UniBond League Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 24th January 2009, 3.00pm
Rovers Slip Up at Home
A strangely lacklustre performance from Rovers handed bottom club Brigg Town a precious three points and only their second win of the current campaign.
Rovers went close in the opening minutes with both Paul Edwards and Liam Hebberd firing shots fractionally past the upright.
Another chance went the wrong side of a post this time from Edwards who tried to pick his spot after Lee Fell had made a fine run down the left.
The home side were to rue those misses as on 30 minutes they found themselves a goal down.
A good move down the right ended with Alan Lamb firing a cross-cum-shot goalwards and just as the ball looked to be going well wide it fell nicely for John Borland unmarked at the far post who slotted the ball home.
Rovers should have levelled on 41 minutes when Hebberd latched onto a superb ball from Edwards. The striker raced forward and just as he was about to go around the advancing Damien Steer the Town keeper made a great grab stealing the ball off Hebberd's toe a yard or so inside his area.
Things got worse for Rovers right on the halftime whistle when Town doubled their advantage.
A wild shot by Steve Davis flew across the pitch to Roach on the left who was standing at least two yards offside and with the Rovers' keeper and defence waiting for the assistants flag, which didn't come, had the easiest of task of knocking the ball into the unguarded net.
Rovers went close again on the hour mark when Callum Keenan sent substitute John Shales racing down the left. He picked out Hebberd who fired in a volley that Steer did well to hold on to at his far post.
Town almost increased their lead five minutes later. Paul Ashton threaded a fine through ball for Roach but Baldwin made a great save blocking the shot with his leg.
The visitors went close again a minute later with a fine header from Michael Jacklin being cleared off the line by Harley Hollinshead.
At the other end Fell tested Steer with a stinging shot that the keeper had to push away for a corner but an embarrassing miss from Roach kept the score down to just two. Borland did well to shake off the attention of two defenders before picking out Roach who, with only Baldwin to beat, somehow managed to put his shot wide of the far post.
With 15 minutes remaining Nathan Tate, who had only been on the pitch for a few minutes sent over a cross that Shales connected with acrobatically but the shot went straight at Steer.
Jordi Gough, who'd been pushed up front, was sent on his way by a superb long pass from Edwards and he cracked a thunderous shot that took Steer two attempts to grab.
Tate, who had helped put some fight into the home side albeit for just 15 minutes, reduced the deficit. A fine run saw him put the ball to Timms who then returned it to Tate whose initial shot had been blocked but he was quick enough to fire the rebound into the net with Steer helpless.
With Rovers pushing forward to try and grab a point, Town managed one more attempt on goal but Baldwin made a fine save tipping Stuart Longbone's shot over the bar.
Manager's View
"This was not the result or the performance we wanted today. I wasn't too worried about the performance had we got something out of the game.
"That was the sort of performance perhaps we expected at the turn around when we rebuilt the side but for it to come so many games down the line when for the most part the lads have scrapped and battled really, really well.
"To concede the two goals in the manner we did when the majority of our work on the training pitch is on defensive shape. The cheapness and sloppiness of the back four for the two goals in the first half was frustrating.
"For the first time, and I was nervous doing it, we've torn a few strips off one or two people in there (dressing room) and we'll see what sort of character they've got in the dressing room. I think it's the first occasion that we've really had the need to tear into people.
"I think the lads will respect the fact that they've not performed today. We gave Brigg a two goal head start and didn't start to put any pressure on Brigg until the last twenty minutes or so.
"I don't think we got going today. I was a bit guarded about the result last week which was a great result a battling performance but this was another day. Brigg will have seen what has happened to us and our slide down the table since the new team has been formed and they will have seen today as an opportunity to get a few points on the table.
"Instead of holding the gap at a minimum of thirteen or extending it to sixteen they've cut it to ten. It's still a big ask for them but we wanted to get something today of all days to make sure we could keep the arms distance.
"If I use Lee Fell as an example. Fantastic second half last week and you would have thought it would have given him the confidence to go on but he didn't get into the game today. Wherever we played him and we switched him around with the two wingers.
"I was disappointed with the two wingers today except for John Shales when he went on and Nathan (Tate) who had a nice little strike when he went on as a sub.
"I was disappointed in Lee today, the effort was there but it just wasn't his day today. I think there were several other players who we can say the same thing about.
"If I'm honest I was happy with my midfield two of Carl Slater and Callum Keenan who was superb and was my man-of-the-match.
"Disappointed, the lads heads are down it hurts them and the frustrating thing was that we didn't really make much of a game of it until that last few minutes. Obviously it was a nice strike from Nathan but we didn't have enough time to put pressure on them and see if we could get the equaliser.
"The disappointing things about the goals, the first one the guy's come inside and three of our back four have sat in and the ball's deflected and the right full back has his hand in the air appealing for offside instead of concentrating on the man that's there behind him who's nipped in and put it in.
"You defend first and then ask questions later I've always been told. The second goal was frustrating. Martyn Rowntree got a little exposed out on the left and if I'm being critical of Jordi (Gough) he should have got across for cover a little bit more because we know Martyn struggles with pace.
"We switched off and had a static back three the ball has come in and their guy has nipped in and toed it past Simon (Baldwin). You wouldn't see those sorts of goals on a Sunday morning.
"I'm not going to have too much of a go at the lads because of the effort that has been there the last few weeks but it's just disappointing. Having got to the point with our performances were we felt we were on the verge of maybe beating somebody but to put one in like that!
"I'm pleased for Steve (Housham) and I'm pleased for Brigg because they are a cracking set of lads a cracking team but obviously we are more interested in ourselves and it would have been nice to have got something today.
"We included young Jake Lynch on the bench today. He's been training with us and to be honest we are really struggling. We missed Chris Mawbey today and the attempt to get Nathan Morris who's not been very well in the week so he wasn't available so we wanted some cover on the bench from a centre half perspective so we got the kid signed on last night in fact I think it was this morning that we got him registered and he was there just in case.
"Paul Edwards has been carrying a knock and with Martyn's knock from last week and missing Chris today we were very thin on the ground both centre back wise and up front we were a little bit light hence finishing the game with Jordi up there."
