Bristol Rovers saw last week’s momentum checked on the road after their strong 1–0 clean sheet win at Newport County, as Exeter City ran out 6–2 winners in an open and eventful Youth Alliance League fixture on Saturday.
The Pirates made the ideal start when they took the lead inside six minutes, with Exeter turning the ball into their own net under pressure. The early exchanges were fairly even, and the visitors looked settled in possession, but Exeter struck back on 13 minutes when a low effort was saved by Will Wilson, only for the rebound to be turned home
from close range.
The response from the Gas was positive and full of quality. A brilliant dribble down the right by Ciaran O’Donnell opened the space for Kian Hill, who stepped inside and curled a superb finish from outside the box into the top corner to restore the lead. However, the tide turned before the break as the Grecians levelled with a wind-assisted cross that
bounced over the goalkeeper, before two further goals in quick succession put the hosts 4–2 ahead at half-time.
Rovers came out with real intent after the restart and showed encouraging signs in possession. Hill was inches away from his second when he struck the crossbar with a powerful effort from distance following a neat spell of central play. Trey Cadette was
also denied in a one-on-one as Exeter’s keeper reacted sharply to smother the loose ball. Despite those openings, Exeter remained dangerous in transition and added two more late goals on the counter to seal the result.
After the match, Coach Bobby-Mckenzie Black delivered an honest and detailed assessment of both the performance and the learning points for his side. He pointed to the contrast between last week’s win and this defeat as a clear illustration of what the group must get right on a consistent basis.
“Overall, it’s really disappointing in regards to the outcome,” he said. “When you break it down and look at the processes and the performances individually and collectively, we were too passive today, especially without the ball.
"Last week we were assertive, very intense and very competitive. This week we were very reactionary, and when you compare the two performances, there’s a very clear reason why we didn’t get what we wanted today.”
Black felt the result was less about the quality of the opposition and more about Rovers’ own standards across the ninety minutes, identifying three key areas the group must continue to address.
“We have to be careful not to give emotional answers when you lose football matches,” he added. “This is about complacency, competitiveness and consistency. Being competitive across the whole 90 minutes, not picking and choosing moments when to really go
and lay a glove on someone, and make sure the habits from last week carry through into games like today."
Looking ahead, Black stressed the importance of maturity in game management and the broader development picture for the squad as the season progresses.
“We need to be more mature in how we manage games, whether we’ve just scored, whether we’re under pressure, or when we’ve got lots of the ball,” he said. “The boys also now have the opportunity over December and Christmas to go out and get senior football on loan. That experience will hopefully open their eyes to the realities of the game and help them kick on again.”
Rovers now have a short break from league action before returning in the new year, when they host Oxford United at the SGS WISE Campus in January.
