UniBond League Division One South
Bill Stokeld Stadium, Carlton
Saturday, 9th February 2008, 3.00pm
Millers And The Moatmen Share The Points
This was a game of missed chances by both sides.
Rovers had been dealt a blow when Hinckley United recalled Leigh Platnauer causing manager Gary Norton to reshuffle the back line.
Jamie Hood was starting a five-match ban and Tom Groves was suffering from a gashed ankle that had required stitches picked up against Alfreton in midweek.
Nicky Carter, who had been on a match-by-match loan arrangement at Mickleover Sports, came back to fill the left back role.
Chris Mawbey was tucked inside to partner Miles Chamberlain at the heart of the defence with Dan Douglas back in his usual slot of right back after recovering from a virus that had made him miss the last match.
Rovers had the first half-chance after just a couple of minutes when Stefan Marshall was put through by strike partner David Blenkinsopp but a well timed tackle prevented Marshall from taking a shot from just outside the area.
The Millers hit back with Darryl Thomas who collected the ball on the edge of the area, ran a few more strides before hitting a shot that should at the very least tested Rovers' keeper David Clarke but instead ballooned well wide.
They went even closer on 5 minutes. This time a cross from Philip Bagnall picked out Marquin Smith who's powerful downward header bounced up and clattered the bar with Thomas hitting the rebound straight at Clark.
Bagnall himself had a decent chance but fired his shot well wide when very well placed.
Carlton's finishing, or rather lack of, was abysmal and was summed up when Thomas was allowed a free header at the far post but sent his effort well wide and then after a slip by Mawbey, Bagnall only had Clarke to beat but sent his very poor shot so wide it almost went for a throw-in.
After a good twenty-minute spell of pressure from the homeside, Marshall almost grabbed an unlikely goal. Carlton's keeper Alessandro Barcherini came out of his area to clear a long ball only for Marshall to charge down the attempt and the custodian was mightily relieved to see the ball fly over his own bar.
Clarke was in action on 34 minutes making a fine block denying Marquin Smith.
Rovers went close again four minutes later when Marshall did well to shrug off the attention of a defender before turning on the edge of the area and hitting a good shot just wide of the far post.
Marshall was just an inch from giving the visitors the lead right on the halftime whistle. Carter put the striker through and with Barcherini advancing he curled a terrific shot that looked certain to roll into the far corner but unfortunately the ball hit the inside of the far post before being cleared by a defender.
Danny Blair, who had be subject to some 'robust' tackling from the home side succumbed to one of several injuries to be replaced by Jermain Hollis in time added on in the first period.
Within ten minutes of the re-start Rovers were ahead. A quick break out of defence saw Blenkinsopp collect a superb long pass before racing forward towards the Carlton goal. Blenkinsopp managed to keep Michael Martin away from the ball before releasing a pass to Marshall. Marshall took a stride into the area and beat Barcherini with a low shot into the far corner.
The Millers should have been back on terms within six minutes but again some woeful finishing denied them when Bagnall headed over the bar from very close in. Andrew May was denied by the woodwork and Carter hooked a ball off the line as Carlton threatened.
Rovers appeared to be having all the luck they'd missed out on recently all in this one game and could have possibly killed the game off with just ten minutes remaining.
A quick break saw Shaun Ridgway win a challenge in his own half, run down the middle of the Carlton half before slipping a great pass to Blenkinsopp who looked odds on to score but his shot, that beat Barcherini also beat the far post and the ball went agonisingly wide.
Rovers were looking to have grabbed an unlikely victory but were denied the somewhat unjust reward when the homeside equalised.
With just seven minutes left on the clock, Carlton were awarded a corner from the right taken by Dean Gent which was glanced home with the very faintest of headers at the near post by David Jephson.
Manager's View
"We've got mixed emotions of how the game went on. I was delighted at half time to be still in it to be honest.
"We were very sloppy defensively, quite uncharacteristic of recent time but having said that we had a lot of enforced changes in today.
"We were a little nervy and a lot of Carlton's opportunities came from our poor play - we were our own worst enemies at times and we were somewhat fortuitous to get to nil-nil at half time.
"Having said that we had a couple of good opportunities ourselves. Stef (Marshall) hit the post on the break when on another day it may have bobbled in.
"We were a little more galvanised in the second half, a little bit more stable and solid and we got our noses in front.
"There was a massive chance to go two-nil up and that's game over I think if we'd have got that. Instead of flashing inside the post Blenko's (David Blenkinsopp) effort flashed outside.
"I was disappointed with the second half with the amount of pressure we put ourselves under with giving cheap free kicks. There's not many times this season Carlton haven't scored and they scored a cracking goal from a corner but the number of cheap free kicks we've given away around our box was a big ask to keep defending them and concentrating and not giving a goal away.
"Overall, it's stopped the run of defeats in the league and it's really good reading if you look at the bigger picture - two defeats in ten - or two in nine in terms of the league.
"To concede a goal in the last ten minutes you always think could we have hung on and maybe have got the three points but on the balance of play I don't think Carlton didn't deserve nothing from the game if I'm honest.
"Perhaps on the balance of the ninety minutes Carlton shaded it and probably feel aggrieved that they should have won the game.
"That's three times we've played them, here we got beat at our place we fortuitously won and here I thought the game was a little bit closer today.
"We are fairly pleased with a point but disappointed in some respects.
"It was a huge blow to lose Leigh (Platnauer) on the back of Jamie (Hood) being out for five games we've now found out because he must have picked a yellow up at Hinckley and another one for us at Alfreton which makes five bookings.
"We thought we'd try Chris Mawbey in there (central defence). It's something that's been in the back of my mind for a while. He's been a centre half throughout his junior and reserve team career and it was only last season when he came into the first team that we put him out at left back so he's still developing in the left back role and we thought we'd tuck him inside today.
"I thought he did okay, he had a better second half than first half. First half he had a mad ten-minute spell and he'll learn from that. Essentially we wanted him in there to head it and kick it and develop his game and when he gets the confidence and does develop we can develop him a little bit further - when he's got the ball at his feet - but he's done okay, he's not done to bad today. He's done us a good job and I'm quite pleased with Chris there.
"Danny's (Blair) is in the wars today. He's got some stiffness in his back but it was never in doubt that he'd play today but then he's had one or two knocks in the first half and the third one finally finishing him off. He's got a knee and an ankle problem and also a bit of a thigh problem so he's in the wars even though he's only been on forty odd minutes of the game.
"So we'll have to assess him in the week. We haven't got a midweek game so we are only in on Wednesday this week - I'm a big romantic as I've given them Thursday off - so we'll see him Wednesday and see what shape he's in for the Goole game.
"Grovesy (Tom Groves) has had stitches in his ankle. Someone on the website said I ought have brought him off because he was limping but I had one sub left and injury time was looming and Grovesy said he was struggling and we knew he probably needed stitches but it wasn't a muscle wound or anything like that - a bit of grimacing and he'd get through that so we left it as late as we could.
"Obviously at three-one down, we were out of the game, no risk of extra time so I made the change. He was rested today hoping that he'll be able to train on Wednesday and be available if needed next week for Goole. He needed to rest the stitches or they could have opened up but if pressed he would have played today but we had Nick (Carter) back in.
"Nick had a steady game. There were one or two decisions where he's gone to ground and giving things away. Particularly the one where he's slipped over that a fit and at it Nick Carter wouldn't do. I'm not overly concerned about that but he needs to cut those sorts of things out as one or two of the other lads as well making uncharacteristic errors.
"Jordan Lambert's suspension is over today so he's back in the mix. But I thought Carl (Slater) and Shaun (Ridgway) did very well today in the middle of the park. Again their six and eight were very good in the first half but they cancelled them out a little bit in the second half.
"The squad isn't looking too bad at the moment. Obviously centre half is a concern at the minute. We'll have to sit down and see whether we are going to persevere with Martyn Rowntree, persevere with Chris (Mawbey). I'm going to have to talk to Hinckley and see what the situation is with Leigh (Platnauer) or whether we bring someone in on the short term but we've got options which is pleasing.
"Goole is going to be a tough game. They are all tough at this stage in the season. Carlton before today had lost one on eight in the league - won five drawn two and they are no mugs. But to concede a goal from a set play against a side that are second only to Retford in terms of the goal scoring stakes isn't too bad. In that respect too we were looking at the other end where they have the third or fourth worst defensive record that maybe we could capitalise on it.
"Goole are a very tough side and have been one of the most consistent sides all season and they edged at our place when we'd had a man sent off late on and we're hoping we can reverse that, setting it up nicely for when they come back to our place later in the season."
