Bristol Rovers Vs Burton Albion, Memorial Stadium, Bristol, Sky Bet League 2, Friday 21st February 2014, 7:45pm please log in to view this image Vs please log in to view this image
Burton are at Rochdale tonight so maybe they will feel a tad tired when they come to us on Friday however their away record (7-4-2) is slightly better then are home record (7-5-3) I think we can nick a draw 2-2 for me.
i think we will get something out of this game. as you said, they are playing tonight so could be tired and our pitch aint the best so playing tonight and then again on a heavy pitch on friday. we seem to be better under the lights too. we have a few players who need to step up like gow and gillespie who are looking to prove themselves to ward and we dont have a bad home record either. so i think we will be ok this game.
Captain Tom Parkes on Burton... Taken from the Post. Rovers, who have suffered just one defeat on home soil in the last four months, face a promotion-chasing Burton Albion side that has lost just twice in their last 18 outings. Parkes said: "Burton are a good side and have been for the last couple of seasons. They made it to the play-offs at the end of last year and to be up and around those positions again is another great effort. That they are a good side is not something we will be focusing on, though, because we have done quite well against the sides in the top seven when we have played them at our place. It would be three massive points for us if we can get them. I always have a look at the team directly below us in the league table to see how many points they are behind, but, other than that, I always look up. The league table can have a very different look from weekend to weekend because there is a big group of teams bunched together. I feel confident because I always have confidence in this team. I believe we have a squad good enough to win the league, but we all know it hasn't worked out like that for us. A lot of that is down to what has been some poor away form, because at home our record is decent. It is hard to put a finger on why we have not been so effective on the road. I wouldn't say we aren't performing, because we have played well in some of the games. I think we are players with a winning mentality and, maybe, sometimes we get caught out on the break when we are going forward and trying to win a game."
Help required tomorrow The new pitch covers are back in place to protect the playing surface from the rain expected over night. The covers will then need to come off tomorrow afternoon, and the club are looking for volunteers to help remove them. Volunteers will need to report to the groundsman's shed at 1.30pm. Match tickets will be provided to those who help. If you can help, please email [email protected] to register your interest.
Save £2 on normal match day prices Fans are being reminded that they have until 5pm today get their Early Bird tickets for tomorrow's League Two fixture against Burton Albion. Supporters can save £2 on normal match day prices by buying their tickets in advance. Tickets are still available from either of the clubs' two retail outlets - Pirate Leisure at the Memorial Stadium and the Supporters Club shop in Kingswood.
Bristol Rovers duo Mark McChrystal and Ollie Clarke are set to make their returns from injury. Defender McCrystal has recovered from a knee problem, while midfielder Clarke is now free of an ankle injury. Ever-present Burton Albion full-back Damien McCrory (dead leg) is doubtful, as is striker Adam McGurk Defender Chris Hussey (hamstring) and striker Michael Symes (knee) are both nearing fitness after injury but are unlikely to feature. Bristol Rovers manager John Ward told BBC Radio Bristol: "I put a squad of 20 up on the notice board and thought to myself 'I've got a bit of work to do'. "After chatting to my staff, I think we've come up with a good formula to play. "However, it does mean some good players won't be involved. That's a good thing if we can get it right. "It's a good time of year to get your full squad back. We can hopefully push on now." Burton Albion manager Gary Rowett told BBC Radio Derby: "I think all three of the away games [Bristol Rovers v Burton is the middle game of three away matches in a row] are going to be different. "I think Rochdale are one of the best sides in the division. What they do they do really well. Bristol also; they're a good side. I'm surprised where they are really. "We know what they've got. They've got some terrific players, but we might have to go down to Bristol and do something differently. "What I will have to do is shuffle the pack a little bit over these next couple of games."
What happened in our last two home games against Burton? Oh, it's just coming to me now... April 2012 - Rovers 7-1 Burton - The incredible thing is here, is that we didn't start this game well, as passes went astray and few chances were created on a bumpy pitch. Burton had the better of the opening 40 minutes as Justin Richards had a shot just wide before the visitors fired a shot against the post. Rovers took the lead out of the blue on 40 minutes, when Mustapha Carayol's piledriver could only be helped into the net by ross Atkins, such was the power on the strike. After the break, the floodgates opened, as Eliot Richards pounced on a mistake in the Burton defence to slot home, before the same player was brought down in the penalty area, with Matt Harrold converting the resulting spot-kick. In between came Burton's consolation; Calvin Zola hooking the ball over Scott Bevan. Jim Paterson made it four with a fine finish into the far corner after good work by Carayol. Harrold's deflected shot made it five, and Richards completed his hat-trick with a low finish into an unguarded net and a curling deflected strike. March 2013 - Rovers 3-0 Burton - Arguably a more convincing performance. Rovers started well and got their reward when Ryan Brunt slid home a cross from the right. Burton felt that they should have had a penalty when Billy Kee went down late in the first half, but those claims were waved away. In the second half, Burton's only chance of note was when Robbie Weir's shot was held by Steve Mildenhall. John Joe O'Toole's tap-in and Eliot Richards' first time finish from Ellis Harrison's cross completed a convincing victory.
Ward on looking forward to tonights game. (Taken from the Post) Rovers entertain promotion-chasing Burton Albion in what will be the first Friday night game since the thrilling 3-3 draw with York City back in November. Ward said: “There is a good game in prospect. We had around seven to 10 days after the fixtures were released in the summer to approach some clubs to see if they would be interested in moving a fixture to a Friday night. We’re pleased to get this one on against Burton on Friday night before another one against Southend United next month. I’m looking forward to them because the atmosphere has been good when we have had them in the past and it offers those people who participate in local sport over the weekend a chance to come and watch us play if they wish. I’d like to have a few more on a Friday night because I prefer them. They are certainly very good if you win because you can sit back and watch everybody else struggle on Saturday afternoon. It also offers me the chance to go to other games on a Saturday afternoon to see some of our upcoming opponents first hand.” Rovers, who are playing for the first time in 10 days after their scheduled match against Bury was rained off last Saturday, are boosted by the return of both Mark McChrystal (knee) and Ollie Clarke (ankle). Striker Matt Harrold (knee) will not be available again until Rovers make the trip to S****horpe United on Tuesday. Ward said: “We are stronger in numbers and names and I do have a lot of options available to me at the moment. I’ve put a squad of 20 players up on the noticeboard and I have certainly had some decisions to make over the last couple of days. We think we have come up with a good formula to go and play, but it means some good players will not be involved from the start. That is a good thing if we can get it right. It is a good time of the year to get your squad back and that will help us push on.”
Ward on wanting a fast start from the players tonight. (Taken from the Post) Ward has told his players they must aim for a fast start if they are to keep pace with promotion-chasing Burton Albion at the Memorial Stadium tonight (7.45pm). Rovers saw their scheduled match at Bury rained off last Saturday and will return to action for the first time in ten days when they entertain Gary Rowett's in-form side. Burton, meanwhile, will be playing for the third time in less than a week. Ward said: "I don't think that will be a big issue. Yes, Burton have played a couple of times already this week, but when you are a side in the top six you are happy for those games to keep coming. We, on the other hand, have not played for ten days or so because of the Bury postponement and it is important we get on top of that quickly. It will be interesting for me to see how we get going after missing a couple of weeks. Sometimes players need a few minutes to get going and at other times they'll just hit the ground running. I'd prefer that we hit the ground running as that is where Burton will be because they are up to speed with their games." Ward, however, has used the ten-day break to good effect by getting plenty of tactical work done on the training ground. Burton would move into the automatic promotion spots should they leave the Memorial Stadium with three points in the bag. Ward said: "We will have our work cut out, but we have only lost one of our last nine or ten games at home and we are also in good shape. I saw Burton play last weekend and they are a good, strong and resolute side. That they are in the top six is no surprise to me and Gary Rowett should be commended for the job he is doing there. It is not easy to mount a promotion challenge in the season after you have suffered the disappointment of losing in the play-offs. I have been there myself, having suffered that sort of hangover as manager here some 20 years or so ago now. They have recruited well and we will need to be somewhere near our best to win this game."
A look at tonight's opposition On a rare Friday evening game Bristol Rovers entertain 6th placed Burton Albion in what promises to be a thrilling game. With 10 goals scored by Rovers in the only two home games against the Brewers the Gas will be hoping that by the end of the evening they will be in 16th spot. The Midlands team have an impressive away record with 7 victories, 5 draws and just 2 defeats on the road. Their last away defeat was on 16th November when they went down 2-0 at Dagenham, since then they have won 2 and drawn 5 of the 7 away games. Last season Rovers entertained the Brewers on a bright March day and three crosses from the wing sent the away team home disappointed. After just 5 minutes Ryan Brunt gave the Gas the lead, a Joe Anyinsah cross in to the penalty area found Brunt, who fired home from close range. The score line stayed the same until the 62nd minute when John-Joe O”Toole got on to the end of an Ollie Norburn cross inside the box and found the net from close range. The game was made safe 8 minutes later as home debutant Ellis Harrison this time, crossed for Eliot Richards to drive home with his right foot. This result was a vast improvement from Burton’s only previous visit when Mark McGhee’s team ran riot with a 7-1 victory. On Tuesday night the Derbyshire team came away from Spotland with a share of the spoils from their game with Rochdale. The Brewers took the lead when Jimmy Phillips won a corner down the left and Damien McCrory swung the ball in. Sharps got up well to thump a header at goal, Dale keeper Josh Lillis parried, but Zeli Ismail was there to slam it in from close range for his second goal for the club. The away team lost their way at the start of the second half and the pressure finally told after 66 minutes, as Rob Lainton’s howler handed Dale the equaliser. George Donnelly hit a hanging ball into the area and Albion’s on-loan keeper tried to get a punch on it but could only skew the ball back into his goal, with a desperate clearance on the line from an Albion defender not enough to stop it going over. Interviewed after the match Manager, Gary Rowett said, “You could argue we are frustrated after conceding a goal like that having worked so hard with the game plan we had. "It worked really hard for 65 minutes and at that stage you don’t want to give them a cheap way back into the game and we possibly did. You have to take that on the chin and hope it doesn’t affect the rest of the game. “For five or 10 minutes we started to concede a bit of space but we regained composure well and towards the end had one or two openings from set-pieces. I’d have taken a point before the game because Rochdale are a very good side and I’m sure they will be up there or thereabouts at the end of the season.” Defender Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, a former Dale player also commented. “We had the three points in our grasp but they got the better of us in the last twenty minutes or so and pushed us back to force the errors. It is disappointing from that perspective but to come here and take a point home with us is a good result.” Looking forward to Friday’s game the Australian commented, “We will have a breather on Wednesday although I will generally do a little bit myself to blow away the cobwebs and we will be back in for a really good training session on Thursday to keep us loosened up, particularly those of us who have played against Rochdale. "We need to do enough so that we are not too lethargic but we also have to be careful not to overdo things. A lot of good food and good rest is essential. Then we should be ready for Friday for another good game. “As a player I prefer it when the games come thick and fast like this. Sometimes it gets a little bit boring when you are only playing on Saturdays and there is nothing in between apart from training. "I find that you need that competition and that bit of fight and also when you are winning and picking up points, pushing up the table that is when it is exciting and you want the next game to come around as soon as possible. “I think that Bristol Rovers will pose us different problems to Rochdale. I think they will probably be a little bit more direct. I think they will be desperate for the points but for a different reason to us and that means we can expect a tougher, more physical encounter as opposed to what we came up against with Rochdale. “I always go into every game thinking that we are going to get a positive result and the way we are performing at the back at the moment there are certainly not a lot of goals getting past us so it is looking good for us from a defensive perspective. "We just need that little bit of luck up front just to bang in two or three goals instead of just the one and I can see it coming. We are certainly creating the chances and the luck just needs to go with us a little bit more.” “Every time you drop points it does add a little bit more pressure but there are still plenty of games to go and we still have to play some of the sides around us. We will aim to go down there on Friday and keep the points total ticking along and if we can do that it will put us in a good position ahead of the weekend and the games to come.”
A good, deserved win. Burton presented little threat...must be one of the shortest teams we've played...all sorta**es. Referee was awful...and it's not sour grapes, cos we won. On a soggy pitch with little bounce he must have ignored at least 4/5 handballs. JJ got another daft booking, but yet again he scored!
i had to pinch myself at times because we played pretty darn good. i think thats the best performance of the season for me that i have witnessed. im delighted with what i just seen. we never looked like conceding and we could have scored 2 or 3 more. clarkson deserved his man of the match. anyone think o'toole will get 20 goals? yet another booking for him.... must be close to getting another suspension! ref was poor at times but some decisions he gave which he got stick for i agreed with him but he was still poor overall. burton did not look like a promotion chasing side but they have played saturday, tuesday and tonight all on heavy pitches so they must have been feeling it in their legs!
Brilliant performance. I'm struggling to think of a game we've dominated from start to finish like that. Burton were dreadful - either tiredness or the fact they hate playing at the mem. Now to start doing the business away... By the way, we've had that ref many times and on each occasion he's been awful.
