Between the Posts, a goalkeeper review.

Introduction to the Between The Posts:

I've always had a thing for goalkeeping.

For me,  the man with the gloves way back behind the defensive lines was the last stand of the team, a true hero, who never gets as much recognition as they deserve.

In this series  I'll be trying to focus only on the goalies' play, point out what's good and what could have been better and share my opinion with you. For those of you interested in GK's work on the pitch, it'll be a great occasion to see if we have the same stand on it and discuss the matter.

Enjoy, and feel free to leave a comment if you have any idea how to make the series better!

Ross Turnbull vs Doncaster Rovers:

As an opening word, my video transmission was a bit shaky during the firs half of the extra time, so there could be some things missing.

~10min: Ross had seemed a little bit sleepy while defending the free kick. Although it was cleared to safety, he might have reacted better by going forward for the ball.

~21min: After the defense made a horrible mistake, Ross was a bit late and Coppinger managed to lob him, it was only thanks to a superb intervention from Bellusci that denied Rovers the equalizer. He should've read the game better and be prepared to jump forward if necessary. Never trust your defenders Ross, it's safer that way.

~31min: The penalty was a first show of how professional goalie he is. He read the shot almost perfectly and was inches away from saving the lead, the only thing was, he was expecting a stronger shot and went too far. You can tell, the man has done his homework ahead of the game.

~33min: Very spectacular intervention, but it might have ended far worse for the English goalie. There was far too much space left on the near post and thank God the striker panicked and took the far post.

~45min: Looked like a hockey goalie switched places with Ross as he tried to defend with his legs. Not really much he could do in that situation, a very close range shot.

~50min: King of the Hill, very confident intervention on the corner kick. Nothing much to add.

~59min: A world class behaviour from Turnbull, both positioning and the reaction was brilliant.

~72min: Remained calm and provided with a classy intervention. Shows just how much of experience he has.

~87min: After a siege of Leeds' goal in the recent couple of minutes, Turnbull comes out victorious and once again saves the draw.

~115min: Turnbull proves that he knows how to play high in the box and provides a series of clean interventions.

Penalties: Ross would be the last person to blame for such a poor outcome. As the old saying goes: While the goalie might save a penalty, the striker has to score.

Summary:

Ross had a very decent game and he did not make any horrible mistakes. A solid and confident goalie,who's a great addition to the squad.

TIAT's rating: 8/10