Bristol Rovers 2-1 Bradford City - Npower League Two
Saturday 28th January 2012 - Memorial Stadium - Attendance: 6164 (426 Visitors)
So after over a month the blog is back! I'd like to firstly give you my apologies for the absence of the blog as I've been otherwise occupied (and we've been poor over this last month) & unable to write the blog. But it's back! And we've got the story of Bristol Rovers away.
A 8am start aboard the Shippers Fun Bus gave us the beginning of a day full of laughter, anger, fun & tears. The first hour or two past without anything worth talking about in the blog but when Holly gave us some Walsall, Chesterfield & Sunderland chocolates just short of passing the Banks's Stadium home of Walsall on the motorway that's when we the day really got under way.
We had some BBM banter with a Dagenham & Redbridge or Torquay United fan, either way he supports both & at the end of the day is a utter bell. He crossed a very thin line with his idea of football day 'banter' by mocking the death of Doughnut's Grandad. Just for those who read this wanting to know his name, he's called James (waiting on last name.)
Then we stopped at services. In which Carribob (for a change) bought his train magazine which I now presume the pages are stuck together within & Ben progressed onto Costa where he bought a muffin & tried to talk up one too! Elsewhere Albert & Ellis wasted £2.30 on two bags of chips at Burger King before we progressed onto what so far in my opinion is the pub of the season, a quint little country carvery called the Fromebridge Mill on the M5 just outside of Gloucester.
However on the way to the pub, we encountered a problem. One of the bearings off the coach fan had come loose causing the fan to become unstable & made a lot of noise to which "We're going to die" was bellowed out & the coach managed to make it home after grease of the bottom of the IDL mini bus was used to get the coach home. The fan then broke & coach broke down in Cottingley after returning home.
Whilst at the pub we had two shameless attempts of being served underage. There was the sneaky approach by me who tried to use the cider with a meal if your aged 16 law which has since been abolished to get a koppaberg which failed even though he did then tell me he'd have served me if I hadn't admitted I was underage! Then there was the direct approach by Conor in which he just walked up to the bar & went can I have a fosters please which he was shot down when ID'd.
The carvery was top notch whilst the burgers were not but the highlight of the pub stop was Ben & Companies shameless perving on the lass serving the carvery & her mate the waitress who as Ben said 'had plenty of cleavage on show for the lads.' After a little wander outside & a game of invisible car park American Football (no me either) we went back onto the coach & headed to the Memorial Stadium for the game.
So, the game got under way at the Memorial but for City it wasn't a very productive start. After a Lee Brown effort went wide, Bristol Rovers continued there onslaught with a inswinging corner & after a bout of head tennis between the City defence & Rovers attack the ball fell back to the feet off Lee Brown who's shot came off the leg off City keeper Super Jonny Mac into the back of net to break the deadlock & gave Rovers an early lead.
The first half was poor for the visitors moments after the goal Rob Kozluk made a clearance from Chris Zebroski. Ricky Ravenhill then made a clearance from a Lee Brown free kick before City had two crosses of there own cleared through Rob Kozluk & Craig Fagan. Business then resumed for the home side when Andrew Davies made two clearances from Andy Dorman crosses whilst Elliot Richards fouled Seip in the box attempting to get to the ball.
Marcel Seip had a 30 yard effort & Kozluk was booked for unsporting behaviour before the ball fell to the feet of Craig Fagan who instead of taking a touch & going for goal whilst one on one with the keeper went first time & blazed quite embarrassingly wide. Chris Zebroski had an effort saved by Jon McLaughlin as did Andy Dorman whilst Fagan blazed over again & half time came with the home side leading by one goal to nil.
Only talking point of half time was Carribob throwing a strop because I hit him for belltapping me so onto the second half we go!
The first ten minutes of second half was a drag affair with the game dictated by fouls, cards, corners & throw ins with the only real chance a weak effort by a under performing Nahki Wells. Before in the 55th minute calamity struck the visitors. Andrew Davies mucked up a pass to Rob Kozluk & allowed Elliot Richards to break free and go one on one with Jonny Mac where he then calmly slotted the ball into the back off the net to double the home sides advantage & leave the writing on the wall for City.
Bradford then began to put some pressure on their hosts goal with David Syers having a cross cleared & Rob Kozluk shooting for range only to have the effort blocked by Aaron Downes. Then some more pressure from a free kick saw Rovers keeper Michael Poke spill the ball but to his luck Craig Fagan smashed wide. PP then made a double substitution, dragging the under performing Nahki Wells & loan debutant Will Atkinson off & throwing fellow loanee Deane Smalley & the returning Kyel Reid onto the field of play. Some end to end hoofball was brought to an end when Rob Kozluk clashed heads with Elliot Richards & was shown a controversial second yellow to bring an end to his afternoon & starting a City revival.
First off all Michael Poke made a fantastic catch from a Reid cross before an attacking throwing from David Syers saw some head tennis between the City attack before Deane Smalley headed on to the on rushing Andrew Davies & Dave Syers & Syers smashed the ball into the back of net to half the deficit knocking Davies for seven in the process. City then piled on serious pressure with cross after cross from Reid with the odd one from Seip & Hanson being frantically cleared by the home side before some rest bite when James Hanson volleyed over from 12 yards.
Bristol Rovers managed to muster an attack of there own when Scott McGleish won a corner before Lee Brown whipped one in & after a poor clearing header by Marcel Seip saw Elliot Richards take a first time volley sweetly only for it to punched wide by a fantastic Jonny Mac save. Moments later Lee Bullock made a clearance from Chris Zebroski then the attack came to an end when Ricky Ravenhill was booked from unsporting behaviour.
Bullock & Seip then made clearances at the other end before City hit on the attack again when a Andrew Davies header destined for goal to bring the visitors level was magnificently tipped over by Rovers keeper Michael Poke. Reid then whipped in a few more dangerous lingering crosses before a tired Bullock came off to replaced by Charlie Taylor who made his last appearance of his loan spell from the enemy. Bristol Rovers then had a clear chance to win the game when a McGleish header from a Brown corner went wide before the most controversial moment of the afternoon occurred.
After a wonderful pass to his feet Kyel Reid made a feline for the penalty area skipping past defender after defender when he then made his way into the box he was taken clear out by a dangerous two footed challenge from behind by the already booked Chris Zebroski. Any normal referee would give a penalty but not this one & Reid got up & played on blazing a cross over the crossbar then after some more panicky defending by the hosts, the game came to an end.
The first hour home was spent discussing & reflecting on the City performance whilst Steve went up & down the coach getting votes to confirm that Kyel Reid had been awarded man of the match. But then the Shippers newbies were invited up to the back to take part in the back of the coach initiation test. First of all they had to listen to stories of players WAG's past & Ben doing some naughty business on a train back from Doncaster, all I'll say is it lasted eleven minutes & involved two fingers!
We then got to services where Ayesha's attempts to catch Doughnut saw her nearly put me on my backside in the car park before Doughnut became a kid at Christmas when he saw a Krispy Kreme before his eyes! After the usual buying & eating of KFC's & Burger Kings we headed on our final leg home with more talk of trains, sex & football before finally returning home.
CITY PLAYER RATINGS:
Jon McLaughlin - 7 - MOTM - Jonny Mac could have done better for the first & stood no chance for the second because of Seip's stupid pass. But he pulled of 3 or 4 fantastic saves to stop them running riot! Especially the one where the striker rounded him & he just punched the ball from his foot out for a corner & another one from Lee Brown what he finger tipped wide after the defence failed to close him down from a poor corner clearance. Did make me laugh when he took Marcel out trying to make a save though! Lad went to shoot round Marcel, Jonny Mac went through Seip & still managed to make a save!
Rob Kozluk - 4 - Didn't really add much to the team & this was shown as the side improved following his red card.
Andrew Davies - 7 - Put his head everywhere & had to go off three times for treatment for doing so. Made fantastic defensive headers & some even more fantastic attacking headers bringing out the best in Rovers keeper Michael Poke
Lee Bullock - 6 - Solid shift by Bullock! Wasn't afraid to get stuck in & helped an awful lot when Kozluk saw red.
Marcel Seip - 5 - Likes to kick the ball into the stand an awful lot but gets the job done!
Craig Fagan - 4 - He just doesn't seem bothered. Wasted too many chances for a player of his quality & leaves the ball to go out of play if it doesn't go directly to his feet! Has to learn that that doesn't happen in League Two.
David Syers - 6 - His work rate is second to none! Covers every inch of the pitch & even chipped in with a goal to help the fight back!
Ricky Ravenhill - 6 - Just like Dave Syers, work rate is fantastic & covers every inch of the pitch & gets stuck in when required.
Will Atkinson - 5 - Forgot he was there until he was subbed off so hard to rate him.
James Hanson - 6 - Got stuck in & did a shift when needed, getting better & better the more he gets criticised!
Nahki Wells - 5 - Under performed again & only had once chance which he wasted.
SUBS:
Kyel Reid - 7 - Changed the rhythm of the game & put City on the front foot & the Rovers defence didn't know how to handle him! Could tell he was ready to go after his lay off.
Deane Smalley - 4 - Apart from his knock down for the goal didn't really offer much.
Charlie Taylor - 5 - Held the fort for the last few minutes & did so well before returning to Beeston.
And to finish as always, Chapman's XI:
Was it worth the money? Coach trip & last twenty minutes of game it was, the first seventy minutes of the game not so much.
City MOTM - Jon McLaughlin - Jonny Mac could have done better for the first & stood no chance for the second because of Seip's stupid pass. But he pulled of 3 or 4 fantastic saves to stop them running riot! Especially the one where the striker rounded him & he just punched the ball from his foot out for a corner & another one from Lee Brown what he finger tipped wide after the defence failed to close him down from a poor corner clearance. Did make me laugh when he took Marcel out trying to make a save though! Lad went to shoot round Marcel, Jonny Mac went through Seip & still managed to make a save!
Bristol Rovers MOTM - Elliot Richards - The lad scored a goal from a defensive howler but apart from that created & had plenty of chances & helped his side dominate until Kyel Reid's return.
Quote of the Match - "Baaaaa I'm a Sheep!" - A very un usual reply to mine & Ben's prank call!
Fan of the Match - The Bristol Rovers fans in fancy dress behind the goal, they do know Christmas was last month right?
Chant of the Match - The Molenaar chant was incredibly annoying & pointless but it did raise a chuckle or two.
FB Status of the Match - Wooo FA Cup Day... Jokes we lost to Watford! Off to Bristol Rovers instead! C'mon City! - I decide to mock the Crawl£y fans repeated FA Cup day statuses with one of my own!
Tweet of the Match - Wise words from @dmil11 'They are frustrating to watch, but horrendous to listen to' #bcafc - Thomas Milner (The lad who use to go round with Bolton on Waterloo Road) reflects on listening to City on Radio L***s with Derm & company.
Referee Watch - Chris Sarginson - Man's a muppet & cost City a point with his sending off Kozluk & not awarding a clear, clear penalty for Kyel Reid. Please give up the day job pal!
FATWATCH - It has to go to the waddler in the home seating by the away terracing how could barely stand up! Who ate all the pies? You did sir!
Saturday 28th January 2012 - Memorial Stadium - Attendance: 6164 (426 Visitors)
So after over a month the blog is back! I'd like to firstly give you my apologies for the absence of the blog as I've been otherwise occupied (and we've been poor over this last month) & unable to write the blog. But it's back! And we've got the story of Bristol Rovers away.
A 8am start aboard the Shippers Fun Bus gave us the beginning of a day full of laughter, anger, fun & tears. The first hour or two past without anything worth talking about in the blog but when Holly gave us some Walsall, Chesterfield & Sunderland chocolates just short of passing the Banks's Stadium home of Walsall on the motorway that's when we the day really got under way.
We had some BBM banter with a Dagenham & Redbridge or Torquay United fan, either way he supports both & at the end of the day is a utter bell. He crossed a very thin line with his idea of football day 'banter' by mocking the death of Doughnut's Grandad. Just for those who read this wanting to know his name, he's called James (waiting on last name.)
Then we stopped at services. In which Carribob (for a change) bought his train magazine which I now presume the pages are stuck together within & Ben progressed onto Costa where he bought a muffin & tried to talk up one too! Elsewhere Albert & Ellis wasted £2.30 on two bags of chips at Burger King before we progressed onto what so far in my opinion is the pub of the season, a quint little country carvery called the Fromebridge Mill on the M5 just outside of Gloucester.
However on the way to the pub, we encountered a problem. One of the bearings off the coach fan had come loose causing the fan to become unstable & made a lot of noise to which "We're going to die" was bellowed out & the coach managed to make it home after grease of the bottom of the IDL mini bus was used to get the coach home. The fan then broke & coach broke down in Cottingley after returning home.
Whilst at the pub we had two shameless attempts of being served underage. There was the sneaky approach by me who tried to use the cider with a meal if your aged 16 law which has since been abolished to get a koppaberg which failed even though he did then tell me he'd have served me if I hadn't admitted I was underage! Then there was the direct approach by Conor in which he just walked up to the bar & went can I have a fosters please which he was shot down when ID'd.
The carvery was top notch whilst the burgers were not but the highlight of the pub stop was Ben & Companies shameless perving on the lass serving the carvery & her mate the waitress who as Ben said 'had plenty of cleavage on show for the lads.' After a little wander outside & a game of invisible car park American Football (no me either) we went back onto the coach & headed to the Memorial Stadium for the game.
So, the game got under way at the Memorial but for City it wasn't a very productive start. After a Lee Brown effort went wide, Bristol Rovers continued there onslaught with a inswinging corner & after a bout of head tennis between the City defence & Rovers attack the ball fell back to the feet off Lee Brown who's shot came off the leg off City keeper Super Jonny Mac into the back of net to break the deadlock & gave Rovers an early lead.
The first half was poor for the visitors moments after the goal Rob Kozluk made a clearance from Chris Zebroski. Ricky Ravenhill then made a clearance from a Lee Brown free kick before City had two crosses of there own cleared through Rob Kozluk & Craig Fagan. Business then resumed for the home side when Andrew Davies made two clearances from Andy Dorman crosses whilst Elliot Richards fouled Seip in the box attempting to get to the ball.
Marcel Seip had a 30 yard effort & Kozluk was booked for unsporting behaviour before the ball fell to the feet of Craig Fagan who instead of taking a touch & going for goal whilst one on one with the keeper went first time & blazed quite embarrassingly wide. Chris Zebroski had an effort saved by Jon McLaughlin as did Andy Dorman whilst Fagan blazed over again & half time came with the home side leading by one goal to nil.
Only talking point of half time was Carribob throwing a strop because I hit him for belltapping me so onto the second half we go!
The first ten minutes of second half was a drag affair with the game dictated by fouls, cards, corners & throw ins with the only real chance a weak effort by a under performing Nahki Wells. Before in the 55th minute calamity struck the visitors. Andrew Davies mucked up a pass to Rob Kozluk & allowed Elliot Richards to break free and go one on one with Jonny Mac where he then calmly slotted the ball into the back off the net to double the home sides advantage & leave the writing on the wall for City.
Bradford then began to put some pressure on their hosts goal with David Syers having a cross cleared & Rob Kozluk shooting for range only to have the effort blocked by Aaron Downes. Then some more pressure from a free kick saw Rovers keeper Michael Poke spill the ball but to his luck Craig Fagan smashed wide. PP then made a double substitution, dragging the under performing Nahki Wells & loan debutant Will Atkinson off & throwing fellow loanee Deane Smalley & the returning Kyel Reid onto the field of play. Some end to end hoofball was brought to an end when Rob Kozluk clashed heads with Elliot Richards & was shown a controversial second yellow to bring an end to his afternoon & starting a City revival.
First off all Michael Poke made a fantastic catch from a Reid cross before an attacking throwing from David Syers saw some head tennis between the City attack before Deane Smalley headed on to the on rushing Andrew Davies & Dave Syers & Syers smashed the ball into the back of net to half the deficit knocking Davies for seven in the process. City then piled on serious pressure with cross after cross from Reid with the odd one from Seip & Hanson being frantically cleared by the home side before some rest bite when James Hanson volleyed over from 12 yards.
Bristol Rovers managed to muster an attack of there own when Scott McGleish won a corner before Lee Brown whipped one in & after a poor clearing header by Marcel Seip saw Elliot Richards take a first time volley sweetly only for it to punched wide by a fantastic Jonny Mac save. Moments later Lee Bullock made a clearance from Chris Zebroski then the attack came to an end when Ricky Ravenhill was booked from unsporting behaviour.
Bullock & Seip then made clearances at the other end before City hit on the attack again when a Andrew Davies header destined for goal to bring the visitors level was magnificently tipped over by Rovers keeper Michael Poke. Reid then whipped in a few more dangerous lingering crosses before a tired Bullock came off to replaced by Charlie Taylor who made his last appearance of his loan spell from the enemy. Bristol Rovers then had a clear chance to win the game when a McGleish header from a Brown corner went wide before the most controversial moment of the afternoon occurred.
After a wonderful pass to his feet Kyel Reid made a feline for the penalty area skipping past defender after defender when he then made his way into the box he was taken clear out by a dangerous two footed challenge from behind by the already booked Chris Zebroski. Any normal referee would give a penalty but not this one & Reid got up & played on blazing a cross over the crossbar then after some more panicky defending by the hosts, the game came to an end.
The first hour home was spent discussing & reflecting on the City performance whilst Steve went up & down the coach getting votes to confirm that Kyel Reid had been awarded man of the match. But then the Shippers newbies were invited up to the back to take part in the back of the coach initiation test. First of all they had to listen to stories of players WAG's past & Ben doing some naughty business on a train back from Doncaster, all I'll say is it lasted eleven minutes & involved two fingers!
We then got to services where Ayesha's attempts to catch Doughnut saw her nearly put me on my backside in the car park before Doughnut became a kid at Christmas when he saw a Krispy Kreme before his eyes! After the usual buying & eating of KFC's & Burger Kings we headed on our final leg home with more talk of trains, sex & football before finally returning home.
CITY PLAYER RATINGS:
Jon McLaughlin - 7 - MOTM - Jonny Mac could have done better for the first & stood no chance for the second because of Seip's stupid pass. But he pulled of 3 or 4 fantastic saves to stop them running riot! Especially the one where the striker rounded him & he just punched the ball from his foot out for a corner & another one from Lee Brown what he finger tipped wide after the defence failed to close him down from a poor corner clearance. Did make me laugh when he took Marcel out trying to make a save though! Lad went to shoot round Marcel, Jonny Mac went through Seip & still managed to make a save!
Rob Kozluk - 4 - Didn't really add much to the team & this was shown as the side improved following his red card.
Andrew Davies - 7 - Put his head everywhere & had to go off three times for treatment for doing so. Made fantastic defensive headers & some even more fantastic attacking headers bringing out the best in Rovers keeper Michael Poke
Lee Bullock - 6 - Solid shift by Bullock! Wasn't afraid to get stuck in & helped an awful lot when Kozluk saw red.
Marcel Seip - 5 - Likes to kick the ball into the stand an awful lot but gets the job done!
Craig Fagan - 4 - He just doesn't seem bothered. Wasted too many chances for a player of his quality & leaves the ball to go out of play if it doesn't go directly to his feet! Has to learn that that doesn't happen in League Two.
David Syers - 6 - His work rate is second to none! Covers every inch of the pitch & even chipped in with a goal to help the fight back!
Ricky Ravenhill - 6 - Just like Dave Syers, work rate is fantastic & covers every inch of the pitch & gets stuck in when required.
Will Atkinson - 5 - Forgot he was there until he was subbed off so hard to rate him.
James Hanson - 6 - Got stuck in & did a shift when needed, getting better & better the more he gets criticised!
Nahki Wells - 5 - Under performed again & only had once chance which he wasted.
SUBS:
Kyel Reid - 7 - Changed the rhythm of the game & put City on the front foot & the Rovers defence didn't know how to handle him! Could tell he was ready to go after his lay off.
Deane Smalley - 4 - Apart from his knock down for the goal didn't really offer much.
Charlie Taylor - 5 - Held the fort for the last few minutes & did so well before returning to Beeston.
And to finish as always, Chapman's XI:
Was it worth the money? Coach trip & last twenty minutes of game it was, the first seventy minutes of the game not so much.
City MOTM - Jon McLaughlin - Jonny Mac could have done better for the first & stood no chance for the second because of Seip's stupid pass. But he pulled of 3 or 4 fantastic saves to stop them running riot! Especially the one where the striker rounded him & he just punched the ball from his foot out for a corner & another one from Lee Brown what he finger tipped wide after the defence failed to close him down from a poor corner clearance. Did make me laugh when he took Marcel out trying to make a save though! Lad went to shoot round Marcel, Jonny Mac went through Seip & still managed to make a save!
Bristol Rovers MOTM - Elliot Richards - The lad scored a goal from a defensive howler but apart from that created & had plenty of chances & helped his side dominate until Kyel Reid's return.
Quote of the Match - "Baaaaa I'm a Sheep!" - A very un usual reply to mine & Ben's prank call!
Fan of the Match - The Bristol Rovers fans in fancy dress behind the goal, they do know Christmas was last month right?
Chant of the Match - The Molenaar chant was incredibly annoying & pointless but it did raise a chuckle or two.
FB Status of the Match - Wooo FA Cup Day... Jokes we lost to Watford! Off to Bristol Rovers instead! C'mon City! - I decide to mock the Crawl£y fans repeated FA Cup day statuses with one of my own!
Tweet of the Match - Wise words from @dmil11 'They are frustrating to watch, but horrendous to listen to' #bcafc - Thomas Milner (The lad who use to go round with Bolton on Waterloo Road) reflects on listening to City on Radio L***s with Derm & company.
Referee Watch - Chris Sarginson - Man's a muppet & cost City a point with his sending off Kozluk & not awarding a clear, clear penalty for Kyel Reid. Please give up the day job pal!
FATWATCH - It has to go to the waddler in the home seating by the away terracing how could barely stand up! Who ate all the pies? You did sir!