The Bristol Rovers History Group. |
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The First Team Squad made the short trip to Nailsworth on 21st July and were beaten 1-0 by Forest Green Rovers, as Christian Doidge scored the game’s only goal from the penalty spot.
The goal came in the sixth minute when Doidge ran on to a through ball from Lloyd James and was brought down by goalkeeper Adam Smith. The striker took the resulting spot kick himself and although Smith managed to get his fingertips on the ball, he couldn’t keep the effort out. Carl Winchester and Doidge went close to increasing the home side’s lead, but the best chance of the half fell to Rovers after Bernard Mensah dispossessed goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and found Tom Nichols, but the striker somehow managed to hit a shot wide of the target with the goal at his mercy. Although Doidge might have added his, and his side’s, second goal after the break, when he headed home from an offside position, chances were at a premium and as both sides made a number of changes the flow of the game was constantly interrupted. Bristol Rovers: Adam Smith, Daniel Leadbitter (Cam Hargreaves, 62), James Clarke, Luke Russe, Tom Nichols (Theo Widrington, 46), Bernard Mensah, Ollie Clarke, Tom Broadbent, Mo Baghdadi, Michael Kelly, Alex Rodman. Substitutes: Sam Slocombe, Tom Lockyer, Ed Upson, Liam Sercombe, Kyle Bennett, Sam Matthews. Forest Green Rovers: Sanchez, Shepard (Collins, 74), James, Rawson (Hollis, 74), Winchester (Jones, 84), Doidge (Ogunleye, 84), Brown (Laird, 80), Gunning, Archibald (Grubb, 57), Mills, Reid (Simpson, 84). Substitute: Montgomery. |
The same day, Rovers sent a Development squad to Twerton Park where they suffered a 6-1 defeat at the hands of Bath City.
It was Rovers who opened the scoring, though, when one of the club’s triallists took advantage of a mix up in the home defence and slotted the ball past former Rovers goalkeeper Ryan Clarke. Minutes later Bath were awarded a penalty after Connor Jones was deemed to have handled inside the area and another former Rovers player, Sean Rigg, scored from the spot. Midway through the half Andy Watkins scored a second for Bath after the triallist goalkeeper had touched a clearance straight to him and there was a third goal for the hosts before the half time whistle when Adam Mann scored with a well struck left foot volley. Clarke saved well from Alfie Clarke at the start of the second half, but the home side added a fourth goal on the hour mark when Robbie Cundy headed home from a corner from the right. Rovers were then awarded a penalty after one of the triallists was tripped in the box. He took the spot kick himself but Clarke made a comfortable save and the score remained 4-1. A second penalty went in Rovers’ favour when Clarke fouled Cameron Ebbutt but the shot stopper made his second save from the spot. The home side added two late goals, through John Mills and Adam Mann. Bristol Rovers: Triallist, Triallist, Alfie Clarke (Sam Heal, 81), Connor Jones, Bailey (Alfie Kilgour, 46), Ben Morgan, Zain Walker (Cameron Ebbutt, 67), Lewis Leigh-Gilchrist, Triallist, Cameron Allen (Triallist, 46), Trialist. Bath City: Starting lineup unknown, though the following players were mentioned in the match report; Ryan Clarke, Sean Rigg (1 goal), Adam Mann (2 goals), Ross Stearn, Andy Watkins (1 goal), Robbie Cundy (1 goal), John Mills (1 goal). |