Rovers were frustrated by a well-organised but unadventurous Macclesfield Town this afternoon as they were held to a 0-0 draw at the Memorial Stadium.
The Pirates looked the more positive and the more creative of the two teams throughout, and had a number of chances during the contest where they have were unlucky not to have found the back of the net.
Lee Thorpe saw a shot blocked early on in the first half, and James Hunt went close with an audacious lob from 35 yards that only just crept the wrong side of goalkeeper Steve Wilson's left upright.
Jamie Forrester cut inside before rifling an effort just wide of the post, and then the visitors enjoyed their first flurry of the game, with Mike Sheron dragging a hopeful effort the wrong side of the right upright.
Forrester went close again as he curled a delightful free-kick just over the crossbar, and then the same player headed straight at Wilson following a useful delivery into the box from James Hunt.
Thorpe was inches away from connecting with a low Forrester cross that came after great play from Dave Savage and Craig Disley, before the first half ended with Disley again involved, as he latched onto a pass from Paul Trollope, beat two Macclesfield defenders, only to then blast over the bar with just Wilson left to beat.
The second half saw Rovers start slowly, but come into the game more and more as time ticked away.
Trollope was unlucky with a header that Wilson tipped over the crossbar, and then Steve Elliott had a powerful effort charged down on the edge of the penalty area following a semi-cleared corner.
A knockdown from Thorpe to Disley saw the midfielder do everything but pull the trigger as he was outnumbered in the penalty box by Macclesfield defenders, and then the Silkmen broke at the other end with Graham Potter heading wide from Ian Brightwell's cross.
Substitute Junior Agogo almost made an immediate impact as he stretched to reach a Savage cross that Forrester had flicked on, and then the striker was involved again as he played in Thorpe, who drove into the side netting from an angle.
Savage couldn't believe his luck when a left-footed shot after a skipping past four defenders struck the bottom of the left post, and Agogo was just as bemused as he rose high to make contact with a Forrester cross only to see his header creep inches wide.
Macclesfield's best chances of the game came in the final five minutes, when Matthew Tipton shot over, and Sheron tested Miller's reactions with a blistering shot straight at him.
Over the 90 minutes Rovers, were definitely the better of the two teams, and were desperately unlucky not to have found a way through. Macclesfield for their part got what they came for, and will be delighted with a point that keeps them in the pack at the top of the table.
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Kevin Miller |
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REPORTED BY: Ian Cole at the Memorial Stadium
