Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town preview and matchday thread

Here you can chat about everything and anything related to ITFC and other football issues. This forum also hosts the now Internationally famous TB.com ITFC match previews which contain insightful pre-match thoughts, previous highlights, news links relating to Town, form guides and other bits and pieces. Feel free to discuss meet ups/travel plans in here as well.

Moderators: Charnwood, Bluemike

Can we make it 3 in a row?

Bolton Wanderers win
0
No votes
Draw
5
42%
Ipswich Town win
7
58%
 
Total votes: 12

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Bluemike
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Re: Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town preview and matchday thread

Post by Bluemike » Wed Mar 09, 2016 12:35 pm

Last night was so frustrating in so many ways. The fact we were decidedly second best for most of the game to the bottom side is bemusing given our performance against Forest only Four days earlier. We failed to impose ourselves at any stage of the game and were on the back foot for much of the 98 minutes !!! That said, to be 2-0 up you kinda expect to see out the game and get the points.

It took us almost 6 minutes before we touched the ball I think such was the dominant start from Bolton, while we had created nothing of any real note for the opening 25 minutes we somehow found ourselves in front from a stunning goal from Bru, his effort crashing off the underside of the bar before crossing the line. For a while it saw us enjoy our best spell of the game as we appeared to grow a little in confidence but it was to be short lived. Chances continued to come and go for Bolton and one superb double save from Bart stopped an almost certain equaliser, it was a breathtaking save again from the big man. At the other end we were failing to create too many clear cut chances, a Brett Pitman effort the best of what we could muster. Incredibly we found ourselves going in ahead at HT, Bolton really had been the better team, they had tried to stretch us down both wings and warren Feeney had caused us no end of problems, firstly down our Left and then when he switched to the right, we just could not handle him, he is to Bolton what Ryan Fraser is to us.

The second half was a case of Town sitting back and trying to soak up what Bolton had to offer while attempting to catch them on the break and it was Town who were doing most of the defending again while creating the odd chance themselves, most notably through Sears. Somehow we managed to fashion a second goal when a AMN freekick found the head of Berra who buried the chance right in front of us, game over points in the bag, or so we all thought. I still believe had we seen out Five or Ten minutes at 2-0 we would have strolled over the line but somehow we contrived to c*ck it up, Barely a minute later the otherwise superb Bart gifted them a lifeline with a stupid punch straight to their player who made no mistake, very much game on again. We somehow passed up a gilt edged chance to make it 3-1 with Tommy Smith's header from another AMN cross shaving the post when he really should have scored, oh how we were to rue that missed opportunity. With the clock ticking down we seemed to be coping with everything they could throw at us and actually defended very well in our efforts to see out the game.

What came next was the Two big talking points of the game, the first was how did we find Six minutes of stoppage time and why did we play Eight ?? I could just sense I was going to be feeling the same despondancy that I felt at Brentford & Forest earlier in the season and so it proved. At the time the penalty was awarded I was furious and was calling AMN every name under the sun for such a careless and stupid lunge in at the striker, but lets get one thing straight, having seen it several times and slowed down it was NOT a penalty, the lad gets a clear touch on the ball first and then there is contact with the player, tough for the Ref to see in normal play ? Maybe yes but AMN did get the ball and this is maybe the reason why he was totally devastated at the final whistle, he had to be consoled by MM and the staff such was his disbelief. I had the pleasure of speaking with Chambo after the game who came over and shook hands and thanked us for the support, I could not resist but to ask him was it a penalty and he too was certain that it was not although he did say the lad should have cleared the danger before it got to that stage. I couldn't help but point out that with all results going our way it was a big chance squandered to which Chambo replied, rather with tongue in cheek I think that maybe it is a good thing for us to be on the cusp of the top Six at this time as the pressure is less intense and we didn't exactly deal with it that well last time, not sure but he may have a point, either way a top top bloke.

As disappointing as it is the positives from the night are that all around us are doing even worse so if we don't seem to want it neither do they, another positive is that with our game in hand we are still very much in the box seat but Satruday's game at Cardiff takes on huge importance and any kind of result there will be most welcome. Yes we missed a trick but it is far from all doom and gloom. Lets not forget Bolton have lost only Four times at home and had nothing to lose, they played with a freedom that suggests they know their fate and as such there was no pressure on them at all, they had also had the short rememberance service prior to kick off which clearly meant something to the people of Bolton so this was never going to be an easy ride and so it proved, to play so poorly and get a point has to be a positive in my book.

We go again Saturday where there will be plenty more twists and turns. Cardiff here I come !!!! COYB'S.

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Bluemike
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Re: Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town preview and matchday thread

Post by Bluemike » Wed Mar 09, 2016 1:46 pm

For those that may not have seen the highlights.

http://www.skysports.com/football/bolto ... ich/339952

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Re: Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town preview and matchday thread

Post by hallamblue » Wed Mar 09, 2016 1:46 pm

thanks for that Mike. some you win some you lose. typical of this division in all fairness.
Well done for travelling though. what time did u get home this morning?

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Re: Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town preview and matchday thread

Post by Charnwood » Wed Mar 09, 2016 2:10 pm

By all accounts maybe we did well to come home with a point, perhaps we should be grateful for small mercies rather than complain we didn't pick up all three points.

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Re: Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town preview and matchday thread

Post by Bluemike » Wed Mar 09, 2016 2:20 pm

hallamblue wrote:thanks for that Mike. some you win some you lose. typical of this division in all fairness.
Well done for travelling though. what time did u get home this morning?
It was after Four Hallam as the girlies wanted to see the players after the game which gave me the chance to speak with Chambo which was nice. We then dropped someone off in Bury so took a slight detour too.

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Re: Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town preview and matchday thread

Post by jaykay » Wed Mar 09, 2016 2:26 pm

dissapointing result after being 2 up.for those who went do you think dropping hyman made any difference.

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Re: Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town preview and matchday thread

Post by The Odious Mr Rossi » Wed Mar 09, 2016 2:37 pm

I've waited to see the comments of those at the game before commenting.

Very disappointing that once again we squander a lead and drop points.
On the plus side, at least we got 1 point, and as long as we win our home games then any away points we get are going to help our play-off aspirations. We still have achieved 7 points in 3 games, and if we could win on Saturday (ok it's unlikely but nonetheless possible) that would make 10 points in 4 games which would be better than our rivals.

The thing that bothers me now is why do we sit back and try to defend a lead - inviting the opposition to come at you is not usually a good idea as we have found out all too often. Is it MM's tactics/instructions, is it that the players are simply not good enough, or a combination of the 2? For the life of me, I don't know.

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Re: Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town preview and matchday thread

Post by Bluemike » Wed Mar 09, 2016 2:39 pm

jaykay wrote:dissapointing result after being 2 up.for those who went do you think dropping hyman made any difference.
In answer to that and with hindsight probably yes. I said before the game that you don't change a winning team, that said it may be MM has an eye on Saturday and needs to get as many players as possible match fit. I like Douglas but he did not have his best game last night, maybe a hungry Hyam would have got more of a hold of the Midfield, who knows.

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Re: Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town preview and matchday thread

Post by The Odious Mr Rossi » Wed Mar 09, 2016 2:57 pm

bluemike wrote:
jaykay wrote:dissapointing result after being 2 up.for those who went do you think dropping hyman made any difference.
In answer to that and with hindsight probably yes. I said before the game that you don't change a winning team, that said it may be MM has an eye on Saturday and needs to get as many players as possible match fit. I like Douglas but he did not have his best game last night, maybe a hungry Hyam would have got more of a hold of the Midfield, who knows.
Yes the general feeling is that you should never change a winning team, and I commented earlier that I was worried that Skuse or Douglas (or, God forbid, both) would be brought back. I don't know what possessed MM to change a winning team, and as the question was not asked by any of the media after the game I suppose I never will know.

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Re: Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town preview and matchday thread

Post by Dubai Blue » Wed Mar 09, 2016 3:26 pm

As always there are different points of view. Hyam is still not long back from injury and it makes sense to keep players fresh for a big game against Cardiff when you have a game against the bottom team. If we get a result on Saturday then we will consider it a good decision. If not then who knows. Probably it will be good for Douglas's recovery also to get a game, and probably a tough game at that by the sound of it.

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Re: Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town preview and matchday thread

Post by hallamblue » Wed Mar 09, 2016 6:37 pm

it seems a draw was a fair result. However it doesn't hide the simple fact that Town fail to see off teams when in the lead. We appear to have ridden our luck more than once on the night and for long periods we appear to struggle, again, to stay in possession of the ball. Bart for all his heroics would save a lot of goals if he'd only CATCH the ball instead of palming it away, keeping the ball live and in play, usually to be pumped straight back into the box again. It seems to a European GK trait to "save" shots in this way which always keeps the ball in play and needing to clear yet again.

Anyway. off to Cardiff ( Mike) again. Don't come back without the points! ;)

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Re: Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town preview and matchday thread

Post by Bluemike » Wed Mar 09, 2016 7:05 pm

hallamblue wrote:it seems a draw was a fair result. However it doesn't hide the simple fact that Town fail to see off teams when in the lead. We appear to have ridden our luck more than once on the night and for long periods we appear to struggle, again, to stay in possession of the ball. Bart for all his heroics would save a lot of goals if he'd only CATCH the ball instead of palming it away, keeping the ball live and in play, usually to be pumped straight back into the box again. It seems to a European GK trait to "save" shots in this way which always keeps the ball in play and needing to clear yet again.

Anyway. off to Cardiff ( Mike) again. Don't come back without the points! ;)
Will do my best mate LOL.

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Re: Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town preview and matchday thread

Post by arana peligrosa » Wed Mar 09, 2016 11:50 pm

Charnwood wrote:By all accounts maybe we did well to come home with a point, perhaps we should be grateful for small mercies rather than complain we didn't pick up all three points.
Stayed with the game for long periods, at least long enough to ascertain that Bolton could just have easily won on the night despite our two goal lead. In fairness, we got away with probably no more than we deserved, but the fact remains it was against a team occupying bottom position in the league. Yes they're fighting for their lives - both on and off the field - and obviously our second goal galvanized them into action but that we couldn't see out the game and the manner in which their equalizing goal came about, supporters have every right to vent their frustrations.

Not much else to be said on this game, what's done is done, the score can't be amended and we lost out on two points right at the end but as before, it's been a decent haul with seven points from the last three fixtures.

One a more sombre note today represents the 70 year anniversary of the old Burden Park disaster when over thirty people lost their lives due to overcrowding within the venue. The subsequent crush left many without loves ones, not to mention a high number for those receiving injuries and long standing trauma. Take this opportunity to give an honorable mention to the people lost and all those who were effected by this terrible ordeal.

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