Bolton Res 1 Liverpool Res 0 (Dec 20 2006)

[TLW]

Bolton Res 1 LIVERPOOL RES 0

Report by Dave Usher at the County Ground

Scorer(s) Half Time – 1-0 Venue – County Ground, Leyland Date - Wed 20 Dec 2006 Star Man – Gabriel Paletta / Miki Roque

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liverpool reserves suffered a frustrating 1-0 defeat away at Bolton last night, as Ricardo Vaz Te’s controversial 1st half strike gave the home side the three points. Despite dominating the game for long periods, Gary Ablett’s side just couldn’t find the breakthrough and this defeat was their fifth in just seven games this season. Like many of the others, it was undeserved, but until they start putting the ball in the back of the net they will continue to lose to inferior teams.

Ablett included Gabriel Paletta and Fabio Aurelio in his side, whilst Stephen Warnock was on the bench as he returned from injury. They were joined in the back four by Lee Peltier and Miki Roque. Besian Idrizaj continued in central midfield alongside skipper Danny Guthrie, with Anderson and Hammill on the flanks and Nabil El Zhar partnering Craig Lindfield up front.

It may have been a reserve team fixture, but the tactics from both sides had a very familiar look about them. The home side played 4-3-3 and got the ball from back to front as quickly as possible, whereas the reds tried to build from the back and play through midfield.

The first half was littered with offside decisions and as a result there were not too many clear cut chances. After six minutes Liverpool broke quickly through Guthrie, and he carried the ball towards the Bolton area before releasing El Zhar on goal, but the flag went up before the young Morroccan could get his shot in.

A minute later it was Bolton who were denied, as Sinclair found the net only to be denied by the flag. In fairness, the whistle had gone before his finish, and Dave Martin made no attempt to save it.

The reds went straight up the other end through Guthrie again, who played in Lindfield through the centre. The striker took a touch to steady himself but was tackled before he could get his shot in.

Liverpool were looking dangerous in the early stages as Guthrie’s promptings were giving Bolton a problem. After eleven minutes the reds put together the best move of the game. Lindfield picked the ball up on halfway and found El Zhar down the right. He skilfully turned inside his marker and cut the ball back to Guthrie on the edge of the box, who volleyed a first time ball out to the left wing to Hammill. Adam skipped past his man and crossed to El Zhar on the back post, but once more the linesman’s flag went up and it came to nothing.

Five minutes later Hammill’s clever flick sent Aurelio scampering down the left and the Brazilian’s deep cross was diverted behind for a corner. Aurelio and Hammill worked a short corner, and the full back tried his luck from the corner of the box but his powerful drive went just wide.

Bolton weren’t posing too many problems, although the lively Vaz Te was having to be watched carefully. He put an overhead kick just wide after 32 minutes, and was the only Bolton player who looked threatening. He’s probably the best player in this league, and has been for a couple of years (basically since Mellor’s injury problems started). He always gives us problems, and is a good player.

On 36 minutes came the two incidents that shaped the outcome of this game. First, the reds were on the attack. Guthrie found Idrizaj on the right edge of the box, and he played a smart one-two with El Zhar before finishing well with a low shot into the bottom corner. Once again though, the linesman had flagged. He may or may not have been correct, I wasn’t in line so it’s tough to say.

I wasn’t in line seconds later either when Vaz Te was sent through to beat Dave Martin and open the scoring, but he definitely looked to be offside. The reds defence all thought so, but the man who matters didn’t, and the goal stood.

It had been a fairly even half with neither side able to really get on top, but Bolton had the breakthrough and the reds would have to step up a gear to get into it. In fairness, they did step it up. The second half was more or less one way traffic. Warnock replaced Aurelio and wasted no time getting involved, snapping into tackles and shouting instructions to his younger colleagues.

He was booked just eight minutes after coming on, but it was a ludicrous booking. Liverpool had a free kick on the left edge of the box, and Warnock tried to take a quick one to Guthrie. The ref pulled them back (as he had done about ten times already during the game whenever a free kick wasn’t taken from the exact inch of grass he wanted it from), and then booked Warnock. He was a real jobsworth, one of those refs who sticks to the exact letter of the law with no room for leeway.

When the free kick was eventually taken, Warnock whipped in a fantastic cross that Idrizaj just couldn’t reach. A defender just about managed to bundle the ball behind for a corner.

Hammill swung over the corner, and Roque almost turned the ball into the net at the second attempt after his header had been blocked, but Bolton had too many bodies in the way and cleared the danger.

Anderson had a 25 yard shot deflected just wide as the reds pressed for the equaliser, but they almost left the back door open for Vaz Te who waltzed past a couple of challenges and seemed certain to score until Paletta appeared and just eased him off the ball before he could shoot. The Bolton fans wanted a pen, but it was juts great defending. South American defending if you like.

Three minutes later a high ball into the reds box saw Vaz Te win a flick on, and the ball found its way to Augustyn on the back post. His shot was straight at Martin, but nevertheless it was still a good reaction save from the Liverpool keeper.

Ablett replaced Lindfield with Antwi after 67 minutes, presumably because he needed a more physical presence up front. Craig worked hard, and showed some nice touches, but it was another tough game for him where he didn’t get the kind of service he needs. He was having to try and hold the ball up, but Bolton’s defenders were big lads and it wasn’t easy for him.

Godwin is built like a brick shithouse, and no-one was going to be pushing him off the ball. With fifteen minutes to go the reds really began to turn the screw. El Zhar – who had been lively all night – set off a great run from the right, and the ball eventually worked its way out to Anderson who’s excellent low cross was deflected behind for a corner.

The corner was half cleared, but was collected by Guthrie just outside the box. He drove forward and skipped past two challenges before drilling a low shot across the keeper towards the bottom corner. I thought it was in, but Bolton had kept a man back on the far post from the corner, and he hacked the ball off the line.

Two minutes later, El Zhar caused more panic down the Bolton left, and the ball found it’s way to Peltier on the corner of the box. His low shot was superbly saved by Al-Habsi in the Bolton goal.

The reds’ continued the siege, and on 36 minutes Warnock whipped in a terrific corner that was met powerfully by Idrizaj, but once more the man on the post saved Bolton as he somehow headed the ball out from under the bar.

A minute after that came a bizarre moment that summed up the performance of the referee. Anderson lost his boot in attempting a tackle on the touchline. He picked it up, but didn’t have time to put it on as the game had continued. Then a cross from the right wing eluded everybody, and Anderson – minus his boot – chased the ball down and played it back to Warnock. There wasn’t a Bolton player within ten yards of him, yet the referee gave a free kick. Presumably because Anderson had played the ball without his boot on. Maybe that’s the rules now, I don’t know. Presumably it’s classed as dangerous play, which I can understand if the player is being tackled by somebody. But as I said, there was no player anywhere near Anderson. It just seemed ridiculous.

Anderson was withdrawn almost immediately, replaced by Ryan Flynn as Ablett played the last ace up his sleeve. I’d like to see Flynn starting in centre midfield alongside Guthrie, as he’s got more to offer there than Idrizaj in my opinion. He doesn’t give the ball away as much, his work rate is much better and he can get goals too. To me, Idrizaj is very hot and cold.

Anyway, try as they might the reds just couldn’t find an equaliser. In the final minute Miki Roque got forward to meet Hammill’s left wing cross, but his header went straight to the keeper. Defeat was very harsh on the reds, but the harsh truth is that they aren’t scoring the goals to match the amount of possession they have.

There were some excellent performances that Ablett will take encouragement from, but one win in seven games is a pretty depressing start for the reds’ new reserve coach. At least defensively they look good, and both centre halves were excellent in this game. Roque is a good player, I really like him. He does a good job wherever he’s picked, and he’s very consistent. He competes well for someone who isn’t the biggest, and he did well against Bolton’s physical frontmen.

Alongside him, Paletta was untroubled all game. He won everything in the air and on the ground, and he used the ball intelligently. Guthrie continued his recent good form with another inventive performance, whilst El Zhar was really lively and carried the fight to the Bolton defence all night. Some of his close control and dribbling was a joy to behold, even if the end product wasn’t always at the end of it.

This team is much better than they’re results are showing, and Ablett must be really pissed off the way they keep losing to inferior opposition. There were a couple of oldish fellas sat in front of me who were some kind of Bolton employees, Academy coaches I think, and I overheard one of them saying to the other ‘these are giving us a passing lesson tonight’. The other replied ‘yeah they’re showing us how you keep the ball’.

They were right, but for all the reds territorial dominance they lost the game, and it’s happening too often. The squad looks to be short of a striker and a couple of midfielders, but I’m sure that will be addressed in the transfer window and things will improve in the new year.

Team: Martin; Peltier, Roque, Paletta, Aurelio (Warnock); Anderson (Flynn), Guthrie, Idrizaj, Hammill; El Zhar, Lindfield (Antwi):