated by Allen and Obi Mikel for dominating in that first half but even they must have been surprised by the no show of Messrs Johnson, Travis and Elliot. I feel Travis will take some time to get back to the Travis of old and it didn't help when a cheap yellow card saw him walking on egg shells until he was mercifully withdrawn, but quite what has happened to the early season form of Brad Johnson I can't begin to guess. Elliot too was largely anonymous over on the right only becoming an influence on the match in the second half when he was given a free role to roam across midfield in the second half.
The last 20 mins of the first half belonged to Stoke. They dominated us as we had dominated PNE in November. Cue our old adversary Nick Powell to completely lose Nyambe and be allowed a free header to head home a right wing corner. Kaminsky got a hand to it but it was not strong enough to prevent it hitting the net. Cue more Stoke pressure as they scented blood and after a shot by Thomson crashed against the post and Kaminsky made a blistering reaction save to keep another header out of the net the Rovers were fortunate to go in 0-1 at half time.
Second half saw Johnson and Rothwell replaced over HT by Gallagher and Davenport. Unfortunately Stoke took little notice and continued pressing us back. Unbelievably another Rovers player had to depart with injury, this time Gallagher who had only been on 15 minutes before a collision in the 6 yard box saw him bundled over a hoarding by Powell and suffer a back injury which necessitated him being replaced by Ben Brereton. Powell too picked up an injury in the same incident and he too had to leave the field. I have to say at this point that I believe this to be the turning point as Stoke lost impetus and following the introduction of Holtby to partner Davenport Stoke found themselves facing a combative and creative midfield for the first time. The Rovers at last began putting together some dangerous moves with Davenport doing the midfield spade work, which Travis and Johnson had failed all first half to do, and providing the bullets for the roaming Holtby and Elliot to fire. One particular move saw Holtby on 76 minutes pick out Brereton who turned quickly and supplied Nyambe on the right who was then able to stride forward to strike a low teasing diagonal pass across the Stoke area. Everyone missed it except Elliot who at full stretch rescued it on the line beyond the far post with a simple dink back to Buckley, leaving John the simple task of tapping home from four yards. An unlikely event which must have shocked the Rovers fans every bit as much as it shocked Stoke 1-1! Three minutes later Stoke were even more shocked as a bullet header of a clearance from Lenihan dissected Stoke's defence and proved a perfect through ball for the ever alert Adam Armstrong to latch onto with a clear run on goal. Cue Stoke's 'take no prisoners' Captain James Chester in desperation to whip away his trailing leg leaving Arma sprawling and Referee Eltringham reaching for his Red Card. The next 15 minutes saw the Rovers knocking on a desperate Stoke's door and Stoke seeking every opportunity to run the clock down. They did of course manage it.
FT 1-1 .
Unlikely as it may seem the Rovers have every right to feel aggrieved at having to share the points. Their first half performance was a complete shambles and we had a slice of luck with a goal bound shot coming back off the post but a wrongly disallowed goal and only Chester taking a red for the team in preventing a clear run on goal for the Championships leading striker prevented the Rovers getting all three points. It might not have been a fair result but when has football ever been fair?
Finally if I was a betting man I'd suggest our season will only get worse. The ball was variously sticking and bobbling on the pitch all afternoon. For a team with a style based on passing and possession that isn't good news. I seem to think Swansea's pitch was / is a shit tip too. They share it with the Osprey's RUFC and over Christmas it was so bad that it had to be re-laid so how it will be to play on I have really no idea.
Liberty Stadium pitch update | Swansea (swanseacity.com)
Kaminsky... 7 Pulled off one glorious save and almost saved the goal too. Rather too much work to do as he was forced to be our sweeper rather too much for comfort as Stoke pressed us high up the field in Barnsley fashion.
Nyambe ... 6 Played a major part on our equaliser but was culpable for allowing Nick Powell that free header from the middle of the goal and inside the 6 yard box.
Lenihan... 7 Busy day for Darragh or rather busy 60 minutes until Powell's injury. Claimed an unlikely assist from half way inside our half with his head!
Branthwaite... 8 Was an example of composure in our defence given that 3 days ago he would have had no idea that he'd be turning out in the blue and white halves today and must only have had a day or two to train with his new teammates. Looked 28 rather than 18.
Douglas... 6 A mixed bag of a day for Barry but with a new partner alongside and a misfiring midfield pair in front of him it can't have been an easy game for him.
Travis... 5 A cheap Yellow forced him to pull out of many tackles but the old Trav would have got there first. He's not right yet.
Johnson.. 4 No such excuse for Bradley. Never at the races and is not the player that he was in Sept / Oct. A strange comment on ifollow, the commentators had been told Trav was being taken off at HT but it must have been a late decision to leave him on and take Johnson off. Had there been an 'incident' in our dressing room perhaps?
Rothwell... 6 Slipped and tweaked his groin and struggled with midfield partners but did play a typical driving forward role in the goal that never was.
Elliott.... 6.5 First half it would have been 5 and second half it would have been 7 so 6 is a half way house BUT he did get that assist didn't he so 6.5 it is. I spoke to a senior figure at the Rovers on a Teams meeting this week and I suggested that Elliot is not a right winger. He isn't quick enough and he's too left footed. My opinion is that if he is to make it at Liverpool it will be along the lines of Oxlade Chamberlain. Today Elliot went from zero to hero after he'd been given a free roaming role. Question for TN is Harvey a better Dack than Dack at present?
Dack... 5 Another who contributed little to the team effort during that disastrous opening 45 mins. OK he took what looked a painful whack on the knee early doors but like Trav he hasn't got back to where he was when he picked up that cruciate injury.
Armstrong... 7 Starved of service but looked to be our only real threat to Stoke. Should have had a goal, could have had 2 but for foul play and forced Bursik into a cracking save in the second half. On another day he could have got a hat trick despite feeding off crumbs for most of the game.
Substitutes...
Gallagher... 5 (HT until replaced by BB on 61 mins) Only on 15 minutes before retiring with a back injury,
Davenport... 7 ( 45 for Johnson) Had a decent game after he came on at HT and looked a cut above what had gone before with Trav and Johnson. Has to start against Swansea.
Brereton.... 6 (Came on for Gallagher 61). Mixed an equal amount of decent play with the more typical 'Ben' play. Set Nyambe free for the goal with a bit of bright thinking.
Holtby.... 7 (Replaced Travis 64 mins) Back to the class act that he can be. His arrival and Powell's substitution did most to change the game.
Buckley... 7 (Dack 72) Pitched on to allow Holtby and Elliott the create and ended up being in the right place at the right time to score the equaliser. An intelligent, neat and tidy player but certainly not an explosive influence. Should do his confidence the world of good.
Tony Mowbray.... 5 A bitter sweet day for TM. Put out prob the best team at his disposal on paper but they simply didn't perform in the first half. His substitutions changed the game for the better. Could he have a problem on his hands behind the scenes?
Referee Geoff Eltringham...4 I read somewhere that this chap first took the whistle up at 15. Explains much as today he looked like he had no experience of playing the game. Disgracefully couldn't differentiate between a foul from a dive. I swear if I was a Ref if someone duped me once in public I'd never ever give them the benefit of any doubt in future matches. By a strange quirk we've only had this chap once home and away in the last three seasons, oddly enough in April 19 when we lost 0-1 to Stoke at Ewood. I wouldn't be at all bothered if it's as long before we have him again.
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