Player Match Ratings: Villa pass the Trotters test!

[John]

This was not a great game or performance from us but the mark of sides that get promoted is that they are able to grind out results when not at their very best and this is what we managed to do this afternoon.

We now stand seventh in the table having won our fourth successive league game. We are unbeaten in our last eight games and are just a point behind the three clubs immediately above us that occupy three of the four play-off positions. We are also only 4 points off Wolves who occupy the second of the automatic promotion places and we visit them next.

Bolton fought hard for something from this game. They were uncompromising and took full advantage of the lenience the referee gave to their challenges on our two strikers. Once we went in front it could be argued that the game was won given our visitors had not scored in their last six games. Win it we did but it was a little too close for comfort towards the end of the match and the referee’s whistle was much more welcome than the referee himself was.

Having won this battle between two founder members of the football league we now face an international break that is unwelcome as we have built a momentum that would be nice to build upon without any delay. Both teams now face a testing battle during the rest of this season at different ends of the table.

Bolton have a bit of a mountain to climb to hold onto the Championship status they claimed back last season having had their worst start to a season in 115 years. Although we increasingly have the look of a thoroughbred moving up through the field as the winning post approaches this race is not a sprint and today’s game demonstrated that we should not start counting our chickens just yet.       

My player ratings from a game that continued our winning and unbeaten league runs are:

Sam Johnstone – 6 – Got down well at his left-hand post to keep out a shot from outside of the box from Ameobe on 9 minutes. Got down again in the first minute of first half stoppage time to keep out an Armstrong effort. He looks solid.  

Ahmed Elmohamady – 6 – A decent all-round performance.                

James Chester - 7 – Solid once again.    

John Terry – 7 – He is a rock in our solid defence.       

Neil Taylor - 6 – Made a nice 90th minute run but was fouled as he was about to pull the trigger on the edge of the box by Henry who was yellow carded as a result. Was then given a straight red 4 minutes later when a yellow seemed more appropriate for what was admittedly a rash high challenge on Le Fondre. No doubt we will be appealing this decision.  

Robert Snodgrass – 7 – Had a very decent shot from just inside of the area well saved at his near post by Howard on 79 minutes. Worked tirelessly and will improve further with more games.           

Glenn Whelan - 6 – Worked hard. Lost possession a couple of times but this was a steady enough display.   

Conor Hourihane – 6 – Did his job effectively but I think he is more valuable to us when given the opportunity to get forward more often.

Albert Adomah – 6 – A very good first half.              

Jonathan Kodjia – 7 – MOTM – Hit our winner from the spot on 39 minutes when Howard went left and he coolly hit the ball right. Headed a Adomah cross over the bar in the 3rd minute of first half stoppage time. Should have done better on 37 minutes when a superb long ball from Elmohamady fell to him as he moved into the box but instead of squaring the ball for the waiting unmarked Adomah to tap it into the net he hit the ball wide of the far post. Made up for that when he was brought down by Beevers for the penalty that he himself converted.      

Keinan Davis – 6 – Held and manhandled at every available opportunity by the defenders he came up against as was Kodjia who was also given little to no protection from the match officials other than when he was brought down for the penalty.           

Substitutes:

Scott Hogan – 6 – Replaced Kodjia on 72 minutes. Made a nice run into the box on 78 minutes having picked up a ball from Whelan but his shot was blocked by a defender. Looked good in the time he had to do so.    

Josh Onomah – 6 - Replaced Adomah on 73 minutes and did his bit to help steady the ship at the end.

Chris Samba – Replaced Snodgrass on 89 minutes. Not on long enough to gather a rating but did play a loose ball back shortly after coming on that could have cost us the win and then bravely got his head in the way of an on-target shot from Madine in the 5th minute of stoppage time to secure our victory.     

Up the Villa!

John Lewis

[blandy]

I think Onomah replaced KD, Didn’t he?  Otherwise nothing to quibble with, apart from you’ve maybe been kind to a fair few, with an extra mark. I felt most were 5 out 10, other than JT, SJ, JC & RS where I agree with your scores, John.

[John]

On 01/10/2017 at 10:13, blandy said:

I think Onomah replaced KD, Didn’t he?  Otherwise nothing to quibble with, apart from you’ve maybe been kind to a fair few, with an extra mark. I felt most were 5 out 10, other than JT, SJ, JC & RS where I agree with your scores, John.

You are 110% right on that substitution and I agree that the win may have swayed me to go up rather than down a mark when a couple of players were somewhere between two marks on this occasion.