Ben Foster | Performed admirably in the face of adversity. Displayed a calmness between the sticks and made several good saves. |
Adrian Mariappa | The hardest of games for the young defender against the shearing pace of Craig Bellamy. Battled well but left for dead for |
Jordan Stewart | Often caught out of position and against opposition of this quality there is simply no way back! Looked good going forward and smashed a tremendous 30 yard shot that defeated Jose Reina but not the woodwork late on. |
Malkay Mackay | Struggled with the pace and movement of |
Jay DeMerit | Fought valiantly for the cause but was exposed on a number of occasions. |
Al Bangura | Struggled in the first half to cope with the passing and movement of |
Tommy Smith | Worked tirelessly in attempting to create opportunities for the front men, but crucially seems to have lost half a yard since his first spell at the club. |
Gavin Mahon | Manager, Aidy Boothroyd needed a big performance from his skipper and surprisingly failed to get one! Everyone is entitled to a poor day at the office and his continuing importance to the team cannot be underestimated. |
Hameur Bouazza | A welcome return to first team action for the young Parisian after recovering from a dislocated shoulder. Fought hard against a worthy opponent in Sami Hyypia before unsurprisingly fading in the second half. |
Ashley Young | A quiet afternoon from the man with the weight of expectation on his shoulders, although in the closing stages finally began to show glimpses of why a number of Premiership sides are willing to part with the best part of £10m. |
Anthony McNamee | Starved of the ball in the first half, withdrawn at half time. |
Darius Henderson | Yet another opportunity for the under pressure front man, after replacing the ineffectual Al Bangura at half time, but never looked like making a difference. |
Will Hoskins | A tough baptism for the recently signed former Rotherham United striker. Showed plenty of tenacity and work rate after coming on for Anthony McNamee for the second half, but the step up is a massive one! |