Cirencester 2 Rovers 5 in the 1st round of the Gloucestershire Challenge Cup! Match report..... Rovers were too strong for Cirencester in this Gloucestershire Challenge Cup first round tie at The Corinium Stadium this evening. Christian Montano and Billy Bodin scored two goals apiece and Blake Davies added a fifth goal against a hard working home side who struggled to cope with Montano’s pace down the left in particular. The home side forced two early corners and goalkeeper made a fine save from Ross Langworthy’s angled drive. However Rovers soon settled and after Bodin had headed a cross from Montano straight at goalkeeper Glyn Garner, Rovers took an eighth minute lead. Montano was the scorer, curling an exquisite free kick into the top corner of the net from just outside the area. The same player was instrumental in setting up a second goal just four minutes later when his cross from the left was met by Bodin. His first shot beat Garner and hit the post, but the striker followed up and tapped the ball into an empty net from close range. Another four minutes elapsed before the next goal arrived, this time for Cirencester. A clearance by goalkeeper Kieran Preston reached Charlie Griffin and with the keeper out of position the experienced striker hit a low shot into the net from just inside the area. Another Montano free kick was touched behind by Garner shortly afterwards and then Bodin saw his shot blocked after collecting yet another cross from Montano. There was another chance for Rovers just before the half hour mark when Bodin won possession midway inside the Cirencester half and raced off towards goal as he entered the area he attempted to slip the ball past Garner who anticipated the shot and saved with his legs. At the other end Preston saved comfortably from Aiden Bennett though Rovers might have added a third goal in the final minute of the half when Garner scrambled across his line to touch Bodin’s free kick behind for a corner. Rovers made a change at the start of the second half, which saw Tom Fry replace George Corp. Montano carried on where he had left off in the first half, as in Rovers’ first attack of the half he saw his rasping drive hit the upright and fall behind for a goal kick. Eight minutes into the half, though, he scored his second goal of the evening, curling in another free kick from just outside the box after a foul on Bodin. Not to be outdone in the goalscoring stakes, Bodin scored his second goal on 57 minutes. Played in by Ryan Broom, the striker chipped the ball over Garner as the keeper rushed off his line to clear. It was to be his last touch of the game as he and Montano were replaced by Olly Mehew and Elliot Green respectively. The home side pulled a goal back on 68 minutes when Josh Parsons volleyed past Preston following a ball in from the right. On 76 minutes, though, Rovers scored again when Green found Davies in space out on the right and he cut inside before firing a low shot past Garner. Moments later there was almost a goal at the other end but Preston touched a free kick from Parsons on to the bar and saw it drop behind for a corner. Bristol Rovers: Kieran Preston, Ryan Broom, Christian Montano (Elliot Green, 58), Tyler Lyttle, Alfie Kilgour, Danny Greenslade, Jay Malpas, Dominic Thomas, Blake Davies, Billy Bodin (Olly Mehew, 58), George Corp (Tom Fry, 46) Substitutes: Bradley Confrey, Charlie Phillips http://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/news/article/cup-win-at-the-corinium-2677084.aspx#Q2ezOwVuIBpfrfTP.99
Montano scored 2 free kicks, another free kick topped wide by the keeper, hit the bar from distance and got an assist for Bodins goal. Someone making a point to DC!!
Assistant Manager Marcus Stewart, speaking after the Gloucestershire Challenge Cup tie against Cirencester Town, praised the contributions of first team players Christian Montano and Billy Bodin. Playing in a young Bristol Rovers side, both players scored two goals in a 5-2 win and made significant contributions to the victory. Stewart said: “It was a good performance and I was really pleased for Christian and Billy. They have been in and out of the first team so far this season and it would have been difficult for them to come into a game like this and play alongside youth team players and first team professionals. Some players are not always happy to play in games such as this, as I have seen during my time back at the club, but not these two, who showed a great attitude. Christian and Billy did things in the right way and added something to the team. By that I mean they led by example and showed the younger lads how to be proper professionals. As I’ve already said, I’ve not always seen that attitude from senior pros in my time but those two came in tonight and showed all those around them that it’s not just about ability, it’s also about attitude and how you apply yourself. You need to be motivated to play in any game you can and want to win every game and be the best in every training session and it was great for the younger lads out there tonight to see that from the two senior players in the side. It’s important that we try to teach the younger lads the right values and the right way of thinking, but sometimes it’s out of our hands and the responsibility lies with the older pros. I thought that, as well as their goals, Christian and Billy showed enthusiasm and motivation in abundance and I was as pleased with that as I was with everything else I saw out there tonight. When you have players in your side with that type of attitude it rubs off on the younger players and creates a positive culture, something we have in abundance around the place at the moment. The younger players will have taken note of how Christian and Billy played tonight and will have learned that there is a correct way of doing things. Once I have said my piece and they go out on to the pitch things are, to a certain extent, out of my hands and so it’s important that the older pros coming into games such as this show the younger lads the way forward. That was the case tonight and I was delighted with a hard working and enthusiastic performance.” http://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/news...-performance-2677113.aspx#D0wkvKLJAHQ42iXx.99
Would be good to see Montano and Bodin get a run in the team. Bodin's only on a short term contract too, so he needs to impress...
