Rovers were in League 2 action again this weekend, as they travelled to Great Barton to face Sporting 87 FC, looking to continue their fine start to the season.
With boss Paul Jeavons back at the helm, the Blues were forced into 2 changes from the squad that beat RF Saints so convincingly a week ago as Tim Hodge and Danny Fletcher-Scott were both absent. Martin Coverdale started his first game for Rovers on the right wing and Jamie Feltner made his first appearance of the season in a 5 man midfield.
With confidence high, Rovers went looking to assert themselves from the off and continue the fine run of first half form they have been in this season, which has seen them 2 up at the break in every game so far.
Despite the Blues' intentions the match began very evenly and the game was only 10 minutes old when the home side managed do what no other side had done this season, when a 20 yard effort was caught just right and came crashing down off of Scott Glacken's crossbar and bounced over the line to put Sporting ahead.
The rest of the first half was very much a stalemate as both defences were very much on top. Any idea either side had of getting the ball down and playing some good football, went out of the window because of the congested midfield.
Paul Jeavons sent Rovers out for the second half after demanding that they pull their socks up and start playing the kind of football that had brought them success so far this season. If they did so he was sure that the Blues would start creating chances up front and would get themselves back into the game.
The second half though was pretty much a carbon copy of the first, as both sides were reduced to a few long range efforts and not a lot else as they continued to cancel each other out in midfield.
A frustrating afternoon got a lot better for the visitors with 10 minutes remaining when great work from Rovers' frontman Lee Glacken, saw him lay off the ball to an on rushing Ally Clark, who fired the Blues level from the edge of the area.
Rovers then sensed that maybe more than a point was possible from the match, as they then spent most of the last 10 minutes of the match on the attack. They almost achieved an unlikely victory with virtually the last kick of the game when, following a pinpoint corner from Jamie Feltner, Geoff Green rose above everyone in the Sporting area, but he failed to grab a dramtic winner for the Blues as he powered his header inches over the bar when he really should have done better.
Despite a very average performance, Paul Jeavons was happy to escape with a point and for Rovers to continue their unbeaten start to the season.
With a bye into the next round of the Suffolk Primary Cup, Rovers have a week off next Saturday. They return to League 2 action the following week when they find themsleves away again, when they take on Black Boy FC at Gainsborough Playing Fields.
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