Cheltenham Town 0

Bristol Rovers 1

Daly (74)

Triallist Ian Daly scored the only goal of the game as Rovers beat Cheltenham in a reserve team friendly match this afternoon.

Daly was one of two triallist Rovers were taking a look a, the other being full back Declan John.

Darren Patterson's side took a while to play themselves into the game and allowed their hosts a great deal of first half possession, though they seldom troubled goalkeeper Mike Green.

However they got stronger as the half wore on and looked a different side after the break when they took the game to the home side.

It was a hard working performance by Rovers, and Darryl Duffy led the line well while Eliot Richards had an excellent game.

Those two players combined early on when Richards played in Duffy who was forced wide by goalkeeper Dan Lloyd Weston and hit his shot wide of the target.

Green then saved an angled drive from Marley Watkins and Jake Lee hit a shot wide of the mark before JJ Melligan went close with a shot that drifted just wide of the upright.

Richards went close at the other end before the half time break, seeing his angled drive well saved by Lloyd-Weston and hitting another effort into the side netting.

Green saved from Robin Shroot, but Rovers could have gone opened the scoring in the final minute when Duffy met Harry Pell's free kick but could only direct his header into the arms of Lloyd-Weston.

Duffy went close to opening the scoring shortly after the restart but Lloyd-Weston saved is first effort and then he rolled the ball just wide of the upright after being put through by substitute Darren Jefferies.

Melligan curled a free kick just wide, before Duffy again went close with a shot that was saved by the home keeper.

Green did well to touch a free kick from Shroot around the post, but Rovers took the lead on 74 minutes when Daly curled in a free kick from the edge of the area after Lamar Powell had been brought down.

There were chances to increase the lead before the end of the match, notably from Ollie Clarke who hit a shot just wide, Pell who headed just over from Powell's cross, and Richards, whose close range header hit the bar.

Rovers: Mike Green, Declan John (Alex Hoyle, 46), Charlie Clough, Jordan Tillson, Mark Cooper, Eliot Richards, Harry Pell, Charlie Reece (Ollie Clarke, 46), Ben Swallow (Darren Jefferies, 51), Darryl Duffy (Lamar Powell, 66), Ian Daly.

Substitutes: Jack McKenna, George Booth, Sam Butler

Cheltenham: Dan Lloyd-West, Josh Emery, Kyle Haynes, Andy Gallinagh, James Fawke (Matt Williams, 74), JJ Melligan, Nikos Gallas (Josh Egan, 79), Theo Lewis, Jake Lee, Robin Shroot, Marley Watkins.

Substitutes: Louis Barnfather, Joe Turley, Sam Rawlings