After a 2 week break due to the recent bad weather, Rovers returned to action on Saturday when the met League 1 Bartons FC, in the Mick McNeil Cup semi-final, at the Heath.
With Andrew Clarke and Ross Booty adding their names to Rover's ever increasing injury list and with several players not meeting the required criteria to qualify for playing in the fixture, Rovers could only field a squad of 12 players for what was arguably the biggest game in the club's short history.
With their visitors flying high in league and cup this season. the Whites new they were in for a very tough afternoon in their quest to make their first ever cup final.
As expected it was the League 1 side who made most of the running early on as Rovers struggled to settle down and organise themselves properly. For all the visitors early pressure, the Whites were able to survive the opening 20 minutes without conceding, despite some very close calls, having keeper, Scott Glacken, to thank for keeping the sides level during this period.
As the half progressed Rovers began to deal much better with the Bartons pressure thrown at them and despite the visitors continued dominance with possession, the Whites started to create 1 or 2 half chances of their own when they did get hold of the ball.
The half time whistle arrived with the 2 teams locked at 0-0 and with Rovers coping better and better with what Bartons had to throw at them with every passing minute.
Boss Paul Jeavons was delighted with his side's 1st half performance and asked for more of the same from his squad for the 2nd period.
Again it was the visitors who began the half better than their hosts but as before Rovers were able to cope quite comfortably with the pressure they had to face early on and soon again started to get a foot in the match and created a couple of good chances for themselves.
The breakthrough came just past the hour mark when a lovely 1-2 with Martin Coverdale, saw top scorer, Lee Glacken, fire the home side into the lead from 12 yards out.
Glacken was then a layer of paint away from doubling Rover's lead minutes later, when he was put clean through. The Bartons keeper was able to get the tinniest of fingertips to his attempted lob, which was enough to divert the ball away from the ungaurded net and instead the ball came back off the post and into the keeper's arms.
The Whites were left ruing that opportunity when, with 20 mins left on the clock, Bartons were able to get behind the Rover's back 4, and a ball pulled back from the byline was tapped home from close range to draw the 2 sides level.
Within 5 minutes the game was turned on its head as the visitors doubled their tally when, disappointingly from the Rover's defence point of view, Bartons hit them again on the break and scored in almost identical fashion.
That goal was enough to book Barton's place in the final, as Rovers tried in vain to find an equaliser in the last 10 minutes, as they threw men forward.
Despite his disappointment at being knocked out of the competition, Paul Jeavons was very proud and pleased of his side's performance against very strong opposition.
The 2 sides will go into battle again at the Heath next Saturday when they meet in the 1st round of the St Eds Fair Play Cup.
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