kirsikka
UTC Legend
--- Ruthless Cherries Give Barnsley What Four ---
After the disappointment of the last two performances and with Lerma out suspended, JT switched things up tactically returning to three at the back. Surridge came in after his excellent performance from the bench last time out with Billing taking on a midfield role.
Despite possibly the worst kick off in the history of the club, the Cherries nearly took an opening minute lead when Surridge latched onto a long ball over the top into the channel. The Barnsley keeper, possibly still on a pre-match energy drink buzz, came careering out of his area but was second in the race. With the goal unguarded but from a difficult angle outside of the area Surridge couldn’t quite squeeze the shot home.
It was the opening salvo in what was to prove a frenetic opening spell with the teams seeming to take it in turns to try and create something only for it to break down and head straight up the other end. Solanke never reached full throttle when he couldn’t quite get to a good Billing through ball whilst a header back across goal from Surridge was met with a Dom header wide and over the target.
It was the opposite of cagey, with Barnsley producing some slick football of their own to force Begovic into an early save and then creating chaos in the Cherries box after a free kick that they worked into a dangerous area and Begovic spilled.
I’ll be honest, from a fan’s perspective it was ten minutes being played in an open way that was a joy to watch. Yes, there were moments lacking quality from both teams but it was exciting to see both of them having a go. The kind of football I imagine is the stuff of Sean Dyche’s nightmares.
Then on 11 minutes Smith and Brooks smartly exchanged near the touchline on the halfway line leaving Smith with a big gap to burst into heading diagonally towards the centre of their box. I was shocked to see Smith stay on his feet when the defensive nudge came in given his usual response and it paid off. Solanke’s decoy run dragged defenders away leaving Barnsley’s defensive shape a mess and Billing unmarked outside their box. Smith laid it off to him and, with defenders desperately bearing down on him, he controlled it, set himself and fired into the corner.
A very nicely worked goal and I hope we’ll see Smith try to ride the challenges more in future after this.
Billing was like a man reborn after last Saturday, showing all over the pitch and being decisive with the ball. One cut back nearly allowed Solanke to force home but for some sharp keeping. Meanwhile Surridge was following up his last match with a physical display all across the front line offering us something different and the Barnsley defence a challenge they maybe weren’t expecting.
It was interesting to see how much we played it long. Tricky to say with certainty if this was to take advantage of having Surridge on the pitch or a specific tactic to try and exploit space we expected Barnsley to leave at the back given their cavalier approach to attacking. I suspect the latter and so commend the management for spotting it.
It was a half punctuated by several Barnsley warnings where they fired the ball across goal only for nobody to get on the end of it or, the one time someone did, Helik smacking a shot against his own player only for it to spin wide. Even given he’s now 60, I suspect Gary Lineker would have grabbed at least a couple for them tonight. They were those kind of chances.
Despite the balance of play being fairly even, the half finished with another clinical moment. A Barnsley player tried to dribble out of his half and three quarters rode a Billing challenge but the small delay this caused him allowed Lewis Cook to slide in and steal the ball and get it through to an onrushing Solanke. This time Dom burst into the area and smashed it inside the near post with his left foot. A great finish and huge bonus before the break.
No changes at half time but, despite the cushion, it still felt like a game in the balance.
Surridge continued to make a nuisance of himself and won a free kick on 50 when pushed over after muscling his way into prime position to chase down a ball. It seemed a fairly innocuous position, wide right and out from the area, but Rico must have watched Stan try to catch the goalie out from a similar position in a recent match. Rather than going for the expected cross he fired directly at goal with pace and accuracy, catching the keeper unawares. 3-0 and the Cherries could relax a little.
To their credit, Barnsley didn’t give up and almost immediately forced Begovic into a save from a skidding shot and then fired yet another ball across the area begging for a striker to gobble it up but left unclaimed.
Throughout the match there were some careless moments at the back with Mepham and L Cook the main culprits but each time the Cherries escaped unpunished.
Then on 67 minutes, Surridge robbed the Barnsley defenders of possession on the halfway line after a slack pass and headed like a tank straight at goal. Even when a defender tried to haul him down in desperation, he shrugged it off with derisory ease and sent in a shot from the edge of the area. It was close to the keeper and he probably should have saved it but could only take most of the pace off it, leaving the ball to squirm over the line without actually troubling the netting.
4-0 and the Cherries went into cruise control with multiple youngsters coming on including a second appearance for Anthony who looked the brightest of the bunch.
There was time for one outrageous tackle from Andersen on Gosling that could easily have been a red but the ref maybe felt he’d suffered enough and settled for the yellow.
A 91st minute low interception from Begovic to cut out yet another ball across the six yard box sealed the clean sheet to go with the three points that were already wrapped up with a pretty bow on top.
--- Conclusions ---
- We were ruthlessly clinical. There’s no way we were four goals better than them but we took chances with whilst they spurned theirs. It’s great to see such confidence in hitting the back of the net.
- Some teams are built around one player building an innings of goals whilst the others get bits and pieces. It’s becoming clear that this team is about goals across the whole side. Thirteen different players have now scored for us this season. This leaves us less exposed to an injury to one player so is a huge plus.
- I gave Billing pelters last Saturday but he did well in 15 minutes on Tuesday and was excellent tonight. More of this Billing please, he looks a real player.
- I’ve seen us play better but I don’t think I’ve seen us be so efficient for a long time.
- My main concern from the night is how many times Barnsley managed to get low balls across our six yard box. I couldn’t pin it but there must have been a tactical defensive deficiency somewhere that needs addressing as if they’d had a striker that could sniff goals out it could have been 4-4.
- The variation in performance level from match to match, or even half to half, can be startling for this side. Possibly more than any AFCB team I can remember. It’s a conundrum that does need solving as the Championship can’t stay like this all year. A couple of teams will sort themselves out eventually and we need to stay with them. For that we need more of tonight, less of the last two.
--- Player Ratings ---
Begovic – 7
A few smart saves and one spill but wasn’t called into action as much as the chances created should have meant.
Mepham – 6
Careless on the ball more than once but still looked mostly alright.
S Cook – 7
Led the defence and covered for others mistakes a few times.
Kelly – 6
Seemed more comfortable here than in his recent LB role.
A Smith (off on 90) – 7
Probably his best performance this season. Great work on the first goal.
Billing (off on 90) – 8 and Man of the Match
His detractors may point to the mistakes he made but a lot of our good play went through him and, crucially, he was trying to make things happen and put himself about a bit.
L Cook (off on 81) – 6
A few sloppy moments that we were lucky to get away with but still gets the assist for the Solanke goal. He’s had better nights but he wasn’t in any way bad.
Brooks (off on 72) - 6
Again struggled to impose himself on the match. He’s had a tricky three games now but he’s match fit at least so let’s hope he blossoms into life again soon.
Rico – 7
The free kick was a thing of beauty and he actually did alright in the wing back role.
Solanke (off on 72) – 7
Bustling centre forward performance and well taken goal.
Surridge – 8
Made life very difficult for the Barnsley defence with his physicality and will to win throughout. Well done.
--- Subs ---
Anthony (on from 72) - 6
Looked good in flashes. Promising.
Gosling (on from 72) – 6
Shored things up. No complaints.
Riquelme (on from 81) – 6
One good run immediately after coming on but the game was pretty much over for his spell on the pitch.
Kilkenny (on from 90) and Ofoborh (on from 90).
Nice to see Kilkenny make his league debut.
Overall Grade: B+
It was a bizarre game in some respects as I don’t think we blew them away apart from with our finishing. They were often matching us with some decent passing and incisive moves whilst we went far more direct than normal but were absolutely brutal in putting them down.
I think we have to give credit to the men in charge as it feels like a tactical triumph as we exposed their weaknesses. It seems harsh to not give an A grade given the margin of victory but we didn’t completely lock them out, more they spurned the opportunities they created. We were like elite assassins at the other end.
After the disappointment of the last two performances and with Lerma out suspended, JT switched things up tactically returning to three at the back. Surridge came in after his excellent performance from the bench last time out with Billing taking on a midfield role.
Despite possibly the worst kick off in the history of the club, the Cherries nearly took an opening minute lead when Surridge latched onto a long ball over the top into the channel. The Barnsley keeper, possibly still on a pre-match energy drink buzz, came careering out of his area but was second in the race. With the goal unguarded but from a difficult angle outside of the area Surridge couldn’t quite squeeze the shot home.
It was the opening salvo in what was to prove a frenetic opening spell with the teams seeming to take it in turns to try and create something only for it to break down and head straight up the other end. Solanke never reached full throttle when he couldn’t quite get to a good Billing through ball whilst a header back across goal from Surridge was met with a Dom header wide and over the target.
It was the opposite of cagey, with Barnsley producing some slick football of their own to force Begovic into an early save and then creating chaos in the Cherries box after a free kick that they worked into a dangerous area and Begovic spilled.
I’ll be honest, from a fan’s perspective it was ten minutes being played in an open way that was a joy to watch. Yes, there were moments lacking quality from both teams but it was exciting to see both of them having a go. The kind of football I imagine is the stuff of Sean Dyche’s nightmares.
Then on 11 minutes Smith and Brooks smartly exchanged near the touchline on the halfway line leaving Smith with a big gap to burst into heading diagonally towards the centre of their box. I was shocked to see Smith stay on his feet when the defensive nudge came in given his usual response and it paid off. Solanke’s decoy run dragged defenders away leaving Barnsley’s defensive shape a mess and Billing unmarked outside their box. Smith laid it off to him and, with defenders desperately bearing down on him, he controlled it, set himself and fired into the corner.
A very nicely worked goal and I hope we’ll see Smith try to ride the challenges more in future after this.
Billing was like a man reborn after last Saturday, showing all over the pitch and being decisive with the ball. One cut back nearly allowed Solanke to force home but for some sharp keeping. Meanwhile Surridge was following up his last match with a physical display all across the front line offering us something different and the Barnsley defence a challenge they maybe weren’t expecting.
It was interesting to see how much we played it long. Tricky to say with certainty if this was to take advantage of having Surridge on the pitch or a specific tactic to try and exploit space we expected Barnsley to leave at the back given their cavalier approach to attacking. I suspect the latter and so commend the management for spotting it.
It was a half punctuated by several Barnsley warnings where they fired the ball across goal only for nobody to get on the end of it or, the one time someone did, Helik smacking a shot against his own player only for it to spin wide. Even given he’s now 60, I suspect Gary Lineker would have grabbed at least a couple for them tonight. They were those kind of chances.
Despite the balance of play being fairly even, the half finished with another clinical moment. A Barnsley player tried to dribble out of his half and three quarters rode a Billing challenge but the small delay this caused him allowed Lewis Cook to slide in and steal the ball and get it through to an onrushing Solanke. This time Dom burst into the area and smashed it inside the near post with his left foot. A great finish and huge bonus before the break.
No changes at half time but, despite the cushion, it still felt like a game in the balance.
Surridge continued to make a nuisance of himself and won a free kick on 50 when pushed over after muscling his way into prime position to chase down a ball. It seemed a fairly innocuous position, wide right and out from the area, but Rico must have watched Stan try to catch the goalie out from a similar position in a recent match. Rather than going for the expected cross he fired directly at goal with pace and accuracy, catching the keeper unawares. 3-0 and the Cherries could relax a little.
To their credit, Barnsley didn’t give up and almost immediately forced Begovic into a save from a skidding shot and then fired yet another ball across the area begging for a striker to gobble it up but left unclaimed.
Throughout the match there were some careless moments at the back with Mepham and L Cook the main culprits but each time the Cherries escaped unpunished.
Then on 67 minutes, Surridge robbed the Barnsley defenders of possession on the halfway line after a slack pass and headed like a tank straight at goal. Even when a defender tried to haul him down in desperation, he shrugged it off with derisory ease and sent in a shot from the edge of the area. It was close to the keeper and he probably should have saved it but could only take most of the pace off it, leaving the ball to squirm over the line without actually troubling the netting.
4-0 and the Cherries went into cruise control with multiple youngsters coming on including a second appearance for Anthony who looked the brightest of the bunch.
There was time for one outrageous tackle from Andersen on Gosling that could easily have been a red but the ref maybe felt he’d suffered enough and settled for the yellow.
A 91st minute low interception from Begovic to cut out yet another ball across the six yard box sealed the clean sheet to go with the three points that were already wrapped up with a pretty bow on top.
--- Conclusions ---
- We were ruthlessly clinical. There’s no way we were four goals better than them but we took chances with whilst they spurned theirs. It’s great to see such confidence in hitting the back of the net.
- Some teams are built around one player building an innings of goals whilst the others get bits and pieces. It’s becoming clear that this team is about goals across the whole side. Thirteen different players have now scored for us this season. This leaves us less exposed to an injury to one player so is a huge plus.
- I gave Billing pelters last Saturday but he did well in 15 minutes on Tuesday and was excellent tonight. More of this Billing please, he looks a real player.
- I’ve seen us play better but I don’t think I’ve seen us be so efficient for a long time.
- My main concern from the night is how many times Barnsley managed to get low balls across our six yard box. I couldn’t pin it but there must have been a tactical defensive deficiency somewhere that needs addressing as if they’d had a striker that could sniff goals out it could have been 4-4.
- The variation in performance level from match to match, or even half to half, can be startling for this side. Possibly more than any AFCB team I can remember. It’s a conundrum that does need solving as the Championship can’t stay like this all year. A couple of teams will sort themselves out eventually and we need to stay with them. For that we need more of tonight, less of the last two.
--- Player Ratings ---
Begovic – 7
A few smart saves and one spill but wasn’t called into action as much as the chances created should have meant.
Mepham – 6
Careless on the ball more than once but still looked mostly alright.
S Cook – 7
Led the defence and covered for others mistakes a few times.
Kelly – 6
Seemed more comfortable here than in his recent LB role.
A Smith (off on 90) – 7
Probably his best performance this season. Great work on the first goal.
Billing (off on 90) – 8 and Man of the Match
His detractors may point to the mistakes he made but a lot of our good play went through him and, crucially, he was trying to make things happen and put himself about a bit.
L Cook (off on 81) – 6
A few sloppy moments that we were lucky to get away with but still gets the assist for the Solanke goal. He’s had better nights but he wasn’t in any way bad.
Brooks (off on 72) - 6
Again struggled to impose himself on the match. He’s had a tricky three games now but he’s match fit at least so let’s hope he blossoms into life again soon.
Rico – 7
The free kick was a thing of beauty and he actually did alright in the wing back role.
Solanke (off on 72) – 7
Bustling centre forward performance and well taken goal.
Surridge – 8
Made life very difficult for the Barnsley defence with his physicality and will to win throughout. Well done.
--- Subs ---
Anthony (on from 72) - 6
Looked good in flashes. Promising.
Gosling (on from 72) – 6
Shored things up. No complaints.
Riquelme (on from 81) – 6
One good run immediately after coming on but the game was pretty much over for his spell on the pitch.
Kilkenny (on from 90) and Ofoborh (on from 90).
Nice to see Kilkenny make his league debut.
Overall Grade: B+
It was a bizarre game in some respects as I don’t think we blew them away apart from with our finishing. They were often matching us with some decent passing and incisive moves whilst we went far more direct than normal but were absolutely brutal in putting them down.
I think we have to give credit to the men in charge as it feels like a tactical triumph as we exposed their weaknesses. It seems harsh to not give an A grade given the margin of victory but we didn’t completely lock them out, more they spurned the opportunities they created. We were like elite assassins at the other end.
