After their Mick McNeil cup exit last Saturday, Rovers returned to League 2 action again this week, when they travelled to snowy Great Barton to face Sporting 87 FC.
Having rested several players last weekend, Rovers made 5 changes to their starting line up with, Rob Green, Micky Cross, Jamie Feltner, Manu Falcao and Geoff Green all returning to the side, the latter once again picking up the managerial reins, as Rovers boss, Paul Winstone again put the trivial business of moving house before that of being at the helm of the league leaders.
Rovers made a dream start to the match when, with only a few minutes on the clock, a free kick from just right of the Sporting area was headed home in fine style by midfielder, Jamie Davis.
The goal filled the visitors with early confidence and Rovers continued to press forward early on, looking to extend their lead further.
The game however took a very different course when, in a crazy 15 minute spell, Rovers went from 1 up in the match to 4-1 down, as the normally dependable Rovers back 4, fell apart at the seams.
After dusting themselves off, Rovers were then able to steady the ship for the remainder of the half and indeed game themselves a bit of a lifeline just before the break when Rover's defender, Andrew Clarke, headed home for the visitors from yet another Micky Cross free kick to make the half time score 4-2 to the hosts.
Green tried to rally the troops at half time, asking them to forget their 1st half horror show and to concentrate on the importance of Clarke's goal just before the break as well as stressing to his players that the game hinged on whichever side was able to get the next goal in the match.
That next goal came 10 minutes into the 2nd period when Micky Cross made it an amazing 9 games on the trot that he has found the net in, when he fired home a direct free kick from 20 yards out to give the Sporting keeper no chance.
With their tails well and truely up, Rovers began to boss proceedings and started to play like a side who have been top of the table for much of the season. They didn't have to wait long to complete their comback when, just after the hour mark, Tiernan Boland found the net from inside the Sporting area to draw the sides level.
With the home side's spirit seemingly broken, the visitors continued to pour forward looking for a winner and they were able to get their noses back in front with 20 minutes left, when a tame effort from just outside the area from Jamie Davis somehow managed to squirm its way past the home side's keeper.
The game was finally decided 5 minutes later when a great individual run from Manu Falcao saw him beat several defenders, get to the by-line and deliver the ball into the centre of the goalmouth, where the ball was smashed into the back of the Sporting net by an unfortunate defender for an own goal.
The final 15 minutes saw both side create chances but without either of them being able to convert these chances into goals and the final whistle was met with great cheers from the Rovers squad as they secured another 3 points.
Geoff Green was delighted with Rover's spirit and their performance in general, apart from that 15 minute spell in the 1st half, and was really pleased to find the back of the net 6 times against a Sporting side whose league position does not do them justice.
With Tollgate Inn on Suffolk Cup duty, the win now sees Rovers go 3 points clear at the top of League 2 although the chasing pack do have a game in hand over them.
Rovers will look to extend their advantage to 6 points next Saturday when, weather permitting, they travel to Gainsborough Playing Fields to face Black Boy FC.
