Went to Mangotsfield last night, thought Ryan Broom looked good and gave DC food for thought, was not impressed by Mildy's performance I hope it's because it was the first friendly and down to a lack of match practice 3-0 win at Salisbury 2 wins out of 2 cant be all bad
Not sure. Will be interesting to see what DC does. I wouldnt be surprised if he gets in someone else in on loan to compete with Mildenhall while loaning out Puddy with a 24 hour recall clause. Where the loan window is not extended this season, we need to make sure we got cover in goal because we no longer got Preston as a keeper. Puddy and Mildenhall is not enough. What happens if Puddy gets injured again? Mildenhall will be on his own and we wont be able to get a loan in for cover during the season, so need to get a keeper in now I say!
Watching the highlights, I noticed we aint wearing a proper kit. I know the upcoming seasons jit is not ready but im surprised we aint using an old blue and white kit.
Match report vs Mangotsfield... Mangotsfield 3-5 Bristol Rovers A competitive and entertaining pre-season game at Mangotsfield tonight saw Rovers ease past their hosts in a game watched by a large crowd, estimated at 1,400. Before the game Mangotsfield Chairman Mike Richardson presented Darrell Clarke and Marcus Stewart with a memento to mark their achievements in leading Rovers to promotion last season. The gesture was greatly appreciated and set the tone for the evening. The home side took the lead after only three minutes after Steve Mildenhall fumbled a shot from George Lloyd. Full back Tyler Lyttle touched the loose ball back to the keeper and thus conceded an indirect free kick for the back pass. With all Rovers players on the goal line, Matt Groves touched the ball to Ryan Batten who blasted a shot high into the net. Groves tried his luck with an angled drive on 11 minutes but that was gathered by Mildenhall. With Rovers struggling to make an impact, the home side threatened again and Mildenhall did well to save a close range effort from Liam Monelle following Tom Parrinello’s cross. Luke James did have a shot blocked as Rovers went on the offensive and they got back on level terms with 21 minutes on the clock. The home side failed to clear a Chris Lines corner from the right and Rory Gaffney was on hand to touch the ball in from close range. Liam Lawrence skied a free kick over the bar and Byron Moore’s shot met the same fate as Rovers began to get into their stride. Cristian Montano almost gave Rovers the lead just after the half hour mark with a dipping, swerving shot that goalkeeper Kyle Phillips had difficulty dealing with. In fact the ball hit the keeper and went behind for a corner! Rovers did take the lead, with an outstanding goal on 41 minutes. Montano was the goalscorer, but it was created by a fine piece of individual play from Byron Moore. Receiving the ball in his own half and facing his own goal, his turn took out two opposing players and he set off on a run into the Mangotsfield half before finding Montano with a defence splitting pass. ‘Monty’ did the rest, comfortably beating goalkeeper Phillips. Three minutes into the second half the home side equalised when Rovers failed to cut out a low ball into the area by George Lloyd and Kerry Morgan slotted the ball in at the back post. Rovers regained the lead on 58 minutes, with a fine individual goal from Ryan Broom. Picking the ball up out on the right, he beat two players on his way into the area before lashing a ferocious drive past Phillips. Two minutes later Broom scored again. Following a mistake by Scott Brice. Jermaine Easter picked up the loose ball and his shot was parried by Phillips into the path of Broom who fired the ball home. Jamie Lucas was unlucky not to increase the lead when his superb volley was touched over the bar by Phillips and Broom went close from the resulting corner, his powerful header being kept out by the shot stopper. Mildenhall made an outstanding save from Groves as the home side sought to pull another goal back, the veteran shot stopper somehow managing to parry a ferocious drive by the former Rovers player. Five minutes from time Mangotsfield scored a third goal when Ben Bament turned in the area and fired a low shot past Mildenhall. A minute later Broom was denied a hat trick when he saw Lewis Hogg clear off the line. However Rovers did score again shortly afterwards when James Clarke powered home a header at the back post to register his first ever senior goal. Rovers: Steve Mildenhall, Tyler Lyttle (Lewis Ellington, 61), James Clarke, Alfie Kilgour (Toby Rennie, 70), Danny Greenslade, Cristian Montano, Liam Lawrence (Connor Jones, 51), Chris Lines, Byron Moore (Ryan Broom, 46) Rory Gaffney (Jamie Lucas, 32), Luke James (Jermaine Easter, 46) http://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/news...n-with-a-win-3175992.aspx#mhQdZiRjCMqqPWqv.99
Match report vs Salisbury Salisbury 0-3 Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers recorded a comfortable victory against Salisbury FC yesterday, thanks to goals from Ellis Harrison, Ollie Clarke and Billy Bodin. Darrell Clarke’s side were in control of proceedings almost all the way through and always looked as though they could step up a gear and goallkeeper Will Puddy was seldom troubled. A cagey opening to the game saw very few chances created by either side, though Salisbury did force an early corner before Ellis Harrison was denied a shooting opportunity by home skipper Elliot Wheeler. Both sides were playing at a high tempo and Ryan Broom, who scored twice in last night’s 5-3 win at Mangotsfield, looked lively again today. He went close on 12 minutes when his improvised effort with the outside of his right foot just cleared the bar. Following a good spell of play Rovers took an 18th minute lead when Ellis Harrison converted a penalty, awarded after Billy Bodin had been upended by Ashton Lee. Shortly afterwards Broom’s ferocious drive was blocked denied by the legs of goalkeeper Charlie Searle. Following an early substitution by the home side, that saw Joe Sanger replace Daniel Ano, Brandon Mundy fired a shot high and wide of the target, while at the other end Searle comfortably saved a Jake Gosling shot from the edge of the area. Another Gosling effort, this time a free kick, was also saved by the keeper just after the half hour mark and Ollie Clarke tried one of his trademark long range efforts which flew well wide of the target. Clarke wasn’t to be denied, though, as he was on hand to finish of a superb move on 38 minutes. The home side lost possession on then halfway line and Gosling picked up the ball and found Billy Bodin with an incisive pass. He, in turn, found Clarke and he comfortably beat Searle from 12 yards. Searle then did well to deny Bodin a goal as he ran on to a superb ball from Clarke as Rovers ended the half in the ascendancy. Both sides made three substitutions at the start of the second half. For Rovers, Alfie Kilgour, Hammed Lawal and Jay Malpas replacing Daniel Leadbitter, Lee Brown and Stuart Sinclair respectively. Gosling created an early opportunity for Bodin but the striker’s delicate chip over the keeper just cleared the bar. Salisbury applied some good pressure after Broom had twice gone close for Rovers, but the closest they came to opening their account came when a shot from Danny Young was blocked by a packed Rovers defence. Rovers went further ahead on 66 minutes when Ellis Harrison weaved his way past two home defenders and cut the ball back to the unmarked Bodin who slotted the ball past Searle from six yards out. Will Puddy was then called into action, saving well from a long range Justin Bennett effort. Bodin tried a long range effort as the game drew to a close which was comfortably saved by substitute keeper Nathan Ball. That was the last of the meaningful action, though, and Rovers comfortably preserved their lead in the final minutes. Rovers: Will Puddy Daniel Leadbitter (Alfie Kilgour, 46) (Hammed Lawal, 46), Tom Lockyer, Chad Field, Lee Brown, Stuart Sinclair (Jay Malpas, 46), Ollie Clarke (Jamie Lucas, 60), Jake Gosling, Billy Bodin, Ellis Harrison, Ryan Broom http://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/news...at-salisbury-3177300.aspx#QyMmzduOccDmKzt0.99
Don't quite understand whats happening with Taylor. Nothing has been reported about movement from other clubs.
Dont know if this is the same person but I guess it is as been released by Portsmouth in May. http://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/news/...phy-chad-field-and-snorre-nilsen-3117018.aspx
Darrell Clarke will take his side to Bath tonight, 7:45pm kick off and the Rovers boss has named the following squad: Will Puddy, Lee Brown, Daniel Leadbitter, Tom Lockyer, James Clarke, Peter Hartley, Ollie Clarke, Jake Gosling, Chris Lines, Ryan Broom, Billy Bodin, Ellis Harrison, Tyler Lyttle, Alfie Kilgour, Danny Greenslade, Jay Malpas, Byron Moore, Luke James, Jermaine Easter. Admission Prices: Adults - £8.00 Concessions - £6.00 Under-16's - £2.00 http://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/news...on-bath-city-3181170.aspx#208uUbE2HSF57L5J.99
Looking at the players that have signed for teams in our league we could well struggle to get points in a lot of matches this season, I believe in DC but recruitment needs to be stepped up before supporters start to loose interest, I didn't think that Rovers were going to spend millions but I did hope that they would spend some thing. I know the team as a whole didn't play well against Mangotsfield but they looked very short of what I would have expected a team hoping to finish in a reasonable position in the league to have given
I think we'll do well this season. A lot of the teams in this league are recruiting heavily. We've got a settled squad who we know can do the business. There are goals from all over the pitch and we're strong at the back. No worries.
Remember though, Mangotsfield was the very 1st pre season friendly. Dont expect your typical performance from a league 1 side who would hopefully finish in a reasonable to be performing to that standard in the very 1st pre season friendly. I thought DC was harsh in his interview after that game. Pre season is nothing other than building match fitness and perfecting formations and tactics while strikers score goals to build up confidence
