Bristol Rovers Vs Accrington Stanley, Memorial Stadium, Bristol, Sky Bet League 2, Tuesday 28th January 2014, Kick Off 7:45pm please log in to view this image Vs please log in to view this image
Absolutely must win this game no excuses I'm going for another 3-1 victory. JJOT with 2 goals and Richards with other.
Club is monitoring the situation With heavy showers expected in Bristol overnight, the club will be monitoring the state of the pitch ahead of tomorrow's League Two game against Accrington Stanley. Staff will be in early tomorrow to inspect the playing surface and we will bring you an update in the morning.
Following Saturday’s 3-1 win over Newport County, Rovers manager John Ward was understandably delighted with the first of what he hopes will be back-to-back home victories. He said: “Against a local rival in the top-8, looking at the play-offs it’s a really strong result and a strong performance. When they went 2-1 you get a bit anxious, and with ten minutes to go I’m thinking ‘we’re going to have to be strong here’. But, not only were we strong, we came back into the game and found another goal. “There are a lot of positives to take out of the game but we can’t enjoy the victory as focus moves straight to training today and it starts all over again for a Tuesday night game. It’ll get lost if we don’t follow it up with another strong performance.” Similar to Rovers, Tuesday’s opponents Accrington have lost only a handful of games since the reverse fixture in October. That game resulted in Ward’s second defeat in as many games against Accrington, a sign players and fans alike should take as a warning against complacency. He said: “Anyone thinking this will be an easy game, we’ll report that (the two defeats) back to them straight away. “We need to have the same attitude and approach as we did Saturday. It was a really atmospheric game, and atmospheric, I think, was the right word for the weather conditions.” With the torrential rain, strong winds and hail stones falling on Saturday, Sunday’s Rugby match at the Memorial Stadium was cancelled, which pleased Ward. He said: “With no lack of respect, the rugby lads don’t need a good surface to play on, but we do. If the weather comes in on Tuesday that’s given us a real good chance of getting the game on. "It’s a tough game for us tomorrow. Big respect to Accrington, they’ve got big players like Odejayi at the front of the team and players that are doing well for them. “So there’s no complacency on my part, and there shouldn’t be any if you’re a supporter or player.”
Bristol Rovers forward Eliot Richards will be available despite picking up a hamstring injury in Saturday's 3-1 win over Newport County. Manager John Ward has no new injury or suspension concerns and may be tempted to stick with the same team. Accrington could give a start to Lee Molyneux, who returned to the club last week on loan from Crewe. Striker Marcus Carver is sidelined after being recalled from a loan spell because of a thigh injury. VIEW FROM THE TRAINING GROUND Bristol Rovers manager John Ward told BBC Radio Bristol: "There's a good strength within the team and a real belief. "We've had two defeats by Accrington since I've been here and that's something we need to put right. "If there was anybody considering this as a comfortable game, then I'll be repeating that back to them. "We've got to have the same attitude we had on Saturday. It was a really strong effort and we've got to put that together again."
A look at tomorrow's opponents Bristol Rovers will be hoping that tomorrow in the words of local band Stackridge they can “Do the Stanley”. Having beaten high flying Newport on Saturday the opportunity to climb rapidly towards mid-table presents itself with the visit of Accrington Stanley. Whilst Rovers and Newport battled the elements to keep going on Saturday, Stanley's derby game against Bury was called off by Referee Kevin Wright. Stanley Boss James Beattie was in no doubt that it was the correct call, “I believe the right decision was made. The referee was asking for input from myself and Dave (Flitcroft) and there was standing water on the pitch, which is very unusual for this pitch," he said. "There was more forecast rain and it wasn’t a case of the water being in just one place it was all over the pitch. You could see that from the demonstrations of the ball rolling. "We didn’t want a game to be won on a mistake because it’s the referee we would’ve been going to if that happened. I believe, as did Dave, that the referee made the right decision." In their last game Stanley visited Chletenham Town and came back with all 3 points. George Bowerman gave the reds the lead with just 15 minutes gone when he headed in Nicky Hunt's cross, after an attempted clearance by Matt Richards. Then just before half-time Bowerman turned provider, with Luke Joyce heading in from close range. Jamie Cureton got one back for the Robins on 72 minutes with a powerful shot, but the visitors left with all three points. It was Stanley’s 4th away win in 6 games. Speaking after the game Beattie described his captain Luke Joyce as an unsung hero, "It is not often he gets up there but it proved to be clinical, Luke was very pleased to score and I am sure the lads were pleased for him too. He will dedicate it to his new-born daughter." Beattie also praised Bowerman for "repaying the faith shown in him" after the striker was selected ahead of former Manchester United man Danny Webber. "Luke is an unsung hero because he is in there week in, week out - doing a great job for us as skipper," he added, "But George put in a great performance and that is what I wanted from him. "I spoke to Danny before the game and informed him he won't be playing. He was obviously disappointed but he understood and respects my decisions. It is great for me to say the decision was justified." Having won for the first time in five games, skipper Joyce says the manager's cool persona allowed the side to pick up all three points, "He is a calm person and very professional. He oozes the calmness and belief in us which translates on the pitch," said Joyce. "We don't get too frantic, we are desperate to hang on to the three points and sometimes in that emotion you can make mistakes and not be switched on. When things aren't going for us, we want to talk to each other, enjoy playing and not get too worked up and stressed about it." Rovers and Stanley have played one another 8 times before. The very first time was an FA Cup tie on 14 December 1929 at Eastville, the home team running out 4-1 winners. Four years later at the same stage Rovers visited Peel Park and came back out of the Cup, losing 1-0. Fast forward over 70 years before the rejuvenated Stanley were back into the League after their 1961 demise and visited Bristol once again. The very first league meeting again took place in December 23 2006. Once again Rovers hit 4 goals but this time Stanley were scoreless. The return game in Lancashire on 6 March ended in a 1-1 tie. When Rovers visited the Crown Stadium on 5 November 2011 little did Paul Buckle realise that it was to be the start of fireworks for him. A defeat that day was the beginning of a run of 8 games during which Rovers were to pick up just 2 points and culminated in his sacking. Rovers finished their 2011-12 home programme with a flourish as they disposed of Stanley with a 5-1 victory. Last season Rovers lost both games 1-0 and again 2-1 at the Crown Stadium in October. Stanley Boss Beattie has found himself in hot water with the League regarding his coaching qualifications. Beattie in return hit out at the fine imposed on the club, claiming: “It could have crippled us!” The Reds received a £20,000 penalty, with £15,000 of that amount suspended, for employing Beattie as boss without achieving the UEFA B licence. As of June last year, the coaching badge is a minimum requirement for any Football League manager. “Ultimately it’s our fault. We know it is, we’ve held our hands up, we’ve paid the fine,” said Beattie, who went up before the Football Disciplinary Commission (FDC). But with special dispensation being shown towards Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, whose new head coach Tim Sherwood has not yet achieved the minimum UEFA Pro Licence for that level of football, despite holding a coaching role at the club for more than five years, the Stanley boss believes he and the club have been harshly treated. “If on the one hand you’re trying to promote young English managers and give them help, then on the other hand you’re trying to make an example of one that’s just got a job, who’s brand new to the job, at the poorest club in the country, lowest turnover, lowest budget, it doesn’t make any sense really,” said the 37-year-old, who is still registered as a player. “We tried to tell the Football League how the financial state of the club was, how it’s a struggle to survive week to week and the Football League’s recommendation was that the fine run into the tens of thousands, to which I just said ‘have you not been listening to anything we’ve said in the meeting’. “I told the chairman not to worry and that we’d sort it out because I was on my pathway and for them to say in their statement that I hadn’t shown any intent to do any coaching badges was not true. "I had thought about doing my badges but I didn’t envisage my playing career to come to a stop as soon as it did. “I was going to carry on playing. I still feel that I could carry on playing but I’m obviously very busy with running the team and running the club. I started on my pathway as soon as I got to know about this and I passed my Level 2 the other day and I’m now on my UEFA B Licence. "I’ve put in place a structure where I will have my UEFA B licence by the May 1, if not sooner.”
seamge im not looking forward to seeing AMOT's previous meetings with stanley! i think we will win 2-0 or 2-1. 3 points is a must but we said the same when we played them away and we lost then!
2-1 to the Gas. Brown and O'Toole. Bloody hope it's on - it'll be my 3rd consecutive home match for the first time this season!
Fookin lashing down here in Gloucestershire. Pitch inspection at 13.00. If it's on it will be a bit of a quagmire. Giggity.
At home it hasn't been that bad - a couple of resounding wins here: December 2006 - Rovers 4-0 Accrington - Rovers came into this game with League Two's worst goalscoring record, while Accrington had conceded the most, but it was the Gas who took the game by the scruff of the neck, going 3-0 up inside the first half hour. Andy Sandell bamboozled Stanley defender Andy Todd on the left wing and delivered the perfect cross for Richard Walker to head in for 1-0. Steve Elliott added the second with a free-kick that went through the wall; and Walker added his second from the penalty spot after Stuart Nicolson had been hauled down in the box. It took Rovers until the final quarter of an hour to add the fourth, when Nicholson slid home after being put through by Rickie Lambert's header. By that time, Stanley were down to 10 men after Andy Mangan had been sent off for persistent dissent. April 2012 - Rovers 5-1 Accrington - Once again, Rovers were 3-0 fairly early on, and this was mainly due to the brilliance of Mustapha Carayol, who, despite not scoring himself, gave a superb performance in his last home game for us. He laid on the first for Matt Harrold, whose downward header beat Ian Dunbavin, and gave Harrold the chance to add the second from the penalty spot when he was taken out by Peter Murphy. Andy Dorman scored a spectacular third on the volley, before Stanley pulled one back when Kevin McIntyre's corner went straight through Scott Bevan's hands and into the net. Matt Lund scored our other two goals in the second half, both clinical finishes. April 2013 - Rovers 0-1 Accrington - Stanley made sure of League Two safety last season by winning thanks to a goal as early as the third minute, as Lee Molyneux's long range free-kick caught out Steve Mildenhall. It was clearly enough for the visitors, who comfortably held off a lacklustre Rovers throughout. Ollie Clarke had our best effort, volleying just over the crossbar.
That 5-1 game in 2012 was the best I've seen a Rovers team play for years - and it was under McGoo! We tore Stanley apart - Harrold and Carayol were unplayable. It promised so much....
Ward's post match comments. I must have been watching a completely different match... “We pretty much dominated proceedings for full period of the game, and that is the frustration. We haven’t completed enough of our opportunities, we have something like 21 attempts on goal, and very few on target, so our shooting was wayward and wild tonight, and not composed like it was on Saturday. “We are all extremely frustrated, because we have had a lot of domination and not taken advantage. We have got to be clinical. “Our creation and general football and attitude was first class, and a large number of our supporters have applauded us off, even though they are as annoyed and frustrated as us, as they have seen their team work hard.” The manager and his team will now have to put their disappointment behind them as they head to Chesterfield this weekend. John said: “We have got to take it on the chin and go up to Chesterfield on Saturday and replicate that kind of approach to the game and see if we can improve the quality. “We wanted to win tonight, to add to that win on Saturday, but we haven’t and we have to deal with that. “We try hard to win every game, and we probably played better tonight than we did on Saturday against Newport. “We have a young team, who are as fit as anything, and they will enjoy going out there and having another challenge.” And the manager confirmed that Danny Woodards missed out tonight with a hamstring strain. He said: “Danny has a bit of a hamstring strain that he picked up in training yesterday. If he is not fit I cannot pick him.”
I think you must have AMOT, as we very much did dominate the game, but didn't convert our opportunities. Ward is quite right in what he says, but he needs to act on it.... he knows what we need, we all know what we need, so why hasn't a striker come in yet?? I think that regardless of how we do from here on in, Wards needs to step down next season, and give way to his assistant, who may have fresh ideas and a new approach. Ward clearly has no answer
