[Archived] Bolton 0 Rovers 1

[mhead]

Yesterday I was defending Paul Dickov against the doubters!How can you be doubters at £150k or 70 times less Grabbi and pudding Davies.

Bolton away...Spit in a minute,he's gonna spit in a minute.

PRICELESS!!!

[thenodrog]

Four points, three places and a superior goal difference above 18th is a very happy place to be compared with what we were all fearing after the 0-4 at Chelsea.

Since that game, our record is as follows -

Pl W D L F A Pts

10 2 7 1 12 10 13

The previous 10 league games before that (5 under Souness) -

Pl W D L F A Pts

10 1 3 6 7 22 6

Although our upturn in form hasnt been groundbreaking, Hughes has clearly made us more solid and a much tougher nut to crack. It all points towards a much better 2005 than we've had 2004. Fingers crossed.

Hughes has done an excellent job to date but he may not be able to claim full responsibility here....... Can anybody rem at which point did Rodney Marsh write us off as unlikely to get to 30 points?

[Flopsy]

we're still a few draws off 30pts yet Theno

[frosty]

Fantastic win!

Dickov is a hero and sounded outstanding, heard Todd played well as well.

In 10 games, 7 draws, 1 loss and 2 wins.

We're only 3 points behind newcastle

[G Somerset Rover]

I predicted 2-1 to Rovers, but 1-0 will do nicely!!! Great result for the boys, and lets hope we can push on from here and get a few more wins before our tricky February period.

[92er]

Flopsy- we won there 4-1 the season we got promoted and we definitely won in the 70's 1-0 with a goal,I think, from Fazackerley so we have beaten them there in the last 40 years. Maybe the first time for 40 years since our last win in the top Division- we beat them in 1964 5-0 just before Pickering went to Everton.

[Jan]

Totally wonderful result. 3 deserved points at last. Onward and upward. Hughesy's Blue and White Army!

[RoyRover]

I just watched the highlights on Football First and it was another great performance by the team, which finally got us the much needed 3 points. Great goal by Dickov, Stead was unlucky with his header and Reid should have scored at the end. Defensively we looked solid again and 4 clean sheets in 6 games, speaks for itself. We go into the Villa game with more confidence, against a team who have lost 4 in a row.

[JAL]

How many times did Bolton play the long ball up in the air they definitely looked like the Wimbledon of the north.

I wonder how many coaching certificates you need to play that kind of football - looks like big Sam has gone as far as he can.

[tenpo]

Blackburn, however, were looking solid at the back with Andy Todd and Nils Eric Johansson mopping up any attacks that came their way.

Oh how i've longed to read those words in a match report! Didn't think it'd happen this season.

[philipl]

Without looking up the record books, we won 1-0 at Bolton twice in the '70s.

Once in front of 33,010 at Burnden in 73/4 when Faz headed the winner the season Bolton went up from the Third Division. I believe the Sheffield derby was played at Bramall Lane the same night so nearly 80,000 people watched two Third Division games that night!

I am pretty certain we then did them 1-0 at Burnden again in the second division the season before Bolton got promoted back to the old first division. We also beat them 2-1 at Burnden in the early '80s and of course there was the magnificent 4-1 the season we both went up- Matty's feint before dinking his goal in was one of my favourite all time Rovers' goals!

Floppy was right in that the Rovers hadn't beaten Bolton away in the top flight for 40 years--- before yesterday.

[trueblue]

Without looking up the record books........

Once in front of 33,010 at Burnden in 73/4 when Faz headed the winner the season Bolton went up from the Third Division.

Bloomin' 'eck Philip.. do you have this info tattooed in yer underpants??

[philipl]

No -For many years it was the biggest crowd I had been in.

[AxesFirstTouch]

does anyone know when Jansen is back?

[Ozz]

The players celebrated like the had won a cup final after the game!

Nice that they all came over to us and clapped.

[chris]

well done to Dickov 2 goals two games, both good goals aswell, didn't see that coming, although I did predict he would score in the Newcastle game, but a 25 yards screamer yesturday

but have to say I think at the moment Todd is the team, he's so important its untrue, I would hate to think of the team without him, hope he gets that contract ASAP

[Alan75]

Watched the game for the first time this morning. (MOTD).

Eating a bit, only a small amount of humble pie. Dickov took his goal well.

What has Stead got to do, the header off the underside of the cross bar. If only that had gone in then maybe his season would start

[Scotty]

A fantastic battling performance yesterday that epitomised the new work ethic and fitness that Hughes and his staff have installed into the squad.

The spine of the team were just terrific. The two centre-halves won everything and took Bolton's constant bombardment in their stride. The midfield defended well, picked up most of the knock-downs and won most of the 50-50's - Flitcroft in particular put himself about and constantly won possession back from their midfield. And Dickov was just tremendous. He worked his balls off, took his goal very well, and defended superbly from the front. Man of the match, just ahead of Flitcroft and Todd.

We could and should have won by more, Stead was unlucky with a header that hit the underside of the bar and how Reid missed when clean through at the death I'll never know. We were the better team in the first half, controlled midfield and looked threatening whenever we went forward, and then defended superbly in the second when Bolton put us under pressure.

Bolton didn't have a clear-cut chance the whole game and looked devoid of ideas as the game wore on. If you think things are bad watching the Rovers, imagine being a Bolton season-ticket holder and having to watch that aerial bombardment every match.

The team still lacks quality, we desperately need a new striker, but the need for a defensive midfielder is now perhaps not as great as it was if Flitcroft can keep up his current form. Despite the lack of real quality though, Hughes has got the team playing to their maximum most games and we are starting to out-work and battle other teams. If we can keep this up we should achieve safety without too many problems. However, if we drop our work-rate in games then our lack of quality will become apparent and we'll get beat more often than not.

[roversWASmylife]

Brilliant result for us yesterday.

Thought that every player for us and in recent games gave everything for the team. Todd and Johansson were outstanding yet again.

Being under pressure for most of the second half was always going to be a test for us, at times I was worried that we weren't getting forward quickly enough on the counter attack to clinch a second. Reid should have done anyhow.

Everyone from the front two to the goalkeeper worked hard and did their job.

Stead was very unlucky with his header and is showing glimpses of getting more and more confident in front of goal.

Dickov once again was brilliant, never stopped working and his goal was a striker playing with confidence, I'd never thought I would say this but Dickov's goals come May, could well keep us up.

Sorry to spoil the festive mood and that, but we've still only won three games all season. We need to start turning these draws into wins, but at least we've managed to create a gap between ourselves and the bottom three.

A nice way to end 2004, let's hope we start 2005 nicely at Villa on Saturday.

Bolton 0-1 Blackburn

Rovers performance pleases Hughes

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Boy, aren't you all demanding. It's only been a couple of hours since the win.

With it our 3rd win of the season, I think its quite understandable that we get all excited!

[bazza]

No  -For many years it was the biggest crowd I had been in.

I went to that game with my mates. We stood behind the goal on the end nearest the town centre. I was amazed that there were groups of Rovers fans and Wanderers fans all side by side. When we won a corner we all clapped but others were deathly quiet and when they won a corner others were cheering and we were quiet. It was quite weird.

Sam Allardyce was playing in that match. Roger Jones was magnificent for us.

The following day's football headlines read "33,000". There wasn't a space to be seen on the terraces.

[Derbyshire Blue]

No  -For many years it was the biggest crowd I had been in.

I went to that game with my mates. We stood behind the goal on the end nearest the town centre. I was amazed that there were groups of Rovers fans and Wanderers fans all side by side. When we won a corner we all clapped but others were deathly quiet and when they won a corner others were cheering and we were quiet. It was quite weird.

Sam Allardyce was playing in that match. Roger Jones was magnificent for us.

The following day's football headlines read "33,000". There wasn't a space to be seen on the terraces.

I also stood on the Railway End that evening, duffel coat hood over my head, worried sh**less that one of the 100’s of darts and pool balls thrown by the Notlob fans was going to hit me, throughout the match, getting worse after Faz scored at the Leaver End At the final whistle loads of Rovers fans decided not to run the gauntlet of walking back down the main road to the station, and climbed over the back wall and head for the station along the tracks…happy days..

[MCMC1875]

Rovers are not only fitter, they are looking more confident generally and more solid defensivly.

Seems like Mr Hughes has in fact managed to 'polish a turd'!

[MCMC1875]

Just another snippet

I not once had the feeling that Rovers could have lost their lead today, it is a surprising calm that has descended over Rovers supporters.

Anyone else have the same feeling ?

I did - very unusually - a one goal lead and away from home!

I am also finding Rovers enjoyable to watch for the first time in 2 years.

[JAL]

No  -For many years it was the biggest crowd I had been in.

I went to that game with my mates. We stood behind the goal on the end nearest the town centre. I was amazed that there were groups of Rovers fans and Wanderers fans all side by side. When we won a corner we all clapped but others were deathly quiet and when they won a corner others were cheering and we were quiet. It was quite weird.

Sam Allardyce was playing in that match. Roger Jones was magnificent for us.

The following day's football headlines read "33,000". There wasn't a space to be seen on the terraces.

I also stood on the Railway End that evening, duffel coat hood over my head, worried sh**less that one of the 100’s of darts and pool balls thrown by the Notlob fans was going to hit me, throughout the match, getting worse after Faz scored at the Leaver End At the final whistle loads of Rovers fans decided not to run the gauntlet of walking back down the main road to the station, and climbed over the back wall and head for the station along the tracks…happy days..

My dad took me to that third division game, he was the old school where he used to follow Bolton and Blackburn but he seemed to fall out with Blackburn after the 60 cup final.

I remember walking from the bus station down Manchester road to the ground with Rovers fans scuffling with Bolton fans on the way to the game.

I clearly remember a bin being set on fire along the way and then both sets of fans mingling and chanting on the big open air end.

My dad quite sensibly took me home before Faz scored a late winner. As we left there was about 200 Bolton fans waiting to get into the open air end probably to cause trouble - i think the game made the front pages for hooliganism because the Bolton fans smashed the special train parked behind the railway end.

33,000 for a third division game peolpe go on about Burnley being our biggest draw but Bolton v Blackburn is the biggest Lancashire crowd puller there is.