Brief Synopsis!!! (Bristol Rovers) | PASOTI
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Brief Synopsis!!! (Bristol Rovers)

Mark Pedlar

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1) No Watts following injury against MKD. Lewis came in but surely it would be Fornah dropping into the back 3, not Lewis, and even less likely - a formation change to a back 4? But a 4 it was. Up front Ennis and Jephcott continued their partnership. Tomlinson came into the squad.

2) Argyle very fluid in attack with the 4 midfielders interchanging almost at will and very creative going forward. Jephcott and Ennis put the Rovers back 3 under pressure and forced them into the kind of errors that we're used to seeing our back 3 make. Camara and Fornah particularly involved.

3) Good work from Grant and especially Lewis set up Ennis for the first who was composed and placed his shot wide of the 'keeper. Lewis and Edwards were all over the field as we appeared to have abandoned defensive width. Ennis and Opoku stupidly booked.

4) Rovers started placing high balls into our box and we looked completely panic stricken. Two or three good chances went begging for Rovers but we rode our luck and our breaks always looked dangerous. Mayor had a great half, at one point turning two Rovers defenders with a disguised drag back.

5) Just before halftime Ennis doubled his and Argyle's score with very similar composed finish. Again it was Lewis the provider but I think the on rushing Camara was the intended target. No matter, it was a second for Argyle and perhaps a fortunate score line at the break.

6) Second half started as the first had gone, Rovers making probing attacks that looked dangerous against our flimsy defence with Argyle looking dangerous on the counter. Argyle won a series of corners, and they looked dangerous, but we couldn't make the most of the goalmouth scrambles.

7) Ennis hit the woodwork as he pushed for his hat-trick. Rovers had a purple patch and put huge amounts of pressure on the defence. A mixture of committed defending and luck kept them out. Lewis picked up our third yellow. With 12 to go Hardie replaced the brilliant Ennis.

8 ) Hardie was presented with an opportunity by the Lewis, Mayor combination but fluffed it. Rovers threw everything forward in an attempt to get back into the game and with Ennis off, little stuck up front as we cleared under pressure. As the 4 minutes of injury time was announced Moore replaced Jephcott. Cooper caught a cross.

9) Good games for Opoku and Jephcott, Mayor, Lewis and Grant very good in the first but less involved in the second until the last 10. Solid games for everyone. A much needed win. Perhaps being harsh we were a bit lucky in defence but at some point the coin had to fall in our favour. The away crowd was very quiet.

Michael Cooper - 7
Will Aimson - 7
Tyrese Fornah - 7
Jerome Opoku - 8
Joe Edwards - 8
Conor Grant - 7
Adam Lewis - 8
Panutche Camara - 7
Danny Mayor - 7
Luke Jephcott - 8
Niall Ennis - 9

Luke McCormick - unused
Sam Woods - unused
Ollie Tomlinson - unused
Ben Reeves - unused
Byron Moore - 5
Klaidi Lolos - unused
Ryan Hardie - 5
 

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So, a formation change, a back four. Watts out injured (presumably), and a 4-4-2 expected line up. Lewis and Edwards flanking Aimson and Opoku, Ennis and Jephcott up front, Camera, Fornah , Grant and Mayor the middle four. So that was it on paper ! A kind of must win game for both sides.
Well it ended up being a 4-2-2-2 with Grant and Fornah holding, with Mayor and Camera pushing on.
Rovers started brightly, but a Grant-Lewis- Ennis combination led to Argyle taking the lead on 6 minutes.
Camera could have added to the lead on 15 minutes but shot weakly. Ennis was booked, harshly, I thought on 18 minutes.
Rovers has the chance to equalise on 21 but Grant got a toe in to save the day. Rovers had some attacking moments but scrappy defending from Argyle and not exactly precision passing prevented an equaliser.
Grant had a shot on his weaker foot om the edge of the area on 29 minutes did not trouble their goalie.
Opoku, who had a great half in defence really should have doubled our lead on 31 minutes with a free header from 5 yards from a Grant free kick. He was booked on 38 minutes either for not releasing the ball or for verbals, having given away a free kick. He will be banned for one game.

Upson could then have levelled for Rovers on 42 minutes with a free header which sailed over the bar.

The Lewis -Grant-Ennis combo worked precisely again on 44 minutes with Ennis turning sharply and smashing it into the bottom corner. 2 V 0 at Half Time.

We are so threatening down the left side with Mayor, Grant and Lewis always having the better of the Rovers defence. So far, Ennis has been outstanding, Grant, Fornah and Opoku all been brilliant.

The second half was a tad more scrappy, with Rovers shooting from distance, and Argyle just one pass away from adding a third, particularly with Mayor´s typical runs down the goal line but unable to find a pass to n incoming forward.

Ennis hit the bar on 55 minutes which was unlucky not to get his hat trick. He came off on 78 minutes for Hardie. Moore came on for Jephcott on 90.

Many players had great games, Grant, Fornah, Camera, Aimson, Opoku and Cooper specifically but MoM was Ennis. We have a proper player here, not only a scorer but a worker at both end s of the pitch.

Deserved win and a clean sheet.
 

Mark Pedlar

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warney":35b5eim5 said:
Bit unfair on Grant to give a five. I thought he was excellent today.

Yes, my error should have been a 7. I've changed it.
 

RKB

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Really liked the new system, 4-2-2-2. We defended very well, with Aimson having his best game of the season. Rovers were a threat, getting in behind on a few occasions, but it was generally from their good play rather than, as has been the case, through our own frailty at the back.
Going forward we looked sharp and direct. I don't think we lost any width with the new system, because Edwards and Lewis were joining attacks all the time.
And take a bow Niall Ennis. What an outstanding, match-winning performance.
The monkey is off our back- hopefully we can now have a comfortable, maybe even enjoyable run-in.

Cooper 7
Edwards 7
Aimson 8
Opoku 7
Lewis 8
Fornah 7
Grant 7
Camara 7
Mayor 7
Ennis 9
Jephcott 7

Hardie 6
Moore N/A
 

jerryatricjanner

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A welcome win to stop the rot and a real team effort. Jephcott and Ennis worked tirelessly up front, Lewis linked well with Mayor and Grant especially first half and in the second half Opoku and Aimson led from the back with Fornah and Camera prominent in midfield. One more win to be sure though I don't think even that will be necessary.
 

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Really good to see Lowe trying different styles and formations of play.

Encouraging to know we have different tried and tested options if required.

Good result, positive changes and on to the next match.

Ennis by the way...
 
Mar 14, 2009
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Cracking result.

Ennis was Fabulous but thought Aimson, Lewis (in first half) and Fornah had good games.

Today we created more scoring opportunities than l have seen for a while. What l mean by this is crosses in the box (which resulted in goals) but provided us with many more half chances.

We are going to currently always be suspect at the back. There is no getting away from it. What we need then is to be threatening going towards. Today we carried that threat. Ennis looks a player. In the last few games we have seen great hold up play. Today we saw his finishing awareness of where he needed to be in the box. Very unlucky not to have a hat-trick.

Lowe changed the system. and people seem to think it was a 4-2-2-2. Whatever it was, l just thought it was refreshing and brave. We just had more natural width l thought. Is there a possibility we can work on this more going forward? There was only one silly square ball by C Grant in the second half. Otherwise l thought the small triangles of play from the back to break their press was good. It was quicker. More incisive. We basically didn’t give the opportunities away to the opposition. They had to create it themselves. Makes a huge difference.

No doubt we had some luck regarding them finishing opportunities but l did think Aimson and Opoku looked decent together. Opoku had that yellow card in the first half. There was a challenge in the second where it was slightly worrying once the ref gave a foul and he got turned on edge of our goal line that provide Rovers best second half chance but otherwise he was very assured.

It’s nice feeling again. That taste of an Argyle victory. There is still some work to do this season. Yet this hopefully gives Lowe food for thought between what he has seen today and what has been occurring when we play 3ATB. Doesn’t mean he should abandon his principles but hopefully it shows him there are advantages to being tactically more flexible.

Today we had more of the identity l imagined us to have. Pressing. Width. Chances.
 
Jul 24, 2009
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Cracking result and a very important one. Well done Argyle. The memory of the 2.2 almost exactly two years ago loomed large so very satisfying to have a different outcome this time. What a start to his Argyle career for Niall Ennis.
 
Aug 8, 2013
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A few thoughts...

4-4-2, 2-2-4-2, 2-2-2-2-2 ? Not really sure;
If we have a chance to get Lewis back next year, we
should take it. His delivery is excellent and sorely needed;
Ennis was indeed "different class";
Aimson was excellent at his main job of defending, and will
possibly be relieved at not having to pass out so much;
Fornah was as good as I've seen him;
Mayor combined well with Lewis in the first half, but did
his famous invisible man impersonation for much of the second;
it was as though we gave ourselves 15 minutes of the second
half to get a third, then gave up trying;
Cooper didn't put a foot wrong, and did brilliantly to prevent
Rovers getting a fluky goal back;
Opoku is apparently suspended, which could produce another
dilemma if Watts remains unfit;
Jephcott worked hard, but sadly offers very little when he's not scoring;
Hardie for Ennis rather than Jephcott surprised me;
we're almost safe;
bring on Blackpool.
 
Jan 4, 2005
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i was pleased with the performance. It was interesting that Cooper did not play short balls to the back three by foot or hand. I think RL has started to realise Argyle's skill set is not sufficiently strong for this tactic to be consistently progressive.
 

Larry David

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Outstanding from Ennis really impressive. Big mention for Will Aimson who was excellent his best performance for a long long time, that needs to be his standard for the rest of the season now.

No gripes no complaints every player vastly improved amazing what a goal and the rub of the green can do for the confidence. Lewis a real threat from wide and Conor Grant much better today.

Now if we can somehow get Jephcott on the scoresheet things would really be looking up.
 
Aug 4, 2011
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The “Taxifast” formation 2 2 2 2 2 seemed to work. I thought Fornah (apart from his shooting) was excellent today