Bristol Rovers Home Thread

[choirboy]

A 2-0 victory over Brizzle Rovers today was a really important result and a great performance by the boys in red!
We started really well with new boy Aaron Pressley fitting in superbly and making his presence felt. Good in the air, laying good flick ons to Sean Whalley, skilful on the floor and showing a good turn of speed, control and passing technique. The lad was looking like a ‘perfect fit’ for the current needs of our team. Then the injury hoodoo struck again with Aaron limping off with a foot injury. He tried to run through it but inevitably he had to be substituted.
We should have gone one up when Sean Whalley out paced the Brizzle defenders and he chipped the advancing keeper well but hit the post!
0-0 at half time seemed a bit harsh on Stanley especially as our opponents were wasting time from the start clearly indicating that they would have been satisfied with a draw before the kick off!
We continued on the front foot straight from the restart and got our well deserved goal with Rodgers physical presence allowing Tommy Leigh to score.
Further injury misery for Stanley came when captain Seamus Coneelly pulled up with a hamstring pull and had to be replaced by the recovering Doug Tharme. Doug settled in well and Rovers looked even less like scoring form then on. Ryan Astley had been quietly having a very efficient game doing everything right and I was really pleased for him to earn the MOTM Award when he scored the very important second goal. Fully deserved IMHO.
The Clayton End once again were absolutely superb and sang and cheered throughout the ninety plus minutes.
The referee was somewhat inconsistent in his interpretation of the laws of the game and both of his assistants were ‘spare parts’.
Overall a fantastic result for the Stanley but post match there are more anxieties on the injury front.

[Exile on Spencer St]

Thought the first half was dire, and not just for losing Pressley so early; just hope it’s not a serious as it looked as he really looks a great asset.
But as soon as Stanley scored the game improved (good job the ref was c**p as a better one might have spotted Harvey’s inadvertent hand ball).
The Gas stepped up the pace and Stanley matched them, and it became a good battle. Conneely’s withdrawal was less a problem with the return of Tharme, who played really well, as did Longelo down the right wing.
All round battling performance from the men in red, which was just what was, and will be, needed from here on in.
Mrs. Exile now washing her lucky t-shirt for Tuesday night.

[andyd]

Thought we played better than we have done for a long time first off we abandoned for the most part the suicidal passing around at the back it's ok if you are good at it we aren't. The more direct route or more of find a player in red worked Pressley was the outlet we have been craving for hopefully it's just bad bruising on his foot but it didn't look good the midfield pair of Coyle and the excellent young Martin stifled their midfielder,s allowing Hamilton more room he revels in he could really influence our season if he hits a purple patch clean sheet a bonus but the most pleasing thing was every player was a 7+ when that happens you invariably get a result onto Tuesday with a renewed confidence and hopefully some good news on injuries and 4th round awaits the victors.

[Lord Stiffupperlip]

It seems some Stanley fans are never satisfied.
After securing an invaluable 3 points, they remain focused on the performance of the officials rather than the players.
'The ref & his assistants were rubbish' they trumpety-trump after every game.
This despite a first-half performance of such mediocrity, it made tiddly-winks look like an exciting alternative to fill 45 minutes.
Well you wont find me complaining, I thought they were the best officials we've had.
After all, Mr Neild did allow Stanley's first goal, despite a glaringly obvious hand-ball by Rodgers that even Blind Pugh saw.
Then he produced a yellow card after Rodgers brought down their no.18 in a last ditch tackle that, had it been the other way round, would have seen us screaming for red.
Please! Let's give it a rest with the official bashing & be thankful for a victory that gives us brief respite from a fate worse than death.
Yes AccyMad! A trip to Barrow