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League Two Rovers v Stevenage

Match result

  • Rovers

    Votes: 2 40.0%
  • Draw

    Votes: 2 40.0%
  • Stevenage

    Votes: 1 20.0%

  • Total voters
    5
  • Poll closed .
Rovers v Stevenage
Posted by Ian
Prenton Park
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 - 07:45 PM
Until: Tuesday, February 1, 2022 - 10:00 PM
(Adjusted for timezone: Europe/London)
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Boz

Member
Joined
30 Sep 2005
Messages
8,851
Player
Iain Hume
Rovers started brightly a couple of decent saves from their keeper early on. Since then Stevenage have made a few adjustments , we seem to have much less time on the ball. and although both sides have had chances the visitors came closest with a brave stop from Doohan just before the break.

Unsure how we go about reasserting that early dominance.
 

Sparky

Member
Joined
8 Sep 2009
Messages
7,532
Player
Chris Greenacre
Perhaps unsurprisingly it’s 0-0 at the break. A bright opening 5-10 mins but we’ve had plenty of huff and puff and no real end quality. The shots at goal have been powder puff. Mcpake and Morris have been bright but we’re just missing something in the final third.

To be fair NKP is having a half decent game but the visitors have gotten braver the more the half has gone on and May fancy their chances of nicking it.
 

bigmart

bigmart
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Joined
29 Jul 2009
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7,110
Player
Ian Muir
Back to what we do best keeping a clean sheet and getting a winner.
After a bright start with their keeper making 2 good saves they got back into the first half without threatening too much, we went long too often in the conditions.
We were holding on a bit towards the end though Hemmings hit the post. We just about deserved the win and with other results going our way it was a good night.
Barrow did us a favour tonight hopefully they will do the same on Saturday
 
Joined
15 Mar 2010
Messages
13,873
Player
Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
Manager
John King
A good, old fashioned lower league battle and against awkward opposition.

We started the game brightly, with Glatzel forcing a brilliant, fingertip save from their keeper, but we soon became bogged down. I don't think we got enough quality from the two wide players in the first half, with McPake in particular running down blind alleys too often. However, I don't think it helped that the two wingers had to come inside on to their stronger foot, as it meant they were constantly running into bodies in an already congested midfield, with Stevenage playing five in the middle.

We needed to change something, and I assume the substitution of Foley for Spearing was tactical. With his forward running Foley did give us something different in the middle of the pitch, and he played an important part in the build up to the goal, a superb strike by Morris. Hawkes also improved things when he came on, and there was a bit more spark in the second period.

I thought Stevenage were a reasonable side, well organised with some wily old campaigners like Michael Bostwick. However, although they had an attacking threat, they did not create a huge amount and we deserved the victory.

Individually, I thought KP was fine at centre back. He is nowhere near as bad as people make out. Glatzel showed some nice touches, and both full backs had good games. My man of the match was Callum MacDonald.

It is a great result, and virtually every other score went for us tonight. However, I do think the service to the two strikers needs to improve. There were signs of frustration from Hemmings in the second half; he needs balls into feet, and down the sides, not fighting balls at neck height.
 

Sparky

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8 Sep 2009
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7,532
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Chris Greenacre
Well once again it wasn’t pretty but we did enough to get the three points. Overall we deserved it and kept them at arms length once we got in front. Difficult conditions with wind and rain made it a bit more nerve wracking but as we’ve seen so often this season the defence held firm.
Credit to Micky for bringing on foley (assume it was tactical), who gave us another body in attacking areas. NKP did well and Hemmings put in a shift and was unlucky not to score when he hit the post.
It was important we bounced back after Saturday and a very good three points against an inform Stevenage.
 

frenchrover

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Joined
4 Feb 2012
Messages
688
Player
aldo
As Bigmart says we just about deserved that win and the 3 points and a good set of results elsewhere, and you can see why Stevenage have done so well over their last 5 games. For me Hemmings, although involved with Morris' winner and unlucky with a header late on that came back off a post, didn't add much to our attacking strength and seems lacking both in pace and in any ability to hold the ball up. I thought Glatzel looked a much great threat with his mobility and commitment and should have been left on with Hemmings making way for Merrie. Great finish by Morris for our goal and a better performance from KP but for me MOM was McDonald great tackling, overlapping and total commitment. Onwards and upwards on Saturday to Barrow and another difficult game.
 

Sparky

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8 Sep 2009
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7,532
Player
Chris Greenacre
I still have concerns we’ll score enough goals to keep us in the top three. Once again we only needed one tonight but we’re just missing something. That’s five games for Hemmings and no goals but to be fair, he’s not had many chances created.
 

Ian

Super White!
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Joined
21 Sep 2005
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12,019
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Aldo
Manager
Kingy
Yes, I think RLC is right regarding Hemmings. He is not getting the right service and I think it will take a few more games until he and the team gel a bit more.
 

Boz

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Joined
30 Sep 2005
Messages
8,851
Player
Iain Hume
It was mostly about the result tonight as we needed the win to get back on track after Saturday's drubbing. We just about deserved it, but there were nervy spells towards the end of both halves where we conceded too much territory in the centre of the park and struggled to retain possession. Yet we showed in glimpses some really good football, in particular the build-up play involving Hawkes and Macdonald amongst others leading to Hemmings' header against the woodwork

After the enthusiasm, which I shared, for trying out a Glatzel- Hemmings pairing up front, wasn't sure that it worked that well tonight. Yet Hemmings had probably his best game in a Rovers shirt an assist for the goal and came close to notching his first goal for us, while Glatzel was involved with some good link-up up play with Morris and Cogley and a decent chance of his own. Yet the pair didn't seem to interplay that much. Perhaps it doesn't matter, both had reasonable games and interacted well with other team-mates.

Presume Spearing's substitution at h/t may have been injury related, rather than purely tactical? McPake picked up a knock, but didn't seem at his best tonight even before, while Hawkes was a bit of a mixed bag too. Both central defenders were solid and while hopefully Davies is back in contention soon, he wasn't missed tonight.

I agree with RLC/Frenchrover on Calum Macdonald as MoM some great crunching tackles which Spearing would have been envious of, coupled with good running and delivery further up the park
 
Joined
24 Jul 2017
Messages
4,185
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aldo
a win is a win and after the weekend who cares, we needed a battle and it will give the boys a boost now 1 loss in 12 games and 9 clean sheets and I think 9 wins so can,t complain too much, also I said they would Bloody win and again I am serving Lobster Thermidor and a Trio of Desserts, just my Luck,but hey ho we move on and if i don't go again this season and we go up then i am a happy bunny but miss it loads
 
Joined
1 Oct 2005
Messages
5,692
Player
Alan King, Barry Dyson
A near perfect set of results, where we gain on all our rivals. My Port Vale supporting mate was dreading tonight after seeing what FGR did to us on Saturday, but they nearly beat them. Nothing can be taken for granted in this league.
 

Ian

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21 Sep 2005
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Aldo
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Kingy
There was something a little disjointed about tonight's performance as Boz alludes to above but having said that, we plugged away and got our rewards. We may have sat back a bit too deep in the last 20 mins but we still defended well and I never felt that threatened by Steveage who although can be tricky, they work hard and battle well, but just didn't have the quality where it mattered.

Four points clear from Newport in 3rd so that is great to have breathing space again.
 
Last edited:
Joined
18 May 2012
Messages
769
Player
ian goodison
I too thought after the first 15mins & glatzels header which brought out a great save that we would win comfortably against a poor Stevenage but seemed to struggle to kick on, thought the introduction of foley brought something different in midfield, great goal from morris and would love to have seen hemming's header go in just as a reward for his effort, my MOM was glatzel for the reason he took a battering from their defenders with no protection from the ref. yet never shirked a challenge or went missing, also why did doohan keep persisting with high kicks when it was clear neither forwards were getting much joy from their centre backs really frustrating
 
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