A Poor View.

A short journey over to Shawe View home of Trafford by myself and the usual Boro faithful helped swell the crowd to 70 on a cold wet night, the big boys across at Old Trafford may have attracted a few away. The Boro support was good in number and deserved cheering up from Saturdays disappointment. An unchanged line up for the third game in a row would have to play in all yellow, the home sides second kit due to mix up in the Boro camp. The bench was the trio of Oates, Roscoe and Griff Jones.
Boro get into gear first with the usual standard of passing that is good to watch , Unsworth combines early with Connell and Howson for the first potential opening. The leagues top scorer , Barlow is first to show for Trafford but is crowded out on the edge of the box, when Sampson loses the ball in his own half Winter reacts first and feeds the run of Barlow who is quick into his step and can only fire over the Sid Firmedow Stand . Boro respond with a great pass by Connell behind the defence to Fitzpatrick his cross cum shot fires across the six yard box that Howson doesn't gamble on and the chance goes. The post denies Trafford an early lead when Lundy meets the corner of Mackay with a glancing header, Unsworth sees it safe. A neat flick by Fitzpatrick sets up a good passing move that forms the pattern of most of Radcliffes half. Plenty of possesion and players to find in central safe areas. Boro can switch the ball and play across midfield at distance from the danger area, there is a severe lack of punch or a killer pass into the heart of opponents. Mark Jones shot from distance is the nearest to troubling the keeper in the first half hour. Boro have the lions share with Trafford largely restricted to defensive work, Boro are being sent an invitation to score but chose not to take it seriously. Lundy looks strong and takes a difficult ball well and turns but is just short in setting Barlow free on goal. Si Kelly as his name taken for a late one on Coppin. Andy Ralph in the home goal keeps the score at nil -nil with a fine instinctive save when Connell is on the end of Unsworths swinging cross that beats everyone in the box, the shot into the ground rises enough for the keeper to punch the ball over the bar from the floor. The best chance yet for either side. Boro spurred on do some good closing down work on the back four , hard work from Howson and Fitzpatrick , the half runs out with plenty of passing from the visitors but no combination to open the defence, a spark in the last third is needed. The game as been poor with either side unable to carve any real gilt edge chances. It will be difficult as the temperature drops to endure 45 minutes of the same . The opening of the second half sees Lundy require treatment for a clash of heads once recovered Trafford are the first to take up the task of improving the game. They have a few minutes of football before Boro take up possession again, Sampson turns on the ball skilfully to set up Fitzpatrick who can't keep it in play when out wide. The ball is won from the throw and play is switched to the other flank for Unsworth who is delayed in the delivery , when it arrives via the midfield it has Fitzpatrick in space 10 yards out he steadies and aims but the target is safe as he clears the stand in front of him, it should have been 1-0 these misses as per Saturday will prove costly. Trafford swap Coppin for Thomas on the hour and he soon starts to influence. Trafford look more lively and see two chances in two minutes defended well by Dawson , the pressure builds into the 72nd minute and blows the defence apart with two good passes finding the feet of Barlow who shows his form and bangs a shot across Priestley and into the bottom left of the net for 1-0. Within a minute he asks the question again and a higher shot across Priestley has the keeper stretching to save high up to his left. Lundy joins in from the corner but can only hit the side netting. Boro respond by replacing the front two of Howson and Fitzpatrick for Roscoe and Griff Jones. Howsons last touch was a glancing header from a Roberts cross that was not threatening enough.
Boro go forward and push for the leveller , Roscoe can only knee a cross into safe hands after Dawson and Roberts supply. Oates for Sampson is the last throw of the dice in the last 10 or so minutes. Brockley is on the end of a good cross but can only get his eyebrows to it and it lands easy for the keeper. Trafford are restricted to being given offside as they look for the corners of the field and see the game out.Griff Jones is unlucky to only get a toe to the ball from Dawson and he can not fire at goal. Roscoe on the end of another quality cross by Roberts heads just wide. Into 90 plus minutes and Griff Jones forces the keeper into a good save under the angle of post and bar , the corner sees the last chance a shot that is blocked from Connell.The game ends in a 1-0 defeat and see Boro lying just above Salford, OK by twelve points but the table is fact and one simple fact is we cannot score goals . Do we over play the passing game? , do we revert to a long ball when we run out of patience, i don't have the answers , i do have optimism and i believe the current squad is good, but not good enough at finishing opponents when we start to get them on the ropes, we need somebody who can throw that killer punch , who can pick the right shot to take the wind out of the sails of the challengers. Tonight's game was as miserable as the weather, in the words of a great comic,

bring me sunshine!

see you at Chorley for an away victory!

Paul