PLAYER WATCH v Peterborough United

Each incident in the match was rated on the following scale:

+5 GOAL

+4 Excellent play

+3 Very good play

+2 Pleasing/good play

+1 Decent play

0 Routine stuff

-1 Sloppy play

-2 Disappointing/poor play

-3 Very poor play

-4 Terrible play

-5 Own goal

The ratings for each player were then combined to produce a measure of the players overall contribution to the match.

Ratings

Key incidents per player = coloured stars Overall contribution = number

Kaminski **** 9

Nyambe ************ *** 13

Lenihan ******************* ******** 26

Wharton ********** *** 14

Ayala (25) **** ** 6

Pickering ******************* ********* 18

Travis ****** ************ -4

Buckley (67) **** ********* -1

Rothwell *************** *********** 26

Dolan *************** **** 18

Diaz (60) *********** ****** 15

Johnson (25) ******** **** 7

Khadra (60) ****** **** 3

Butterworth (67) *** ** 1

Highlights and Lowlights

(A justification for the main ratings given above)

02 Buckley is fouled 20m out just to the right. Pickering’s attempted shot is disappointingly high and wide!

03 Some sloppy work by Buckley; Rothwell retrieves the ball but passes it straight into touch. It’s a gloomy atmosphere down at Ewood!

04 Some nice interplay approaching the box between Travis, Diaz and Rothwell presents the ball to Rothwell in the D but his side-footed shot is weak, low and straight at the goalie. A disappointing finish to a good move!

07 Posh attack down the middle and Pickering allows himself to be drawn central leaving the winger unmarked. He receives the ball and crosses unchallenged. Fortunately Ayala is on post in the box to clear.

12 Posh having a bit of the ball but they’re not doing much with it. They look a distinctly average side so far.

Oh! Pickering allows the winger to get his cross in again! Wharton heads clear for a United throw.

14 Rothwell tries a long ball into the box for Pickering who’s made a good run but it’s too far and runs out for a goal-kick.

15 Pickering picks up a loose pass halfway in the Rovers half and several players take a touch until Buckley receives the ball halfway in the Posh half, slightly to the right. He launches a peach of a cross into the box where Pickering sprints in front of the defender to plant a glorious, powerful header into the top of the net. Pickering ran the length of the field to get there (around the penalty spot). We’ve seen some great goals in the last few games but that’s one of the best! The commentators say it’s reminiscent of Alan Shearer, jim mk2 says Fred Pickering!

19 Rothwell runs over half the length of the pitch and passes to Diaz just outside the box. Ben tries to return the pass but a defender gets his foot in. Disappointing end. United attack and Buckley, Nyambe and Travis all fail to get a foot in. Finally Lenihan applies an agricultural challenge to the impressive Dembele to put an end to all the messing about. Free-kick 30 m out. Harris’s shot is just over the bar.

21 Szmodics near the corner flag goes past Rothwell with ridiculous ease and puts in a good cross but Ayala is there to head clear.

22 Thompson messes around with the ball in his own area and is nearly dispossessed by Diaz!

25 Hmm, again Pickering allows his winger to get in an unchallenged cross. Fortunately Wharton is on the penalty spot to put the ball out for a corner. I didn’t think we’d see this so much once we got rid of Bell! Kaminski collects the ball at full stretch. He’s hardly seen the ball!

Johnson on for the injured Ayala.

28 A cross from the left by Diaz is headed out for a corner as Dolan lurked. Rothwell’s cross is too near the keeper who collects comfortably.

30 Buckley tries to thread the ball through to Diaz but it’s a poor pass and it runs to the keeper.

31 That’s a nice through ball from Posh for Szmodics but Johnson is quick to run to the edge of the box and dispossess him and we get a goal-kick.

33 Pickering has been drawn away from the wing again and right winger Ward receives the ball in the box, in bags of space. He cuts the ball back perfectly for Szmodics but Wharton is there on the 6 yard line to make a crucial block from 2m. Apparently Ward was given offside...he definitely was not! Wharton is having a fine game so far. Maybe Diaz or someone else needs to come back and help?

34 Oh my! That man Thompson is at it again. He receives the ball in no danger but Dolan does his irritating pest impression nipping at his heels. Thompson does a pirouette on the edge of his box and Dolan gets his foot in, the ball is rolling towards the keeper but Dolan chases and gets there first and squares the ball to Diaz who taps into an empty net. The easiest goal he’s scored all season. Thompson, understandably, has his head in his hands!

36 Diaz offside.

44 Rovers get a free kick 25m out in line with the right edge of the box. Rothwell delivers a perfect ball to the left corner of the 6 yard box where an unmarked Lenihan meets it, heads down hard into the ground and the ball bounces into the net. Too easy!

45 Dolan drew the foul for that last free-kick and he’s just been clattered again. A bit further out this time. I’m not sure it’s a healthy way of playing the game though!

46 For a moment Lenihan has visions of further glory as he tries a long pot from nearly 30m. Sadly reality hits as the ball soars into row Z and the whistle goes for half-time.

47 Rothwell’s tackling technique comes into question as Dembele leaves him in his dust. He feeds Ward unmarked again on the right wing. Pickering can’t keep up and the cross drops on the penalty spot. The first Posh man misses the ball by inches but Lenihan is there to hook away and make sure it doesn’t reach the second man. Very close shave.

Good grief! Taylor runs down the left edge of our box and a chasing Travis looks knackered. Lenihan and Johnson can’t deal with the cross and Harris, in the 6 yard box, somehow manages to put the ball over the crossbar!! That was a closer shave!

48 This is getting ridiculous! Diaz plays a poor backpass on halfway. It’s intercepted and lands at the feet of Dembele. He runs forward and slides the ball past the last defender, Lenihan, into the path of Szmodics. It’s one on one with Kaminski who goes down to parry away the shot brilliantly. It could be 3-3………..really!

But wait, there’s more! Buckley loses out in a tussle near halfway, Rothwell’s challenge is ineffective and Szmodics gets the ball in the box again but Lenihan puts in a block near the byline and it’s a corner.

Diaz blocks at the near post, Dolan receives in the box, turns and falls flat on his face hoping for a foul - but it’s not! United get the ball back. Nyambe deflects an attempted cross and after some sloppy play all round Rothwell mis-controls and Posh attack again. As the ball enters the box, Lenihan hoofs it away.

50 It’s a half-hearted attempt at a tackle by Buckley on halfway and Taylor’s away. Johnson slides and manages to get the slightest of touches on Taylor’s well-directed through ball into the box. It’s enough to slow things down but Harris still gets there first. He squares the ball but Pickering takes it off the toes of the incoming Posh attacker and clears.

51 Diaz fouls on halfway. We can’t get any momentum this half! Dolan’s persistence wins a corner. Pickering fouls in the box. Diaz dribbles the ball away stupidly and gets booked!

56 Pickering heads the ball neatly to Rothwell on the left wing. He clips the ball past the defender cleverly and runs into the box. He passes to Dolan 15m out who swivels and shoots but the defender is too close and manages to block the effort.

59 Rothwell intercepts a loose pass on halfway and charges forward. Diaz makes his run into the inside left channel and Rothwell finds him perfectly. Diaz takes 2 touches into the box, the keeper comes to meet him but, from about 10m out Ben crashes the ball past him and into the net. Great finish. Very subdued celebrations all round!

That’s it for Diaz, he’s replaced by Khadra.

62 Dolan doing his dancing feet thing near the corner flag is in danger of getting both legs broken but, in fact, he wins a corner!

63 A nice chip from Rothwell into the box where Travis controls well and hits a high ball into the goalmouth. Johnson seems to mis-time his jump. Buckley tries a fancy turn but loses the ball.

64 Buckley receives a pass on halfway but mis-controls and falls over. He slaps the ground and United attack. Rothwell and Wharton both fail to halt Dembele’s progress. He passes to the wing and a cross comes in. It’s partially blocked by Johnson but a shot comes in and this time Johnson clears out of the box. But it comes back from Dembele and Harris heads straight at Kaminski. He should have done better!

67 Peterborough passing it around nicely but getting nowhere. Buckley off, Butterworth on.

71 Rothwell goes on one of his runs and squares it to Butterworth 20m out. He shoots and the goalie can only parry it on to the head of Dolan but he’s just offside.

The camera pans to the stands and of the 10 people in shot, 3 of them are on their phones. It’s that sort of night!

74 Again Rothwell’s tackling technique in question as he gives away a free kick midway in the Rovers half. Is it important? Yes………….the free kick goes for a corner. The corner comes in low and receives lots of mini deflections as it somehow manages to pass by everyone until Travis hooks it clear! Dangerous! How Kaminski has kept a clean sheet tonight is a mystery.

77 We win a throw deep in the Posh half. Nice flick by Pickering to Khadra who decides to take a shot but it’s far too ambitious and it’s right into the goalie's midriff.

79 Dolan receives the ball midway in United’s half and he’s off but he’s on his own against 2 defenders. Butterworth arrives and takes a shot from 20m but it’s wide. A few tired looking players out there.

80 Blimey, Travis is out on his feet I think! Oh! He suddenly finds enough energy to drop Dembele on halfway!

85 Travis passes the ball straight into touch! He’s gone!

86 A rare attack by United initiated again by Dembele. The cross comes in and Pickering heads clear. Dembele sets up another attack and Kaminski collects the cross.

87 Good, typical Rothwell run but Thompson takes him out with a forearm smash to the head! Accidental they reckon!

91 The final whistle.

What a flat night. Nyambe seems to have recovered from his woes last time out. Travis looks exhausted. Rothwell Man of the Match apparently, according to the sponsors. Diaz scored twice but didn’t smile once!

In the second half……..against a half decent team, we could have given away a three goal lead!

Fixtures