Two goal win for Gloucester at Whaddon Road
Gloucester City 2Morford (17), Davies (58)
Bristol Rovers 0
A young and fairly inexperienced Rovers side, with one or two exceptions, were beaten 2-0 by Gloucester City at Whaddon Road this evening.
The home side opened the scoring through Will Morford on 17 minutes and Stephen Davies added a second with 58 minutes on the clock.
Once again there was no denying the fitness of Mark McGhee’s side, and they were unlucky not to get on the scoresheet, but there were times when they found it hard going against the Blue Square North side.
There were positives to take from the game, though. Rogvi Baldvinsson completed his first ninety minutes in a Rovers shirt, while Gill and Matt Lund also came through apparently unscathed and there was a livewire performance from Wayne Brown who, on another night might have got himself on the scoresheet.
Skipper Matt Gill who missed all three games last week returned to action and provided the experience in a very young side that took on David Mehew’s Gloucester outfit.
There were three former Rovers players in the home starting lineup in the shape of Ben Hunt, Lewis Hogg and Darren Mullins.
A lively opening saw Rovers break through Eliot Richards and he threaded a pass through to Matt Lund who his shot straight at keeper Connor Thompson, allowing him a comfortable save.
At the other end Hunt had a close range shooting opportunity but could only direct a weak effort straight at Conor Gough.
Gloucester should have taken the lead on ten minutes when Hogg crossed from the right and Darren Edwards found himself unmarked at the back post. However the striker glanced his header wide of the target.
Almost immediately Rovers broke and Sam Kamara was only just wide with a rasping drive after being played in by Wayne Brown.
Mullins set up another chance for the home side when his low free kick into the area found Jack Harris but the defender lifted a shot high over the bar when well placed.
On 15 minutes Hunt got the better of Kamara down the right and crossed to the far post where Stephen Davies got up well and headed against the crossbar with Gough beaten.
Two minutes later Gloucester scored the goal they had been threatening since the start of the game when Hogg threaded the ball through to Morford who calmly slotted the ball past Gough from the edge of the area.
Morford then set up an opportunity for Edwards when he crossed from the right but once again the striker’s header was off target and sailed over the bar.
Rovers began to move the ball around a lot better as the half wore on and they were unfortunate not to get back on level terms with eight minutes remaining when a thundering 25 yard drive by Eliot Richards was touched away to safety by Thompson.
The keeper denied Brown shortly afterwards, touching his hot behind and when the corner came in the ball was cleared as far as the midfielder who tried his luck with another effort from the edge of the box that was wide of the target.
Hunt went close at the start of the second half when Hunt just failed to get on the end of a cross from Davies. At the other end Thompson got down well to scoop a shot from Lund over the bar and the keeper held a header from Mitch Harding following Brown’s corner from the right.
However the home side scored a second goal with 58 minutes on the clock when the ball was cleared as far as Davies and he fired a shot past Gough from some twenty yards out.
Ellis Harrison headed just wide shortly after replacing Richards and Brown was desperately unlucky not to score when his curling shot almost beat Thompson but the keeper pulled off a superb one handed save to touch the ball round the post.
Ross Staley was inches away from pulling a goal back for Rovers but couldn’t quite make a connection with Harding’s cross
Rovers: Conor Gough, Sam Kamara (Ollie Clarke, 59), Tom Lockyer, Rogvi Baldvinsson, Ross Staley Danny Greenslade, 83), Matt Lund, Matt Gill, Wayne Brown, Eliot Richards (Ellis Harrison, 62), Mitch Harding (Jordan Goddard, 75), Joe Anyinsah
Substitutes: Dominic Thomas, Trey Anderson, Chad Douglas, Alefe Santos, Matt Macey
Gloucester City: Connor Thompson, Sam Rawlings (Ashley McGraine, 75), Matt Coupe, Darren Mullins, Jack Harris, Stephen Davies Joe Parker, 83), Lewis Hogg, Tom Webb (Matt Liddiard, 46), Ben Hunt (Scott Wilson, 56), Will Morford (Mike Green, 62), Darren Edwards
Attendance: 276