I am about to go on holiday, so I am putting up the next 2 matches at a time which could be crucial in the race for a play-off spot. Being 2000 miles away means that I shall be in greater exile from events as they unfold than normally.
Sunderland will have been shocked yesterday and we might hope that it was more a matter of Sunderland nerves than Coventry’s performance that brought the result. Rovers history exudes the destructiveness of the worry that attends teams at this stage of the season. There was Cheltenham in 2008 when we slipped out of the automatic promotion places and the slump that saw us fall to 3rd two years ago, not to mention two miserable failures to avoid relegation.
A point against Sunderland would be the maximum expectation based on the strength of the squads, but they are probably weaker and more nervous at home and the intensity of the expectation, the game in hand, the worry of the play-offs, may add more to the home nerves.
Before Coventry, Oxford, Fleetwood, Peterborough, Wycombe, Shrewsbury, Blackpool, Accrington and most recently Burton have all denied them 3 points at home, where until yesterday they do not score many goals and this is another rationale which would give us a chance.
Accrington present less of a challenge and have a very gruelling end of season with games against Luton (H) and Portsmouth (A) as well as us for their last 4. They do have 48 points and probably will not be safe by the time we play them.
I’ll say 2-1 to us in both games, Marquis/Wilks to score in both games with 30,000 present at the Stadium of Light and 8000 at the Keepmoat.
DPL, Sunderland and Accrington
posted on 23/4/19
Rovers 3-1 Accrington
Marquis to score,
Crowd 7,676
posted on 23/4/19
rovers 2- accrington 0 - wilks - 7453crowd
posted on 23/4/19
At half time my friend said we played worse than when we got stuffed 4-0 by Fleetwood, but I think he was wrong. That first 45 minutes was so bad it was almost funny. AS could have had four goals. May and Crawford managed to play marginally worse than the rest, which is saying something, and they were hooked at half time to be replaced by Whiteman and Sadlier. A better second half sure, but we aren't a team that can come back from 0-2 and so it proved. A good free kick from Andrew pulled one goal back but far too late and smacking a post in injury time if anything made the loss worse. We could win away at Oxford and at home to Coventry, but I wouldn't bet on it. I think we are done. Odd to think though that if you had told me in August that we would finish in the top eight I would have laughed.
posted on 23/4/19
Im in Tenerife.
But Crawford did really well at Sunderland wen he came on.
And im not his biggest fan
posted on 23/4/19
McCann said that he could have taken off anyone at half time - but he took off May and Crawford. (The Free Press described Crawford's performance as woeful.) May is a lovely lad who plays his heart out but he is not the goal scoring partner that Marquis needs. Over the season Crawford has played some blinding long passes and free kicks but when he is bad he is so awful that he can cost us a game. Wildly inconsistent is not what we need. It will be an interesting close season.
posted on 24/4/19
When I saw the team picks, I said to my wife it should be Sadlier, not May. As Art said, I like May as a person, but he has not come up to L1 standards. Sadlier shows potential, and if he tries to get nearer than always shooting from distance, he could be great next season.
Crawford is frustrating - either good or awful.
I think inconsistency is our main problem, as well as collapsing at the end of the season.
My cousin is an Oxford fan, and must be gloating over their great recent run. Maybe we will surprise everyone and win away!
After the last two performances it is hard to say we are Championship standard.
posted on 24/4/19
Just shows how dependent we are on No 26. Absent for personal reasons. Hopefully back Saturday and fully motivated. What would we do without him?
posted on 24/4/19
I really fancied us from the start of the season to finish in a play off spot, then win at Wembley. After the last few games, I'm thinking maybe 7th isn't such a bad finish.
If we just happen to win it, I think we'd need about 15 new players, cos this team has to many without a backbone. Don't know how to fight or just don't want to fight. Needed a leader for a long time, but none has stepped forward.
Think there will be a fair bit of players leaving and arriving in the close season, McCann bringing his own type of players in to go for it next season as we will be one of 4 or 5 clubs who can go for it.
Think Marquis will be sold, Rowe may go to Peterborough, as long as we don't let Whiteman go.
Can sea Marosi leaving too, Andrews also a possibility as young Amos is getting rave reviews. I couple of the other young ones will step up too.
All in all, at the moment it seems this season has been another let down, till you calm down and think we are still on target to achieve our goal of being a championship side. We've just over achieved this season, yet it's still not over
posted on 24/4/19
Having watched the Portsmouth-Coventry match, I was impressed with Coventry whose football was at times a class above Portsmouth’s. So whilst we could have a chance of a result against the latter, it seems we would have considerable difficulty dealing with Coventry in order to create the opportunity.
posted on 26/4/19
I dearly hope that our players are more confident and upbeat than some of our supporters.