The Official Bristol Rovers Match Thread (sponsored by Siderian "for all your metal needs") | Page 8 | Vital Football

The Official Bristol Rovers Match Thread (sponsored by Siderian "for all your metal needs")

HerrLjunga said:
From Gaschat...

"Hanlan made Akinde look like Aguero"

Ouch.
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To be fair, Hanlan had a pretty good game and is hard to play against.
His finishing is what let him down with us and is continuing with Rovers.
He’s a quality player but not a quality striker.
I’d imagine he’d be a bit more consistent playing alongside someone like big V Oliver.
 
Lark said:
For whatever reason Gills management prefer us to play as early as possible and if the opposition side agree to it we bring all the kicks offs forward.
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Could it be something to do with not having to use the floodlights? Starting so early it is possible to finish the game in daylight - a 3 o'clock kickoff generally means the floodlights have to used for the second half with all the costs connected with their use
 
alex_farrells_left_p said:
Could it be something to do with not having to use the floodlights? Starting so early it is possible to finish the game in daylight - a 3 o'clock kickoff generally means the floodlights have to used for the second half with all the costs connected with their use
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I think that was one of the official reasons given, but then why aren’t the other teams doing the same given money will be tight for all with the pandemic?

I just think they prefer to finish their working day earlier, Steve spoke about not liking having to wait around for a 3pm kickoff especially when away from home with the long journey back after.
With today’s game finishing by 3pm Steve probably raced back to Peterborough to watch the end of their game v AFC Wimbledon, our next opponents, and then he is near his family home too. If you notice it was Paul Raynor who did the post match media interviews today.
 
markinkent said:
Anyone know if Scally is UK based now or still in the emirates ? I thought he came back to the UK.
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I think he’s officially based in the UK now, since he got really ill and almost died 2/3 years ago, but still visits Dubai often when he can.
 
Actually, starting at 13.00 today suited me really well. I was able to see the Gills destroy Brizzle and then head on downstairs so that I could see to top midlands derby that is Leicester RFC against Wasps, which my team LRFC won at a canter.
While this was going on the missus was busy cooking the dinner which we ate after the rugby was finished. I'll probably have to compensate her somehow but it was a great day, great results and nice nosh. What more could a man want?
 
I thought they bring the kick offs earlier (certainly midweek) so away sides aren't getting home at silly o'clock in the morning. I guess it's better for our guys too to not finish at 10pm too.

With no fans they may as well make it easier for both sides
 
Just seen the penalty...so blasé it's unreal, hopefully he will be at the back of the penalty taker list for the remainder of the season.

Dammit, if you're going to fight over taking the penalty, you HAVE to score, to then just jog up and trundle it within a foot of the keeper is inexcusable. My five year old daughter would have hit it with more conviction.
 
We have three front men on 7 goals now, so the competition for top scorer is close. I did worry when Samuel was injured that we didn't really have a natural finisher but Evans seems to have shuffled them round and got a reasonable return from each of them between good and barren spells. Some weeks ago I would not have expected Akinde to finish that first goal so confidently. It begs the question of how we would have played and how many goals we might have scored had Samuel remained fit.
 
A scrappy game today, but I think for our second half change of formation and tactics, we probably just about deserved to edge it, although 2-0 and what could have been 3-0 flattered us. We also, for once, had a bit of luck and got some breaks which we lacked v Peterborough, Sunderland and Lincoln Recently.

Rovers managed to outGills the Gills in the first half. We had more of the ball, but beyond an out-of-character and rare nice bit of play by Macdonald creating a chance for himself then putting in a good shot just wide, we created diddly squat. Rovers played even less football than us, played direct, but had a solid defence and looked dangerous on the attack, but couldn't finish. They almost got lucky with a poor overhit cross freekick, which Bonham made a howler of, almost go in and hit the bar. Hanlan, as ever, looked dangerous and caused problems with his strength and pace, but just as when he was with us lacked the finish, hgitting the post with a decent chance and missing another. They also had another good chance from a run to the right of the box, where their guy got through very easily. Their finishing was very poor and cost them a deserved half time lead. As I say, Rovers in a way outdid us at our own game in the first half and I, unlike some of our opponent's fans, who dismissed us and would have dismissed them as "long ball", "dirty", "thugs" and the like, will give them credit for that.

Massive credit to Evans and Raynor, who recognised at half time that we were getting outmuscled and that our attenpts to get in down and play a bit more than usual on a poor pitche and against physical opponents wasn't working. They pulled off the more flair played in Lee as well as the injured Slattery and the largely ineffective Macdonald and brought on Oliver to go more direct and O'Connor who added a bit more grit in the midfield. It worked a treat and we created a lot more in the second half with Akinde getting his brace and he'd have probably got a hat-trick had he not been hacked down for the penalty then completely naused up the pen. Cundy missed a very good headed chance and Oliver had a good chance at the end. Rovers did also have good chances in the second half, but I am struggling to recall Bonham needing to make a good save with a couple of good chances shanked and a smiliar headed chance to Cundy's missed. That was the difference between the two teams. A bit like on Tuesday when Peterborough had more quality in and around the box than us, I thought that was the case for us over Rovers today.

The biggest bonus for me is that now thanks to that win, we're now further from the relegation zone - 15 points I think. We're not safe until mathematically so, but we're a long way from getting dragged in to a relegation fight. A win v 4th fromy bottom Wimbledon on Tuesday and we're probably 3 wins away from realistic safety which we can secure in March and a win or two away from an outside playoff shout as we approach the run-in.

Not spectacular today, but a pragmatic and important win.
 
Lark said:
For whatever reason Gills management prefer us to play as early as possible and if the opposition side agree to it we bring all the kicks offs forward.
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SE did talk about this earlier in the season in an interview. He said it was because (1) it helps the opposition get home at a sensible time and (2) it saves on floodlights.

Since it seems to be mostly done at Gills' request for our home games then I assume the main reason is (2).

I find it pretty annoying, especially for evening games when 6pm is a really stupid time for a match.
 
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