Derbyshire Senior Cup 2nd Round
The Moat Ground
Tuesday, 5th November 2024, 7.45pm
Rovers Pay The Penalty
Rovers slipped out of the Derbyshire Senior Cup after being beaten on penalties by visitors Ashbourne after the game ended 0-0.
It was good to see three young players given a run out with one more as an unused substitute on the bench. With the right encouragement these youngsters will develop into some good players for the club which is credit to the pathway that Matt Toulson and his academy colleagues.
On a misty drizzly bonfire night at the Moat there were no fireworks, thankfully, to contend with but a decent game of football which by and large Rovers dominated and but for some great last ditch defending and excellent goalkeeping would have run out comfortable winners over the ninety minutes.
With just five minutes on the clock Rovers where inches away from taking an early lead when the returning Ste Hart was put through on goal but was denied by visiting keeper James Bennett sticking out a leg to block the ball. A few minutes later it was Jamie Sleigh’s turn to be put through, but his final shot was easy for Bennett.
The home side were putting the visitors under pressure and a free kick saw Ryan King hit a side kick which flew across the face of the goal with Hart a hairs breadth away from getting the vital touch at the far post.
Another Rovers free kick by Hart was hit low into the box, Bennett fumbled the ball and the loose ball was put into the net but the referee Cameron Stott adjudged that he had control and gave a free kick.
A corner from the left by Liam Kavanagh almost produced a goal but Jacob Sturgess at the far post put his effort wide.
On 41 minutes Ashbourne went close to opening the scoring with their first effort on goal, but the header skimmed the top of the bar, but the end of the first half ended with another chance for Hart. Kavanagh made a great run down the left and picked Hart out in the box but somehow a defender managed an amazing block as it looked odds on that the big striker would score.
The early moments of the second half saw a few quite hefty tackles from the visitors which disrupted the game, and it became very scrappy.
Dylan Hunniford fired a volley wide as Rovers continued to probe but still some stubborn defending continued to frustrate the faithful on the terraces. Both sides made several changes and as time was running out the visitors almost snatched the game with five minutes remaining. A curling shot from a substitute saw Louie Turner in the Rovers goal who had, up to that point, a quiet game, make a fine save to turn the effort away for a corner.
The game ended all square and went to the lottery of penalties which the visitors won 3-2.
