Match Day Thread Todays match (23/24 season)

Should we start a new thread or use the one from last season

 

This one is fine. New season, new thread.

 

I concur. New thread for the new season

I've added the 23/24 season on the title and turned it into a proper match thread

May as well use it to add pre-match and post match stuff too

 

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Rovers travel to Portsmouth for the first game of the season at Fratton Park (kick-off 3:00pm).

Looking to get off to a flying start to the season, Rovers will be hoping for a winning start to the 2023/24 campaign.

Portsmouth have spent big this summer, bringing in over ten players so far.

Last season Rovers were unsuccessful in their last outing at Fratton Park losing 3-1 in August 2022, with Aaron Collins getting on the scoresheet.

Rovers are currently priced at 11/4 to beat Pompey on the opening day, with the draw currently 5/2. Aaron Collins is priced at 3/1 to score at any time

Referee: Sam Allison. He was in charge of 1 Rovers game last season - 2-1 away win vs Charlton.

 

Finley announced as club captain.

 

Today's line up

Cox, Wilson, Connolly, Hoole, Thomas, Gordon, Ward, Finley, Collins, Marquis, Brown,

Subs

Belshaw, Crama, Taylor, Evans, Grant, Jones, Sinclair.

Good to see Josh Grant back fit enough to take his place initially on the bench and soon hopefully in the team

 

I wasn't expecting Belshaw to be replaced so soon for Cox. I would have thought give Cox some time to get his communication skills up together with his new teammates.

 

Sinclair looked good in pre season. I thought he'd start.

 

JB made a few comments about Belshaw's form last season, just hope the Keeper speeds up his movement of the ball rather than letting their defenders get back into position before releasing the ball back into play

 

Portsmouth winning 2 - 1 on yellow cards

Blackpool, Bolton Cambridge and Exeter are winning all the rest goal less Exeter by 2 - 0 the rest 1 - 0

Luke Thomas gets his first of the season 24th minute

35th minute Wilson yellow carded resulting free kick blasted over by Marlon Pack to the amusement of the gas

37th minute Marquis receiving treatment but is fit to carry on accompanied by a few boo's

43rd minute Hoole booked for time wasting under the new EFL rules

8 minutes extra time this also comes under the new rules pity it wasn't in play last season when we played Derby

HT 0 - 1Rovers I follow gave the as 45+10 at HT

 

One change for Portsmouth at HT Lowery off Saydee on

Cox did well to turn Raffert's shot over for a corner

57th minute Grant Ward down injured Danial Hargreaves says he looks in a lot of pain, game restarted
With or without Grant not said, has stayed on and is continuing

62nd minute Taylor on Connolly of

64th minute Poole yellow carded 65th minute Kamara replaces Gavin Whyte and Josh Grant replaces Gordon

Barnsley not missing Thomas currently leading 6 - 0

 

73rd minute Sparkes replaces Towler 74th minute Wilson recieving treatment also had a penalty shout turned down

Thomas and Collins off Evans and Sinclair on 82nd minute

Ogilvie hits the post and either Saydee or Kamara heads the rebound over 83rd minute

Kusini replaces Scully 83rd minute

A minimum of 6 minutes stoppage

Yengi scores 92nd minute 1 - 1

FT 1 _ 1

 

Thanks old timer for the updates. So we couldn't hang on. Good result though but gutting.

 

In other news.... Yeovil lost 1-0 at Hemel Hempstead

 

I think we need a striker to help Collins out, Loft and Marquis work hard but the goals for column is not that good and if we want to make a serious attempt to get out of this division we are going to need more goals.

Trying to defend a 1 goal lead is never easy and better teams than us fail to do it. But a good point against a team they reckon will be there or therabouts is not a bad result.

On the plus side I think this new directive on time wasting might just help us to less time wasting and more football