Bristol Rovers v Exeter City Matchday Thread

[grecIAN Harris]

Two hours sleep in one and a half days!
I’m surprised you could keep your eyes open to make a post as long as that.
I think they had better treatment at Guantanamo Bay.

I'm well practiced from when I used to nights, every Friday/Saturday was like that. Rosie's probably an hour or so too early with his prediction but other than that he's not far wrong. The adrenelin from last night could keep anyone going.

 

[Sexton Blake]

Not sure if I am the only one but there are certain statistics that I find interesting and from what I can see the Rover’s game is the 8th game this season which has ended in either ourselves or our opponents scoring 4 goals……starting from the opening fixture home to Vale.

 

[Martin Lawrence]

Not sure if I am the only one but there are certain statistics that I find interesting and from what I can see the Rover’s game is the 8th game this season which has ended in either ourselves or our opponents scoring 4 goals……starting from the opening fixture home to Vale.

Its never dull watching City is it Sexton

 

[Grecian2K]

I've only had two hours sleep in the last thirty six hours.......... give us a break.

Still, that's probably 60 minutes more than poor old Mr Belshaw has managed, what with his ears still ringing from Joey's post-match debriefing!

 

[Coppers]

I don't know. The way I get access to it (with my £4.49 per month package) is to go to City's website (after signing in to ifollow) and clicking om matches/results. For me there's then an option of 'watch on ifollow' which when clicked on gives me 3 options - full match replay, highlights and then extended highlights.

Do you want to give that a try and see if it works for you?

You don't need to pay a subscription to watch the highlights or the match replay j full, it is free the next day using the EFL ifollow app on a phone or tablet.

 

[geoffwp]

It's the first chance I've had to say anything about last night post match. Mental, absolutely mental. The first half we were dominant and it seemed it was a case of when we got the third to kill the game off. Sam could have had a ten minute hattrick before the ref started making the game scrappy with free kicks and bookings that really weren't necersery. The only thing Rovers did of any note was forcing Jamal into a great save, which I'll come back to later, although I thought the Rovers player was offside. Having said that my view of the game completely changed when I got home (we were stood right at the very end of the terracing in the corner) and saw what actually happened in certain circumstances so I might have got that wrong also. For example, watching the way Bellfield went down for Collins goal we were all convinced it must have taken a deflection only to watch the highlights on Sky later and see that Bellfield might aswell have said to Archie, 'here you go, I've left a bloody great big gap for you to aim at'. I'd love to see what Pete would have made of it.
The second half started out in a manner that kept our confidence in getting a third would kill the game and then Rovers scored. A little disconcerting but we were still creating decent chances and pushing Rovers back and getting a third would push them back on the ropes again. And then they equalised. I can't remember whether it was the second or third that started from a crap decision by the ref not to give us a free kick in front of the away terrace for a very blatant shove on Jevani. The ball in was hung up for a bun fight and with some of the trees they had up front it was just begging for one of them to get on the end of it. Rovers get their tails properly up now and , as was alluded to in the post match with Mr C, the home end was sucking the ball towards them. And then on to the next bit of what we thought we saw was nothing like what happened. Rovers player goes on a run that none of the City seem capable of stopping until Josh Key appears to get across him and shields the ball out a goal kick (again, bare in mind where we're stood) only for the ref to give a penalty and Rovers take the lead. Having seen it back on TV, Key quite clearly takes the bloke out and it is a stonewall spot kick. We go again and start to turn push Rovers back but doom and gloom is amongst our gang of four............... apart from this bright cherub, me, who confidently predicts we're going to win 4-3. 'Nah, can't see it happening' was the standard reply. We're getting more and more into as the game gets more and more open. City are creating chances but he turning points comes with Chieck suicidal pass across the box, straight to Rovers striker and Jamal digs him out the biggest hole he has been in in his career. That goes in it game over but it didn't and we're still in it. And then Stanno gets around the back and dinks up a 'just off the green' chip on to Tim Diengs head and bedlam ensues in the away end. Back to end to end again, Stanno has a chance to win and fluffs his lines and then finally Jamal launches a big boomer down the pitch. It clears the Rovers back four, one bounce............ Bellfield's all at sea, Sammy's only got to get his head on it......... Sammys' got his head on it, bedlam x3 in the away end. There's still time for Stanno to put some real gloss on the score as he is put through one on one with Bellfield but again he fluffs his lines.
Two big points for me last night: First, those of you who still aren't sure about Blackman, compare and contrast the save he makes to Diengs goal. Both headers were pretty much in the same spot of the same six yard box. If anything, I'd say the Rovers header had more power on it. Jamal pounces on it like a panther and gets a bloody big paw on it to turn it away, Bellfield doesn't even get close to Tim's header. Then ask yourself would Bellfield, who is generally a decent shot stopper when I've seen him play, have got to Chieck's gift had he been in a similar situation.......... I think not. The Big Man has got down and ultimately given us the platform to go on to win the game.
Second, we've all been saying it for weeks and boy, did Super Sammy Nombe prove it last night. We carried a threat right from the get go last night and why? Because Nombe was up front to give us a presence, a focal point. To give the Rovers back line a pain in the arse all night with his hustling and harrying. We had somebody to give the ball to up front and knew that most of the time it would stick. Jevani had a runner in central areas to feed and he looked better for it. And Sam repaid it all by bagging a brace. I hope that's all sunk in Mr C as I'm sure we would have had three points on Boxing Day if he had started and we'll stand a better chance of getting three points on Sunday at Oxford by starting him.

So, you enjoyed it?

 

[MJP_Exeter]

I'm sure Gary can't eat his tea knowing you havent given him your ringing endorsement fella. We have just won a great game of football and yet you (and a few others) are so blinded by a perverse form of expectation or myopia that you still bang the same old same old boring carp. Just give the bloke a chance will ya

Sigh. We've won one game since November and only 2 in the league since November. If we hadn't snatched a win Caldwell would've had A 9% win ratio.

It's not being blinded, it's looking at the evidence of his time with us and also thus far largely poor use of the squad amongst other things

He's still got a way to go to prove he's the right choice. Also funny how we start Nombe and all of a sudden it's the biggest threat / taking chances since Caldwell took over. If he had maybe used his forward line better in his time with us we maybe having a very different conversation right now.

Hopefully we'll get another win at Oxford

But the match Thursday was a great game of footie

 

[denzel]

Gary Caldwell and Joey Barton speak out on 'farce' Bristol Rovers kit change in 7-goal thriller - Fan Banter

Gary Caldwell and Joey Barton speak out on ‘farce’ Bristol Rovers kit change in the 7-goal thriller at the Memorial Stadium. Barton has defended his decision to order his players to change out of their kit during a dramatic 4-3 defeat by Exeter City. The Gas had fallen behind, the Grecians...

fanbanter.co.uk

Article focusing on the kit change. Sounded like Barton didn't less us know they were changing their kit. And clearly to him the Shelter campaign was an inconvenience..

 

[Memphis09]

Agreed a lovely cut back across the area to Archie.

Side pass of five yards

 

[Memphis09]

This is spot on. Collins & Kite sat far too deep after half time and GC's decision to bring Stanno on for MJ was odd from a tactical perspective - it left us with a huge hole in the middle which was only filled once Dieng was introduced.

Not much point having the attacking ability of Jev, Stanno and Super Sam on the pitch if we've no means of delivering possession to them through the midfield.

Incredible game though, one of the best away days. But we (GC) should have made it much easier for ourselves.

If Rovers are the standard of a mid table league one side, we've nothing to worry about!

If you remember the beginning of the season we played Collins Kite and Dieng as the long mid three
Think you need doing height in there as proved for our third goal