A dry afternoon, in the almost-full away corner of a stadium similar to Donnie, the Liberty, & Darlo’s George Reynolds’ white elephant. The starting 11 seemed to be the best available. “Eddie Howe’s Barmy Army” seemed to drown out that old hunting horn tune the home side uses when the sides come out. Boscombe wore the all black strip, and k.o. towards the other end.
Pugh nicked it to Daniels who put in a good run and cross; “Your ground’s too big for you” rang out from the travelling fans; some patches of empty seats were around. Rantie won a corner; another ensued & a throw, so good early away pressure. Feeding Rantie over the top was a favoured early tactic. Allsop blocked for a corner & stayed down for a moment. Rantie & Pugh displayed good trickery, but Ward was yellowed in the right-back position. For the free, the away wall was comprised of Rantie & Fraser, perhaps the shortest in the division… Foxes were quick, & the forwards were defending committedly. Fraser’s shot was blocked for a corner; the follow-up shot felled a defender.
The ball came into Grabban from the left; he turned & put it just outside the far post. The home side’s member of the Dyer “family” (Alex, Bruce, Keiron, Nathan & - here – Lloyd) was having a great time against Francis & Ward, winning another corner. Nugent at inside-left near the area’s edge shaped a curled shot round Allsop and in off the far post. 1-0, 18. Foxes were in the ascendant: quicker, finding channels. More desperate defending by Boscombe ensued.
Nevertheless, Boscombe did begin to take the game to the home side, and Cook was his usual immaculate, stylish, self in defence. Fraser was hardly in the game, but Pugh was picking up stuff well on the left and more centrally. The ref. had to speak to Arter, and to Ward for kicking the ball away (very silly). Then the moment of the game (for the away contingent). The ball came in from the right and Pugh teed it up on the edge of the “D” to smash it right-footed across the keeper and into the top corner, Just like Arter v Millwall, & just as wonderful. 1-1, 38. For a time the game was balanced. Foxes shot wide and Daniels was suckered into a foul (yellow) by his corner flag. Fraser showed he could be a decent right-back in due course. HT: 1-1.
On restart, too many passes went back to Allsop. Fraser was felled at inside-right but Daniels put it into the wall. The away defence made 2 great blocks, and Foxes shot over from the corner. Grabban was putting in a shift and the full-backs were defending better. Pitman came on for Fraser on 58 with Grabban going right and Pitman behind target-man Rantie. Allsop was catching well all game, but Foxes found each other better when clearing from defence – in spite of the occasional mis-placed pass. Collison did a lot of unseen work, but perhaps because of that I wasn’t sure of how good his partnership with Arter was working. This was exemplified when feeble challenges on Nugent’s replacement, Wood, allowed the player to feed to inside-left where Vardy streaked through, rounded Allsop & planted it. 2-1, 64. Some heads went down a little. Matters worsened 2 minutes later when Ward left a foot in just outside the away “D”; 2xY=R. Grabban, who had put in a strong shift, was sacrificed for Elphick on 68.
Some readers may remember Bobby Barnes, now a big name in the PFA. When at Dean Court, he had a 30-yard run in him, but started it 50 yards out. Rantie’s similar; he should be allowed to have a run at the defence from further up the pitch. As it is, he’s blocked too easily, as there’s time to double- or even triple-team him. By now Foxes were dominant, causing havoc in the chicken coop with several corners. But you have to go for it, & Thomas came on for Daniels on 80, providing a 3-2-4 formation! Thomas supplied Rantie at inside-right, deep into the area; from a tight angle he put it just over. Pugh was putting in a great shift on the right wing. Foxes put it just past the far post on a breakout, with the sun now in our eyes. Thomas’s addition had brought an improvement in the away performance (nothing left to lose); within the 5 minutes added Collison put in a long shot which curved away. F-T: 2-1.
Against a side now 2nd in the division, this was a decent performance; I’d feared a heavy defeat. However, Eddie’s (correct) insistence on a calm, measured approach in defence can come out as being too slow; the home defence and midfield were just as calm & measured but quicker, sharper, reading the game better sooner. And, man for man, no away player was better than his oppo. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but almost a third the way through the season our side seems to be coming to terms enough with how the game needs to be played – for this season anyway.
That’s 4 new grounds already – Riverside, Stoneham Lane (Eastleigh v Oxford C), Stockbridge (v Tadley) & now the King Power. Salisbury made it to FAC Round 1 with a favourable home draw therein; an away game there in Round 3 would be good...
Most did pretty well, and as usual Cook did shine at the back. But for his work-rate, working back, & that goal, give it up for Mark Pugh.
AFCB: Allsop, Francis, Ward, Cook, Daniels, Fraser, Collison, Arter, Pugh, Grabban, Rantie
Subs: Jalal, Surman, Harte, O'Kane, Pitman (for Fraser, 58 mins), Elphick (for Grabban, 68 mins), Thomas (for Daniels, 80 mins)
Peter Wicks, Bulford