Rovers v Gulls

[Boz]

Struggling Torquay up next at PP. They're in a difficult situation financially, have just sold their best striker,Tyrone Marsh, to Dover and with another forward being released for personal reasons, like Rovers, they're a bit short of firepower up front. Though Nathan Blissett, who we had on loan earlier in the season, is now with the Gulls. With a rookie boss in charge and a depleted squad, Torquay are stuck in the bottom four and on paper don't look that difficult an opponent. As Rovers fans, we all know better than to take anything for granted.

This is a game we need to win, ahead of some difficult games in February. While there's an argument against changing a winning side, both of the last couple of games have been away and playing with a lone striker against a struggling opponent, Rovers ought to line up more positively, aiming to build up our goal difference margin. Unless a new forward miraculously appears, I'd expect the same line-up as Bromley.

Prediction: Maybe my last Rovers game until March, as can't make the next 3 home matches. Never seen the Gulls play Rovers, expecting a reasonable home turnout and about 100-150 Gulls in a crowd of about 4.5k. Think we will win, but not comfortably.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

For the reasons Boz has already given, this must be our easiest game of the season - on paper. If only the FA would allow us to lay old copies of the Daily Post on top of the grass, we'd be promoted already!

Seriously, if we don't win this, all the good work of the past month will be undone. We should be capable of winning comfortably, but as ever any win would be appreciated. Torquay have had some bad results this season although in the last few weeks they have thrashed Forest Green and knocked Wrexham out of the FA Trophy. However, they haven't won on the road since October. If we don't win, it will surely be down to our profligacy in front of goal. Win or lose, we still need more firepower for the last third of the season..

 

[Ian]

We should beat these but who knows with our home form. Although we have had a good few weeks so if we can win this we'll be doing pretty well off the back of the xmas period.

2-0 Rovers squad unchanged.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Gutted I won't be able to make this now as I am stranded by storms in the Hebrides. I think we should start with the same team and formation as last week and I am hoping we will win by a few goals.

 

[bigmart]

Perfect opportunity to right our home form but worried the return of Nathan Blissett could cause us a problem or two even though he was poor for us, going for a 2 1 home win

 

[Higgy]

Yep should win no probs and don't think Blissettt will be an issue - don't rate him. Play offs wel in range.

My Team:

Cumbes

Tony Thomas/R. Parnell, McFarland, McGreal, Nolan

Morrisey J. King , Koumas, Nevin

Yardley, Muir.

Fell asleep for a minute

Happy Days!!

3-1 for us. Gate 4,300

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Yep should win no probs and don't think Blissett will be an issue - don't rate him. Play offs well in range.

My Team:

Cumbes

Tony Thomas/R. Parnell, McFarland, McGreal, Nolan

Morrisey J. King , Koumas, Nevin

Yardley, Muir.

Fell asleep for a minute

Happy Days!!

3-1 for us. Gate 4,300

Dream on, Higgy. What a great side. Those 11 players wouldn't have let us slip this far. I might have preferred Ryan Taylor, Aaron Cresswell, Steve Vickers and Barry Dyson, but maybe you could put them on the bench. Nice to see a mention for Roy Parnell, who was a prototype wingback before the position was invented. Drwhoman might remember him.

 

[drwhoman]

Yes indeed I do BBTC. Former Everton junior. A good team (Roy McFarland - pure class) although I might have gone for Alan rather than Johnny King. A tight call though. I would also put Charlie Mac on the bench but that is probably me being sentimental! We should not forget Kenny Beamish of course but you cannot go past George and Ian up front. There is also Aldo but maybe we leave him with Liverpool. He did score for the Liverpool Legends here in Sydney last month! A two yard tap in but they all count.

 

[Boz]

A few of these before my time, though George Yardley was a favourite, when I first started going.

 

[Mal]

Perhaps we could change from "Rockford Files" to "What a Waste" in keeping with advertising deal? Mind you, for one player it could be "What a Waist".

 

[Sparky]

Well we never make it easy but 3 points all that mattered which sees us in a play off position.

Ridehalgh for hill and GTF for Hughes the only changes and we started how I thought we might. Norwood slightly isolated and GTF, looking as cumbersome as ever, but showing some decent touches. A generally scrappy opening half was lit up when GTF hit a screamer to give us the lead. Mekki improved as the half wore on with Torquay, led by Nathan Blissett, fairly ineffective.

2nd half we were the better side but I still felt we didn't show enough quality or numbers in the final third. But credit to Norwood with a angled left footed shot into the corner to surely seal the win. In typical rovers fashion though we made it difficult conceding a goal from nothing but defended resolutely late on. Sutton who replaced big mac at half time, and perhaps could have done better with their goal defended well as did everyone to be fair. Supported by a loud SWA.

Some good performances from Mekki, Jenno, Harris and Davies looked solid in goal. Ridehalgh came back and looked good at LB but mom for me was the excellent lee Vaughan who did well defending and going forward.

I still have concerns about our tactics at home in creating enough chances and against better sides it could be an issue. But we're certainly the in form side.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

How did Jack Mackreth get on?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Thanks to Sparky for the report. I heard snatches of the game on Tranmere Player and I got the impression we deserved the win, but made life hard for ourselves as usual. No matter how the three points came, this was a vital win and moving back into a play-off place is a huge psychological boost considering our promotion chances looked dead and buried six weeks ago. We should also bear in mind, this is a game we probably would not have won prior to Christmas.

Interesting to see that Vaughan had another good game. He is beginning to look a great signing. GTF is a strange one. He produces at least a couple of moments of real quality every game, but his fitness and commitment are still questionable and we will need everyone to pull their weight in games against the better sides.

Like Sparky, I still have concerns about our inability to put the weaker sides to the sword at PP. Cheltenham thrashed Bromley at home today; last week Grimsby did the same to Altrincham, but we appear unable to put poorer opposition away. Still, five wins in six is fantastic form.

Like BBTC, I would be interested to know how Mackreth got on.

 

[Boz]

Perhaps we could change from "Rockford Files" to "What a Waste" in keeping with advertising deal? Mind you, for one player it could be "What a Waist".

Only one???

 

[Ian]

How did Jack Mackreth get on?

He looked OK. Didn't get a great amount of time to shine as we were poorer generally in the second half but he made some decent runs, passed well and looked fairly solid.

I would say we just about shaved that one. Torquay were a poor side and we should be putting a few past these teams but yet again made it difficult for ourselves defending too deep in the second half and allowing a 2-0 lead to slip almost straight away from probably their first shot on goal. GTF goal was superb too.

Vaughan is proving to be a sold right back who isn't afraid to get forward and not much gets past him either! Great signing IMO. Blissett was woeful.

Just pleased to get the win and keep the momentum moving forward. League position looks a lot healthier now. Isn't it amazing what can happen after a string of good results.

I would give my MOTM to Norwood. Ridiculously isolated up front at times. There were moments when he had three marking him, but worked his socks off chasing hoof balls and was really pleased he got the winner because he deserved it. I'm sure we would have scored more with two men up front. I really don't like seeing this 1 man up front at home malarky.

 

[drwhoman]

You see GTF's pedigree but he is really past his sell by date. Maybe he needs the money for whatever reason. Still if he scores a few screamers and we continue winning... Obviously the goal is promotion and it is a new ballgame thereafter if that can be achieved.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I should just add, a really encouraging attendance given the weather. Just shows that if we can sustain this form the Wirral public will respond.

 

[Sparky]

I was slightly surprised that in the last 20 minutes given GTF hadn't played much recently, that Kirby wasn't brought on as fresh legs. You do wonder whether jake doesn't impress GB in training....

Ian is spot on about Makreth. He did ok but hopefully Mekkis injury wasn't serious. Jack has done ok at this level in the past, with Macc I think and Grimsby so not a bad signing for the squad until the end of the season.

Would still like another front man though...

Yes RLC attendance was good and more importantly, the crowd were in good voice, reflecting our current form

 

[Boz]

One excellent goal from GTF and a very good finish from Norwood were out of context in a poor game. It started brightly, a Rovers corner hacked away at one end and a Blissett header at the other, but the promising start didn't last. Rovers wasted a free-kick when Norwood was brought down on the edge of the box and Mekki having beaten his man in the penalty area pulled the ball back, for Jennings, I think, to balloon over. Out of the blue, GTF got the ball some way out of the box moved forward a bit and saw their keeper off his line. I didn't think it was hit that hard, but placed perfectly, the best Rovers goal in a while.

Rovers started quite well second half, with GTF carrying the ball into the box and taking it too far before cutting back to a team-mate for a shot. Shortly after, Maynard went through, but shot early and wide, later, he went closer with a shot just over. However things then fizzled out, in part because of how isolated Norwood was, as Ian highlights above. Eventually a ball from GTF was taken down well by Norwood and coolly slotted past the keeper. That was that, we thought, only to concede a soft-goal from a header a couple of minutes later, where Sutton could arguably have done better. Shades of Kidderminster re-visited, as Rovers went into panic mode, failed to defend higher up the park and the Gulls brought on Exodus Geoghan, large defender in a Goody-like forward role, to add to the chaos. This time we hung on.

I'm not quite sure what Jack Mackreth brings to the party, recall him being quite pacy as a youngster, but while not doing anything wrong, he had little chance to shine today. Like Sparky, I was puzzled that Jake Kirby wasn't brought on for GTF, particularly as GB praised Jake in the programme.

MoM is hard. There were a lot of players who did quite well, but none outstanding. I'd probably give it to Mekki, who was a thorn in Torquay's side throughout his time on the pitch.

It is a concern that we've picked up a few injuries recently. Ridehalgh deputised capably for Hill, GTF and Hughes are very different players, Sutton didn't have the aerial strength of McNulty and Mekki, who didn't look badly injured offers something different. Like Sparky, I still think we need another forward.

 

[drwhoman]

My guess (which could be completely wrong!) was that Mackreth left Grimsby for whatever reason, he has played 15 games for them this season, wanted to come back home, and Rovers took him on probably at low wage as cover for Mekki. We do not have another out and out winger? - I am not sure Hughes fits that bill.