A tight game, which Rovers just deserved to win Both sides had changed personnel significantly from last season, so getting used to new team-mates and carrying things forward from pre-season to a competitive game. We're a work in progress where not all the pieces are in place yet.
Defensively, I felt Murphy and the central defensive pairing did well. As has been highlighted, the area we were tested more was on the wings. For the most part, Merrie handled it well and Glatzel was willing to come back and give him an out ball, whereas Cogley on our right was more isolated particularly in the first half and at times left to contend with the winger by himself.
In midfield, I felt Glatzel did well, he looked comfortable on the ball and linked with team-mates. Mcmanaman on the other side drifted in and out of the game, but made some telling contributions, firstly with the shot at the keeper when perhaps he should have passed to a better-placed team-mate and subsequently the clinical finish for what proved to be the winning goal. Spearing was his usual self, breaking up play, one or two quality cross-field balls. Watson did some decent defensive work, but didn't get much chance to show the attacking side of his game.
Up front, Dieseruvwe was feeding on scraps but didn't seem to be as influential as in pre-season and the only real chance he had from Feeney's corner was headed straight at the keeper. Feeney had a reasonable game, though it puzzles me why Glatzel as a striker isn't deployed in the more forward role. However, the quality of his set=pieces was mixed at best and my view is that our threat from set pieces would be enhanced by using different players to take them rather than giving them all to Liam.
MoM Harsh red card notwithstanding for me was Chris Merrie, who looked comfortable out of position and set up the winning goal. Had he been on the pitch longer, Glatzel would have been a contender.