UniBond League Division One
Victoria Pleasure Grounds, Goole
Saturday, 16th February 2008, 3.00pm
Groves Spot On!
This was yet another game of two halves for Rovers as their second half performance outshone their first.
Striker David Blenkinsopp was missing due to a foot injury, Danny Blair failed a fitness test and with Nicky Carter not available manager Gary Norton had to reshuffle his squad.
Dan Douglas came into the centre of defence to partner Miles Chamberlain with Chris Mawbey slotting in at left back.
The visitors came out strongly and was handed their first chance with a free kick on the edge of the box taken by Shaun Ridgway who put the effort just over the bar.
Goole's Danny Buttle then put a free kick fractionally wide of the far post as the home side applied pressure on the Rovers' defence.
However, Rovers made a quick break and were almost gifted the lead after James O'Neill made his keeper Craig Parry pull off a superb save getting a fingertip to his defender's goal-bound header to touch it over the bar.
Chris Tate tried his luck with an audacious attempt with his back to the goal hooking the ball over his shoulder that only just cleared the bar.
Rovers then went close but a well-timed tackle from Nigel Danby denied Marshall a shooting opportunity from just inside the area.
On 28 minutes the home side took the lead. A good, swift move saw James McDaid collect Tate's pass before crossing into the danger area where Duncan Bray powered a header on target that Rovers' keeper David Clarke did well to palm the effort away. Rovers' Jermaine Hollis had the chance to clear the danger but unfortunately his poor pass gave Goole the ball back and Tate sent over a cross to the far post where Bray was on hand to nod the ball past Clarke.
Seconds after taking the lead Goole almost doubled their advantage when Clarke's punched clearance found Buttle who's first time shot was blocked by Tom Groves.
The half ended with the home side going close on several occasions. Another poor clearance, this time from Mawbey, gave Bray a chance but his shot went straight at Clarke.
Bray had an even better chance seconds later when Douglas's soft header allowed the striker to run in on goal and, after seeing Clarke out of position could only send a poor lob that the keeper grabbed.
Rovers' Craig Hanson had a decent chance to level things just before halftime when he managed to get a toe to Marshall's flicked header but the attempt went straight to Parry.
The visitors where much the better side in the second period and 11 minutes in Hollis put Ridgway's free kick wide with a header. Marshall then copied the attempt putting Groves' cross wide.
Then, just after the hour mark, a moment of controversy. A Ridgway free kick was only half cleared to Hollis who played the ball back into the area where Marshall latched on to it. The striker hit a shot that was clearly handled on the line by a Goole player. Referee Mr Sullivan, after consulting his assistant, showed no one what should have been a straight red card admitting that he didn't see who had handled the ball allowing Goole to continue the rest of the game with a full compliment of players. Groves took the spot kick sending Parry the wrong way.
Clarke did well to get between both Steve Rollinson and Joe Brown with his punch as the two Goole substitutes were ready to pounce.
The best chance Goole had to grab an undeserved win and all three points came with just minutes left when McDaid somehow contrived to head Andrew Jackson's cross wide when unmarked at the far post.
Manager's View
"The referee came over and said that he could not send anyone off because neither he or the linesman had seen who had handled the ball.
"Fair play to them for their honesty, but it was a deliberate handball and they should have been down to 10 men.
"The ball may even have been over the line before their guy handled it and we were debating on the touchline whether we would have preferred to have been awarded the goal and for them to have 11 men or been awarded the penalty and play the rest of the game against 10.
"The scenario could have been that we had missed the penalty and still had to play against 11.
"Overall, we are pleased with the point, especially on the back of a first half in which we were very poor at doing the basics. The goal came from us not clearing the ball. Jermain (Hollis) played a poor ball inside, they broke, we did not get tight enough on the cross and gave their lad too much space at the far post.
"Throughout the first half, we gave possession away and there was no communication.
"But credit to the lads, they responded well in the second half."
