Sam Ricketts
The Mu and Stu Show Rules Again
Sunday, December 12th, 2010 | BWFC Goals, BWFC People, Fabrice Muamba, Richard McCormick, Sam Allardyce, Sam Ricketts, Stuart Holden | No Comments
It wasn’t a classic performance. Or even a good one. There was none of the swashbuckling style that swept away Spurs and Newcastle. But as the curtain comes down on a year of improved fortunes for Bolton Wanderers, this victory over Blackburn Rovers and the first defeat of a Sam Allardyce side since he left the Reebok, will be cherished as much as the ones mentioned above.
The first half could be described in three words. Nothing much happened. The home side started better and used the channels well, but the crosses into the penalty area were dealt with easily and as the interval beckoned, Blackburn were in the ascendancy, without creating much in the way of clear chances.
Party time for Sam
The second period started at a higher tempo and tempers started to fray. Ten minutes in, and the Whites were down to ten men when Mark Davies collected a second yellow card after leading with his elbow on Phil Jones.
Owen Coyle’s side wobbled, and as they often do, took time to adjust to a setback. The visitors took control and the toothless, many fingered hordes who’d travelled down the A666 were already celebrating an anticipated victory.
Just as the cause was looking lost, salvation came from an unlikely source. With the exit of Davies, Lee Chung-Yong had been replaced with Fabrice Muamba and Johan Elmander given the right flank to work. The Swede drew a foul and from a Sam Ricketts free kick Ryan Nelson headed clear. The ball fell to Muamba who rounded the advancing New Zealander.
At this point, guided by experience, the pigeons on top of the North stand were preparing to find a different resting spot, but the midfielder’s low drive was expertly placed, just inside the near post. Muamba reverted by type by falling over during in the goal celebration and the guests from East Lancashire went quiet.
Moments later it seemed the lead had been doubled, but referee Mark Clattenburg disallowed Martin Petrov’s effort because he felt like it.
From then on, Blackburn threw everything at Bolton, including the kitchen sink, fixtures and fittings, and a tatty sofa that they’d brought from Ewood Park for Sam Allardyce to sit on.
The home defence stood firm, especially Paul Robinson, who threw himself in front of everything that moved. It was a pity then, just as the storm seemed to have been weathered, that the visitors were level, three minutes from the end, when Mame Biram Diouf picked up Jason Roberts’s first-time pass, advanced down the left side of the penalty area and chipped the ball over Jussi Jaaskelainen, aided by a slight deflection off Gary Cahill. Sam was up off his sofa and dancing around like a two year old.
Oops
The celebration didn’t last long. About forty-five seconds. From the restart, Muamba laid the ball back to Sam Rickett’s who launched a perfectly angled long ball into enemy territory. For once, Kevin Davies won the aerial battle and his head-on found Stuart Holden. The man from Dallas, so often Bolton’s midfield destroyer, finished like a seasoned striker, taking the ball on his chest and then volleying home. Holden’s mock celebratory faint is an in joke amongst the players, but it summed up the feelings of the Reebok faithful. Sam looked as if someone had nicked his rusk.
Allardyce was miffed in defeat. ‘To do what we did after we scored is absolutely diabolical from my point of view,’ he complained.
Big Sam hasn’t yet received due credit for what he achieved at the Reebok and in the eyes of some fans, the manner of his leaving and behaviour afterward have tainted the memory. But that discussion is for another time. Today, there are just three more words.
Up yours fatty.
- Richard McCormick
That’s More Like it, Owen Coyle!
Sunday, September 19th, 2010 | Adam Bogdan, BWFC Goals, BWFC News, BWFC People, Kevin Davies, Lee Chung-Yong, Sam Ricketts | 3 Comments
The omens were not good, prior to Bolton’s visit to Aston Villa on Saturday. Three successive heavy defeats at Villa Park and a side that lacked attacking ideas and defensive organisation did not bode well. Twenty minutes in and things were as expected, with Owen Coyle’s side already one behind after Ashley Young’s superlative free kick.
Ashley Young at leisure. Things can get a bit rough in the West Midlands.
In the Ginger Era that would have been it, but Coyle’s Bolton are starting to have belief in themselves. Luck played a part too, with Sam Ricketts replacing the injured Andy O’Brien, giving the visitors a more solid looking centre back pairing. Why Ricketts didn’t start is something of a mystery, as he performed well in the middle of defence last season when called upon.
From there on in, the Whites got themselves back in contention, and the equaliser was deserved. Stuart Holden was the architect, carrying the ball from near the half-way line. The American’s right wing cross, after exchanging passes with Lee Chung-Yong, was over hit, but Martin Petrov was on hand to divert the ball to Kevin Davies, who had time to take a touch, before lashing a left-foot shot into the roof of the net. › Continue reading
Sex sells, unless it’s about Bolton Wanderers
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 | Andy O'Brien, BWFC News, BWFC People, Gary Megson, Paul Robinson, Phil Gartside, Sam Allardyce, Sam Ricketts, Sean Davis, Zat Knight | No Comments
Finally, something to wake Wanderers fans from their summer slumber
Andy O'Brien: Better than sex
It’s not often you see the words ‘Bolton Wanderers’ and ‘sex’ in the same headline.
In fact, thanks largely to the existence of Gary Megson, it’s not often you see the words ‘Bolton Wanderers’ and anything remotely interesting and exciting or interesting in the same headline.
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