Bristol Rovers Vs Plymouth Argyle, Memorial Stadium, Bristol, Sky Bet League 2, Saturday 8th March 2014, Kick Off 3:00pm please log in to view this image Vs please log in to view this image
South Stand seats still available Seats in both main stands have now sold out for Saturday's home game against Plymouth Argyle. Plymouth have also sold their whole allocation, but there are still home seats left in the South Stand.
Plymouth Argyle boss John Sheridan hails 'consistent' side Plymouth boss John Sheridan says the consistency his in-form side are beginning to show will be the key to making the play-offs this season. Argyle are two points off the play-off spots after Saturday's resounding 5-0 win over Morecambe, which followed a 4-0 thrashing of Fleetwood. "We're showing a bit of consistency which is what you need to do in this league," he told BBC Radio Devon. "I've done well with other teams and consistency is the magic word." Sheridan's side have struggled for goals for much of the season. But since the 4-0 home defeat by York City on 15 February, Argyle have been transformed as an attacking unit with 11 goals scored and just one conceded in the space of three straight wins. "We're playing alright at the moment but I'll keep my feet firmly on the ground because I know what's round the corner in football," said Sheridan, who was under pressure earlier in the season after a run of eight games without a win. "But I'm chuffed for the players. They've responded really well. "I've got a group of probably 18 or 20 players and I'm not worried about who I pick in the team. When you're winning 4-0 or 5-0 you want to put them all on, I want them to enjoy it. "I'll try to rotate my subs because they're all working very hard in training and they're a good group of lads." Sheridan hailed the performance of striker Lewis Alessandra, who scored his 10th and 11th goals of the season in the demolition of Morecambe, his former club, as Argyle secured their first home win since 1 January. "It's about the team and I don't like to pick out individuals but Lewis was top drawer again," he said. "Lewis gave me a nine out of 10 and everyone else gave me at least a seven-and-a-half, so if you get that then you've got a chance of winning any game. "Again it was a very, very good performance. To keep a clean sheet and score five goals is very pleasing. "First and foremost it's good to get back to winning ways at home but I thought we were outstanding. They had a little chance just before we scored our goal but other than that we've totally dominated the game. I think our fitness levels, which meant we could play the game at the tempo we wanted, won us the game. "I'd rather fans were happy! I think they're happy now and they're good supporters. "I've been here a year and there's been some hard times during that. It's good to give them some hope but we've got to try to keep winning games - the next game is the most important."
Manager on Saturday's game Saturday will see two in form teams come up against each other as Plymouth Argyle visit the Memorial Stadium. The Pilgrims have won their last three games, and are scoring goals for fun, but Rovers have also proved they can take on the top teams in the division. Manager John Ward said: “It is really tight, Plymouth got a draw on Monday night and moved up three or four places, that is how much a point can help you. “We are still right in there, and we keep coming up against teams in really good form. “We have another one on Saturday, Plymouth have had a fantastic run of games and results. We are ready for those types of games. “Saturday will be a tough one, but our home form is good. I am expecting a good attendance, and if we can add a good performance to that, it could be a good day for us. “We know we are in for a test, but I would like to think that John Sheridan will know that his team are in for a test as well. “We have responded well to good form teams coming up against us, and we have to do that again. “If we slip below that at the weekend, we run the risk of being punished, but Plymouth are probably thinking the same. “The players are setting a pretty high standard, and they have to work hard to try and maintain that. "I want to aim as high as we can get. I want to look ahead and see who we can catch. You only look back for experience and knowledge to use for the future." The manager will have no new injury worries ahead of Saturday’s game. He said: “We have got Matt Harrold training all this week, which is good, and we have Seanan Clucas back from Northern Ireland duty, so we are getting ready to go for the weekend and another busy week. “We have a pretty much full squad, apart from those long term injuries, and that is pleasing for me as a manager. “The bench is looking stronger and it gives me stronger options if I need to use them.” And although the manager is already starting to plan for the summer and next season, his immediate plans revolve around winning the next set of games. He said: “I am already looking at what we need to do for the close season and pre-season to build for next year. “Everyone has plans, but we have to make sure that our immediate plans are to win at the weekend and then the next plan is to try and win on Tuesday. “I have to find time as a manager to fit all those things in, but the players just have to get on with their job. “We are aware of where we are with contracts, and I am doing that with the chairman – but at the moment that is not for public consumption.”
Possible Line-Ups (evil post) The Gas (4-2-3-1) Mildenhall Smith_Parkes_McChrystal_Brown Lockyer_Clarke Clarkson_O'Toole_Mohamed Beardsley Plymouth (3-5-2) Cole Trotman_Nelson_Blanchard Berry_Wotton_Young_Hourihane_Parsons Reid_Alessandra
Bristol Rovers will be without on-loan forward Alan Gow for about six weeks after he damaged his ankle ligaments. Striker Matt Harrold has returned to training and will be assessed before the game to see if he is fit to feature. Plymouth team news to follow. Bristol Rovers manager John Ward told BBC Radio Bristol: "It's really tight in the league. Portsmouth drew on Monday night and moved up three or four places. That's how much one point can help you. "We keep coming up against teams in really good form. Plymouth are one of them. Saturday will be a tough one, but our home form is good. "I'm expecting a good attendance and if we add a performance to that, it will be a good day."
A 250-mile round trip might not be everyone’s idea of what constitutes a derby game... ...but for Plymouth Argyle, it is practically an amble round the corner. Distance will not bother manager John Sheridan and his team; they travelled over 1000 miles in a week to Dagenham and Fleetwood and emerged with six points. To the Green Army, though, a shorter trip from Plymouth means more people have the chance to watch the Pilgrims on the road – something that is becoming a real pleasure these days. Argyle have lost only one of their last seven games away from Home Park, including wins in their last three. Factor in a 5-0 thumping of Morecambe at home last weekend, and you can see why anticipation is high for Saturday’s trip to the Memorial Stadium. The travelling allocation of tickets sold out on Monday morning. Another 100 were released and went within two hours. Around 1,400 Pilgrims will be in Bristol to roar on their heroes. And the gaffer acknowledges their part to play. “It’s a derby game,” said Sheridan. “We’ll have a really good following there. They create a really good atmosphere, our fans. We want to give them something to go home smiling about. These are the games you want to play in as a player, in front of decent crowds. “It’s always a good game, a derby game. We would probably have sold three or four thousand tickets if we had them. We’ll have 1,400 or 1,500 there; our away fans are brilliant. They get right behind the team whoever we are playing – whether there are 200 or 1,500. They always make a racket and hopefully they will help us get the result we are after.”
Taken From The Plymouth Herald PLYMOUTH Argyle's away games against Bristol Rovers in the past two seasons have been pivotal ones for them and tomorrow’s West Country clash promises to be no different. Captain Conor Hourihane has experienced the highs and lows of the last couple of meetings at the Memorial Stadium. Hourihane played for the bottom-of-the-table Pilgrims when they recovered from a 2-0 half-time deficit to beat Rovers 3-2 on Boxing Day 2011. That result provided a massive morale boost for Argyle after a torrid start to the season, and was undoubtedly crucial to their eventual escape from relegation out of the Football League. The Pilgrims were also struggling near the bottom of the table when they visited the Memorial Stadium on January 1, 2013. History threatened to repeat itself as Rovers took an early 2-0 lead, only for Hourihane to cut the deficit with a goal in the 62nd minute. However, Argyle could not draw level and, almost immediately after the final whistle, manager Carl Fletcher was sacked. Now, 14 months later, with the Pilgrims pushing for a place in the League Two play-offs the latest meeting with Rovers will be another important one. Hourihane told Herald Sport: “We have definitely had some eventful games there the last couple of years. “It’s always a tough place to go and play football, but we are all looking forward to it. We are on a good run and, hopefully, it will continue.” Argyle beat Rovers 3-2 on Boxing Day 2011 after a goal in stoppage time from on-loan winger Ashley Hemmings. Hourihane said: “That sparked our season. We were down at the bottom and it was a great comeback. We really needed it at the time. “Last season, we went 2-0 down again and we came back, but we couldn’t quite get that second goal. After that, John Sheridan came in and got us going and we stayed up. “So we have got some good and bad memories from there. We are definitely looking to keep the run going on Saturday. “It’s important we keep getting points on the board,” continued the 22-year-old Argyle midfielder. “People are talking about play-offs and we can’t be losing any ground at this time of the season. The result will be important on Saturday. “Games are coming thick and fast and if you keep getting points on the board you can really start climbing up (the table).” Argyle have won their last three games, by a combined score of 11-1, and Hourihane believes one of the key reasons behind that has been the switch to a 3-5-2 formation. It has benefited the whole team, including Hourihane, who now has more freedom to push forward from the centre of midfield. He said: “I think we have maybe had a little bit more belief. We have changed the system and fresh legs have come into the team. “The gaffer has gone with the system and it’s working.” Hourihane also pointed to the battling 2-0 win at Northampton Town on February 8, which was played in very difficult weather conditions. He said: “That really boosted us. It gave us great belief that we have two sides to our game – we can play, but we can also dig in when we have to. “We are all full of confidence and looking forward to the run-in.”
Taken From The Plymouth Herald The Pilgrims are also away to Wycombe Wanderers next Tuesday, before hosting title-chasing S****horpe United and Chesterfield in back-to-back games at Home Park. Argyle will then travel to Accrington Stanley on Saturday, March 22, before hosting Exeter. It is a busy schedule for Sheridan and his players, but not one that holds any fears for him. He told Herald Sport: “If I was a player, I would rather play Saturday-Tuesday. Training takes care of itself. “If you are playing Saturday-Tuesday, you don’t really need much. It’s just ticking over. “If we can pick points up from these two away games, I tell you what we have got some cracking games coming up at home. “I’m sure the crowds will be bigger and the atmosphere will be better. There is lots to play for, and there is a little bit of belief now. “We have just to really go for it and see if we can carry on winning football matches.” Sheridan stopped short of confirming he would select the same side as for the 5-0 rout of Morecambe at Home Park last Saturday, which took Argyle’s goal tally to 11 in three games. However, in the circumstances, it would be a surprise were Sheridan to make any changes. “Whether I pick the same team, you will find out on Saturday,” said the Pilgrims’ boss. “I don’t think I will be making many changes. It’s harder picking my bench at the moment.” Meanwhile, captain Conor Hourihane has sensed an increased mood of confidence around Plymouth about Argyle’s prospects for the rest of the season. Hourihane and many of his team-mates attended the packed concert by Brit Award-winning indie rock band Bastille at The Pavilions on Monday. Bastille’s drummer is lifelong Argyle fan Chris ‘Woody’ Wood, who wore a Pilgrims’ shirt for the evening. The concert concluded with raucous chants of ‘Green Army’, which Hourihane admitted was an eye-opener for him. He said: “I think there must have been about 10-12 of us (Argyle players) there. There was no midweek game and we really enjoyed it. “After a couple of good victories it was a good thing to have really, just to give the squad a little boost. “Woody is obviously a big name now in the music industry after their Brit Award. “At the end of the concert the whole crowd was shouting ‘Green Army’. It shows everyone is getting a lift from our performances. “It opened the lads’ eyes to see that. If we can get a few more wins and we do get to where we want to, the city will really start buzzing and everyone will get behind us. “I can see it steadily creeping in and, hopefully, we can keep going in the right direction.” Sheridan has missed out on the League Two manager-of-the-month award for February. The Pilgrims’ boss was one of four nominated for the prize, but it went to Bury’s David Flitcroft.
From The Plymouth Herald JOHN SHERIDAN has admitted he is surprised Bristol Rovers are not higher up the League Two table. The Plymouth Argyle manager has a lot of respect for Roversâ boss John Ward and his players. So, even though the Pirates are in 18th position â six points above the relegation zone â Sheridan expects a tough encounter for his play-off chasing side at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Rovers are unbeaten in their last five games, which includes a very creditable 1-1 draw away to title contenders S****horpe United. Sheridan said: âI actually thought they (Rovers) would be further up the table. They have got a strong squad and an excellent manager. âI got a lot of time for John Ward. Heâs someone I have seen as a manager and a coach over the years. âHe has been around a long time and I respect him. I listen to John when he talks.â Midfielder John-Joe OâToole has been particularly impressive for Rovers this season, with a total of 14 goals in all competitions. Sheridan said: âWhen my teams have played against him, or I have seen him in games, heâs someone I have always thought would get goals from midfield. âThey have got some decent players but heâs probably the main man at the moment, scoring vital goals for them. âTo get 14 goals from midfield is a good outcome and we will have to deal with him. They are playing well at home and it will be a tough game for us.â Rovers share Memorial Stadium with rugby union Championship club Bristol and the record-breaking wet weather this winter has taken a heavy toll on the pitch. Sheridan was determined not to let the poor state of the playing surface be a distraction in any way. He said: âWe have got the best pitch in the league, so when you go somewhere else itâs going to be inferior. âItâs the same for both teams. Itâs 11 versus 11 and we just got to get on with it and deal with it.â Argyle sold out their allocation of 1,400 tickets on Tuesday and Sheridan expects the travelling Green Army to create a âreally good atmosphereâ at the Memorial Stadium. âHopefully, we will give them something to go home smiling about,â said the Pilgrimsâ boss. âWe would have probably sold 3,000 or 4,000 if we had them. Our away fans are brilliant. They get right behind the team, wherever we are playing, whether there is 200 of them or 1,400. âThey always make a racket, so hopefully they will help us to get the result we are after.â Sheridan has a near fully-fit squad for the game against Rovers with the one exception being Jason Banton, who is still two weeks away from returning from a groin injury. Banton picked up the problem in the 2-1 win away to Dagenham and Redbridge on February 22. âOther than that, everyone is fit,â said Sheridan. âI have got a really strong squad. âItâs disappointing one or two will be left out, and not even on the bench, but they are all fit and available and they are all wanting to play, which is good.â
i would mix it up a bit. this is a must win to make sure we stay clear of the bottom. plymouth are in great form scoring for fun. we then have a tuesday and saturday game so i would rest lockyer and clarke and play clucas and o'toole in their place. i would move clarkson central and play gillespie out wide. thats what i would do personally for this game
Last 3 home games against Plymouth - some particularly painful memories: January 2011 - Rovers 2-3 Plymouth - This game seemed too easy to be true after about 15 minutes. Two confident Will Hoskins finishes had put us 2-0 up amid some very poor Argyle defending, and it appeared to be plain sailing under Darren Patterson. After the break, however, it was a different story, as Bradley Wright-Phillips shot low into the corner past Mikkel Andersen to make it 2-1, Joe Mason poked the ball into the top corner from a poor defended cross, and then Stephane Zubar scored the winner with an unmarked header from a free-kick. We f***** this one up. December 2011- Rovers 2-3 Plymouth - If we f***** the last one up, we f***** this one up even more. Matt Harrold played the role of Will Hoskins this time, putting us two up. The first was penalty, before he found the top corner superbly from Joe Anyinsah's low cross. However, the poisonous Memorial Stadium atmosphere under Paul Buckle was to get as bad as ever, as Plymouth capitalised on Rovers' second half lethargy. First, Warren Feeney forced the ball home, and then Nick Chadwick levelled the game with a deflected shot. After that, the winner seemed inevitable, and it duly arrived right at the death when Scott Bevan's poor goal kick was intercepted by Ashley Hemmings, who ran through and finished confidently. Cue calls of 'you're getting sacked in the morning' from the Blackthorn End. January 2013 - Rovers 2-1 Plymouth - John Ward's first home game back in charge and he was given a fine reception. On the pitch, the players produced a workmanlike performance to take all three points. Again, we were two up fairly early on as Joe Anyinsah squeezed the ball high into the net at the far post following a corner, before Matt Lund volleyed home from another flag kick. I was fearing another comeback when Conor Hourihane scored with a sidefooted volley in the second half, but thankfully we held on this time.
For anyone who doesn't know the origins of Goodnight Irene as 'our' song: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/BRISTO...Bovver-Boots/story-20775941-detail/story.html
couldnt believe that 2nd 2-3 defeat. this was a midweek game. i brought along a friend who didnt go often due to other commitments. at half time we were 2-0 up and thats when he said that every game he had previously watched was a defeat for rovers so he had a 100% loss record. he said "i will finally see rovers win". the git jinxed us as we obviously went on to lose 3-2. i was not happy with him at full time. he was in stitches as he couldnt believe his luck!
