Bristol Rovers 1
White (90)
Bristol City 3
Edwards (29), Ball (31), Akinde (50)
Rovers were beaten 3-1 by Bristol City in the Gloucestershire Senior Challenge Cup semi final at the memorial Stadium tonight.
The visitors had a little bit too much experience and guile for a young Rovers side and were two goals to the good at the break.
Although Rovers put in an improved performance in the second half, they conceded a third goal before scoring a last minute consolation through substitute Joe White.
The first chance of the evening fell to the visitors, when they were awarded a free kick out on the right, but skipper Jamie McCallister hit his effort straight at goalkeeper Rhys Evans.
Shortly afterwards Charlie Reece cut in from the right, switched the ball to his left foot, and fired a shot straight at City goalkeeper Tom Bradley.
McCallister hit another free kick straight at Evans after Charlie Clough brought down Ashley Kington on the edge of the area.
Rovers were giving away possession a little too easily at this point and City carved out two more chances in quick succession.
John Akinde met a cross at the far post and nodded the ball back to Joe Lennox, who headed straight into the arms of a grateful Evans, and then the keeper got down at his near post to hold on to Akinde's low drive.
Eliot Richards took advantage of some slack City marking to turn and fire a shot over the bar from the edge of the area and Ollie Clarke made a surging run forward before hitting a low drive wide of the upright
However City made the breakthrough on 29 minutes when Joe Edwards was allowed time and space to cut in from the right before slotting the ball past Evans.
Two minutes later they scored again when Danny Ball met a corner from the right and headed past Evans.
A minute later the keeper prevented a third goal when he dived full length to his left to touch a shot from Lennox round the post.
For all their hard work, Rovers had failed to create any clear cut chances, but they almost pulled a goal back on the stroke of half time.
Richards won possession out on the left of the area and slipped the ball into Neikell Plummer who saw his first time shot from the edge of the box rattle the crossbar and rebound to safety.
Five minutes into the second half City extended their lead when Lennox, who had been a thorn in Rovers side all night, took the ball down the right before crossing to the far post where the unmarked Akinde headed home from close range.
Chances after that were few and far between but when White crossed to Richards at the far post the youngster was unable to turn his header into the net.
White then drew a save from Bradley at his near post as Darren Patterson's side attempted to get back in the game and Charlie Clough went close when he met a corner from Richards, but his first time effort flew wide of the upright.
Reece then went close with a long range effort while at the other end Ashley Kington hit a shot just wide of the upright.
Rovers were rewarded for a hard working second half performance in the last minute when White ran on to a long ball out of defence and hit an angled drive past Bradley.
Team: Rhys Evans, Jordan Tillson, Dan Cayford, James Tyrrell, Mark Cooper (Tom Seery, 46), Charlie Reece, Charlie Clough, Ollie Clarke, Ben Swallow (Jack McKenna, 77), Neikell Plummer (Joe White, 60) Eliot Richards
Substitutes: Rob Holmes, George Booth
Bristol City: Tom Bradley, Joe Edwards, Jamie McCallister (Henry Muggeridge, 46), Danny Ball (Ryan Brunt, 57), James Wilson (Brian Wilson, 30), Frankie Artus, Joe Lennox, Darren Hennessey, John Akinde, Ashley Kington, Nathan Livings
Substitute: Lewis Carey
