Festive Period Match(es) Thread And Poll

fair shout to citys defender carey for breaking their appearance record great servant for his club and very loyal which is rare these days in football.

 

. Not sure I want to go new years day now

 

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nice touch

 

Look, under Ward we have only lost 3 home games in the league, which in a year is a very good record. Admittedly much if the football being served up at times isn't good enough, but we've at least got to be hopeful if not optimistic.

 

just being honest think our last loyal player that we had was stuart campbell and he only played 288 games for us!!!

 

Rain today and tomorrow wonder if the game will be on?

 

A look at tomorrow's opponents

Bristol Rovers entertain Cheltenham Town in a New Years’ Day derby game at the Mem. Games between the teams are always close with never more than 2 goals between the teams and no team has scored more than 3 goals.

On the weekend the Robins’ 11-match unbeaten run came to a shock end when they went down to Mansfield Town at the Abbey Business Stadium.

The Nottinghamshire team had gone without a win in their previous 13 League Two games. Cheltenham were rocked in the 21st minute when Mansfield’s Anthony Howell found the bottom right corner with a shot from just outside the penalty area.

Then right on half time the visitors doubled their lead when Matt Rhead used his strength to reach James Jennings' corner at the far post.

It took almost 45 second-half minutes for Cheltenham's Sido Jombati to convert Kemar Roofe's corner for a consolation goal.

Expressing his disappointment with his team’s performance Cheltenham Boss Mark Yates commented, "It's the first time in a couple of months that we have not been good enough. We have been able to look each other in the eye every day since losing to Tamworth, but not enough of us could do that today and we haven't done our jobs properly.

“Mansfield have done a job on us and stopped us playing, but we didn't help ourselves by not moving the ball quickly enough. We had plenty of chances in the first half, but we have gifted them a second goal and the 46th minute is a bad time to concede.

"We have come out intending to have a right go, but it didn't really materialise and we probably got what we deserved. We have not got into any sort of pattern or tempo.

"From the first minute we knew what it was going to be like, but we fell into a trap and it was just a frustrating afternoon. They have played their game and we have got outfought and out-battled and that doesn't happen too often."

Rovers’ home League record against the Robins is poor, having won 3, drawn 1 and lost 4 of the games played at the Mem. Last season the Robins took all three points when former Gas player Chris Zebroski made the most of an error from Garry Kenneth who failed to see the high ball into the box.

Neil Etheridge was on hand to block the first shot, but Zebroski rifled home from close range.

The season before Mark Yates' side went on to produce one of their finest displays of the season to win 3-1. Goals from Kaid Mohamed, Luke Summerfield and Jimmy Spencer stunned Rovers as the Robins stormed into form after a mixed start to the campaign.

Rovers’ last home win was on 27 January 2009 when goals by Darryl Duffy, Craig Disley and Joe Jacobson provided Rovers with a 3-2 victory.

Prior to the Mansfield game Cheltenham keeper Scott Brown was looking for his team to make it three League Two wins in a row for the first time in two years. The Robins secured a 2-0 victory at Fleetwood and followed up with a 1-0 home win over Exeter on Boxing Day.

"Results and performances have definitely helped our confidence, but we can't get too far ahead of ourselves," Brown said. "We have a tough game against a direct Mansfield side now and we know they'll put the ball into our box and we have to defend it. The style has worked for them over the past couple of years and they started this season well, so we know what we are up against and it's going to be a tough game."

"There would have been no point winning at Fleetwood and then not backing it up with a win at home on Boxing Day and we managed to do that against Exeter," he said, "Hopefully we can make it back-to-back home wins now because I can't remember the last time we won three in a row and we didn't do it throughout last season.

"We are creeping up the table slowly and nobody is talking about us. Last season, teams gave us respect and sat back against us at Whaddon Road, but they are not doing it as much now and that's fine by us."

 

The ****s game has been postponed http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25513053

 

Previous home games against Cheltenham:

September 2003 - Rovers 2-0 Cheltenham - Not a vintage Rovers performance, but solid foundations helped us win comfortably in the end. Paul Tait gave us the lead as he nodded in a cross from the right after a fine move, and after Cheltenham hit he side netting with their best chance of the afternoon, Lewis Haldane won a penalty on his Rovers debut when taken out by Shane Higgs, and it was converted by Wayne Carlisle.

January 2005 - Rovers 1-1 Cheltenham - A typical draw under Ian Atkins. Both goals were in the first half of a pretty uneventful game; Steven Gillespie's deflected strike gave the visitors the lead, before Lee Thorpe levelled when he capitalised on a fumble from Higgs.

February 2006 - Rovers 0-1 Cheltenham - Damian Spencer won it for Cheltenham with a rasping second half drive in a game ruined slightly by some very frustrating refereeing.

February 2008 - Rovers 2-0 Cheltenham - By and large a comfortable victory. Craig Hinton stabbed the ball home from close range to give Rovers the lead shortly before half time, and Rickie Lambert made the game safe with a free-kick which went beneath the Cheltenham wall, after the goalkeeper was punished for holding onto a backpass. There was still time for Gillespie to strike the post from the penalty spot as Rovers held on.

January 2009 - Rovers 3-2 Cheltenham - Under Martin Allen, a spirited Cheltenham twice went ahead only to come away with nothing, Ashley Vincent gave them the lead when he lifted the ball over the onrushing Steve Phillips, but Lambert prodded in David Pipe's cross from close range to level. The visitors were back in front early in the second half through Lloyd Owusu's powerful shot, but two goals in two minutes settled it, as Darryl Duffy was the quickest to react to a Scott Brown save, before Lambert's turn beat two defenders, before he beat Brown with an accurate shot.

October 2011 - Rovers 1-3 Cheltenham - A frankly awful display under Paul Buckle. Cheltenham were particularly effective from corners as they went 3-0 up. The first came on the break from a Rovers corner as Kaid Mohamed shot low past Scott Bevan. Early in the second half, Spencer added a second with a wonderful finish at the near post from Cheltenham's own corner. Another corner led to the third as Mohamed turned the ball in from close range, before Lee Brown scored a consolation with a deflected shot from the edge of the box.

October 2012 - Rovers 0-1 Cheltenham - Chris Zebroski came back to haunt Rovers as he scored the only goal; a close range rebound. Cheltenham could have added more if it wasn't for a series of saves by Neil Etheridge.

 

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Keep an eye on the weather forecast and the website!

As you will be aware, our League Two game against Cheltenham Town is scheduled to take place tomorrow afternoon (kick off 1.00pm).

The Memorial Stadium pitch is currently playable but, in the light of the adverse weather conditions forecast for this evening and tomorrow morning, we have arranged for a pitch inspection to take place at 10.00am tomorrow.

Once the inspection has taken place we will advise all supporters whether or not the game is to go ahead.

In the meantime, enjoy a great New Year’s Eve and fingers crossed for tomorrow.

 

Not looking good (4.30pm)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2649452

 

we must get this game on. more fans will turn up tomorrow on a bank holiday over a tuesday night game on a very cold feb night!

 

Coming through on Fans Forum that game is off.

 

Game off

 

yep, i got a text from someone at the club and its on the official twitter page.

 

[video=youtube;-_ZAzX7WNuE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_ZAzX7WNuE&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

Northampton game off to that's good for us