Bristol Rovers fell to a difficult defeat at SGS WISE Campus, as a ruthless Stevenage side capitalised on almost every key moment in Saturday’s Youth Alliance League fixture.
Stevenage opened the scoring inside five minutes with a well-timed chip after a neat move down the right. A volley from a corner made it 2–0 soon after, before two quickfire finishes - both coming from Rovers' mistakes while trying to play out - stretched the scoreline further. A sweeping move down the right just before the break added a fifth.
Despite the first-half setback, Rovers came out with far more intent after the restart. They pushed higher, used the wide areas well, and created a run of set-piece opportunities. One of the best chances came from a deep corner that produced a strong, on-target header, forcing an excellent save. For a spell, Rovers had territory, momentum, and energy, but could not find the goal that might have shifted the rhythm of
the match.
Stevenage remained dangerous on transitions and added their sixth with a long-range strike on the counter. They struck the bar moments later before curling in a seventh following a neat passage of play on the right. Two late finishes - one guided in after a lofted pass and another driven home from close range - rounded off a clinical performance from the away side.
After the match, U18s Coach Bobby-McKenzie Black gave a frank assessment:
“The result is unacceptable in regard to how we got to that end result. We didn’t make the most of the moments we had, and we didn’t affect the final third anywhere near enough.”
Black stressed that the issue was not about leaders being absent, but about how the team applies personality in difficult spells:
“We’ve got boys with a lot of personality, but it’s understanding when that personality is needed. If we’re resilient, we keep a clean sheet in the second half. A lot of the goals come from controllable moments.
“We have to be more competitive and show personality when the game isn’t going our way. The challenge now is to react on Monday, review it properly, and show something heading into Newport next weekend.”
