Northern Premier League Midlands
Guardian Warehousing Arena, Willenhall
Saturday, 14th October 2023, 3.00pm
Rovers Fightback Stuns Sporting
Rovers staged a fine fightback to take a well earned and deserved draw at Sporting Khalsa. Kane Lee started the comeback and Kieran O’Connell completed it.
On a 3G surface Rovers started well and had two good chances early on. The first came on 6 minutes when Jamie Sleigh put in a good cross from the right which just eluded the on rushing O’Connell.
Sporting started to find their feet and began to play some good passing football resulting in Sean Williams firing a shot across the face of Harvey Woodward’s goal. However, the home side took the lead on 12 minutes. A ball into the area was not cleared and it fell nicely finished by Tourmani Sidibe close in who gave Woodward no chance.
Sporting continued to press with a low shot from a corner being well held low down by Woodward. Minutes later a good ball from Chris Jones gave Sleigh another chance but this time his shot went wide. The rest of the first half was an equally balanced affair with not chances of note for either side.
The second half began in a similar fashion to how the first half had ended. The first chance came on 52 minutes, and it fell to Rovers. A cross from Lee caused a poor punch from home keeper Sam Arnold which fell to Jones, but his shot went straight into the arms of the keeper.
Sporting double their advantage on 58 minutes. A in swinging cross from the right was met by the head of Sidibe who’s glancing header wrong footed Woodward.
Rovers didn’t let the disappointment of conceding that goal and began to press the home side back. And from one of the attacks Rovers had what was a nailed-on penalty shout but was denied by the referee, but three minutes later they had reduced the deficit and comeback was on. A ball into the box was fired goalwards by Sleigh but his effort was blocked but Lee was on hand and rammed the ball home.
Just after the hour mark both sides made changes. Martin Smyth replaced Riley Davoile for Rovers and Dilano Reid, Robbie Bunn and Carlo Franco replaced James McGrady, Gurjit Singh and Peter Taylor for the home side.
Sleigh hit a low shot held by the keeper at the base of his far post followed a few minutes later with Jones hitting a well struck shot from distance which whistled narrowly past the post.
A good Rovers move down the left ended in a goal. Kane won the ball deep into Rovers’ half and forward before picking out Sleigh who in turn, after beating his marker, laid the ball back to Jack Ekin-Tyson who then load the ball across to O’Connell who buried his shot into the bottom corner of the net. Substitute Smyth went close for Rovers firing a freekick from just outside the area over the bar.
With 8 minutes of the game remaining, Rovers made their final change with Jordan Edwards replacing Lee.
In time added on, Sporting almost snatched a winner when Tesfa Robinson at the back post put his header over the bar when well placed.
Rovers hung on for what was a well deserved share of the points after each and every player working so hard after being two goals behind for 60 odd minutes.
