By Deadbat
Little surprise that Evans was top of the bill again, though there were also good displays from Doyle, McDonald and Maguire.
Lowton 7/10 – Decent without being spectacular. Got down the flank in the first half and put in some good crosses and was involved in some of our better attacks. Did not get forward as much in the second half especially when they started to attack more. He overplayed on a couple of times that nearly let them in and tried to be too clever occasionally. Defended pretty well for the most part.
Hill 4/10 – As most of his other games, pretty abject from start to finish. He won a few tackles and headers but mostly he did not get tight enough to his man and his touch and passing was horrific. He mixed numerous slices with balls off his shins.
Maguire 8/10 – Very good - our best defender. Kept it nice and simple, used the ball well and made good solid contact on his headers and clearances. Has played well since the turn of the year and has been quite consistent.
Collins 7/10 – Like Maguire, he was solid enough, used the ball well and kept things simple. He won the aerial battle and also was often first to the ball. The only criticism of the defence is that they were sitting way too deep in the second half, inviting pressure. Collins, as the experienced one amongst them, should be taking charge.
Doyle 8/10 – Played well and was really combative. He covered a lot of the pitch and often blocked the through-ball or picked up the loose pieces. He used the ball well too and rarely gave it away.
McDonald 8/10 – He gave away a few balls but for the most part his touch and passing was excellent. He always seemed to make a yard of space, showed good patience and never seemed rushed. He ought to have scored with a good chance that was well made by Lowton and Evans. In the second half, he had a good run and shot deflected wide but when they scored he was not as involved and really faded towards the end.
Williamson 7/10 – Played quite well in a workmanlike fashion. He was not scintillating but used the ball well, worked back to defend and was able to be neat and tidy when given the chance. His corners and set plays were a mixed bag and it was annoying we took too many short ones and often never got the ball in the box as a result.
Quinn 7/10 – Better. He used the ball fairly well, worked up and down the flank and played some neat balls into feet. His crossing and final ball was a bit mixed but he did not hide and kept going.
Evans 8/10 – Probably the outstanding player on the pitch again. He is working so hard at the moment and getting the rewards. He is not only our best striker but our best winger, as he gets wide and puts in so many driven, low crosses that lead to chances or goals. Took his goal really well. The Bournemouth players tried to double up on him at times and still could not handle him.
Cresswell 7/10 – Another so-so performance. He covered a lot of ground and tried to link with Evans but the ball did not stick with him enough and he did not win that many headers. He worked hard again and finally scored after a long dry spell.
Substitutes
O’Halloran – Showed his pace on a few occasions. He looks a good footballer and used the ball well. He got away twice for clear openings and once was tackled by the last man and on another occasion he lost his head and blazed wide. He may be useful in the last few games with his speed, although last week and this week he has lacked composure when through on goal.
Flynn – Brought on to try to help Hill, and this was probably because Quinn was tired. Francis was getting forward at every opportunity, so his job for final stages was to try to stop this, which he did to a degree, as Bournemouth started attacking more down the left.
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