Post by Dave Lavelle on Nov 12, 2007 22:07:28 GMT
Rovers Blown Away!
Rovers battled well in a difficult game due to conditions and squad injuries. With Dave Walton struggling with a hamstring injury and only 1 substitute on the bench, Rovers couldn't afford any other injuries in the match, so when Dave Lavelle was slashed down in the Aldermere penalty area the manager was worried. Not only was the foul not given, Dave Lavelle looked to be struggling. Aldermere used the wind well in the first half and looked to have the better of the chances. They put the ball in the net 3 times only to be ruled offside, and even hit the woodwork from a penalty before Rovers took the lead through Yousef Rooble. After Rovers took the advantage there were more chances for Rovers to extend their lead but they couldn't capitalise. Aldermere got their equaliser with 4 minutes to play in the first half, and Rovers lost their composure once again so that Aldermere went in at the break 2-1. With Rovers having the wind advantage in the second half they hoped to get back into the game early on but Aldermere scored again through slack Rovers defending. Yousef Rooble scored to keep Rovers in the hunt but Aldermere scored again straight away when Richard Pearson headed the ball past his own keeper for the striker to tap in for their fourth. Aldermere sealed the game with a fifth and Dave Lavelle scored with 15 to go hoping for a Rovers fightback, and with a penalty appeal denied again, it was never going to be Rovers day.
The manager said "We battled well in the first half and we were unlucky to concede the two late goals to go behind in the first half. But that's football, we can't stop playing and expect to win. Once again we've scored 3 good goals and could have had a fair few more but we're going to struggle to get 3 points when you let in 5! We need to keep our concentration up for 90 mins, from 1-11. Defence starts from the front and we can't stop running after their defenders and pressuring them into mistakes, otherwise they'll punish us because they don't stop running at us and as we've seen we make the mistakes. We have had a lot of injuries this season, more than I've ever known, but it's not an excuse. The players at the moment can't get complacent thinking their place is safe. There are a lot of excellent players who will come back and put pressure on to get their place back, and if the competition is what we're seeing on the past two Saturdays then I think they'll have no problem getting straight back in. I want a winning team so it's up to the players to start putting the effort in and show how well we can play AS A TEAM!"
Rovers battled well in a difficult game due to conditions and squad injuries. With Dave Walton struggling with a hamstring injury and only 1 substitute on the bench, Rovers couldn't afford any other injuries in the match, so when Dave Lavelle was slashed down in the Aldermere penalty area the manager was worried. Not only was the foul not given, Dave Lavelle looked to be struggling. Aldermere used the wind well in the first half and looked to have the better of the chances. They put the ball in the net 3 times only to be ruled offside, and even hit the woodwork from a penalty before Rovers took the lead through Yousef Rooble. After Rovers took the advantage there were more chances for Rovers to extend their lead but they couldn't capitalise. Aldermere got their equaliser with 4 minutes to play in the first half, and Rovers lost their composure once again so that Aldermere went in at the break 2-1. With Rovers having the wind advantage in the second half they hoped to get back into the game early on but Aldermere scored again through slack Rovers defending. Yousef Rooble scored to keep Rovers in the hunt but Aldermere scored again straight away when Richard Pearson headed the ball past his own keeper for the striker to tap in for their fourth. Aldermere sealed the game with a fifth and Dave Lavelle scored with 15 to go hoping for a Rovers fightback, and with a penalty appeal denied again, it was never going to be Rovers day.
The manager said "We battled well in the first half and we were unlucky to concede the two late goals to go behind in the first half. But that's football, we can't stop playing and expect to win. Once again we've scored 3 good goals and could have had a fair few more but we're going to struggle to get 3 points when you let in 5! We need to keep our concentration up for 90 mins, from 1-11. Defence starts from the front and we can't stop running after their defenders and pressuring them into mistakes, otherwise they'll punish us because they don't stop running at us and as we've seen we make the mistakes. We have had a lot of injuries this season, more than I've ever known, but it's not an excuse. The players at the moment can't get complacent thinking their place is safe. There are a lot of excellent players who will come back and put pressure on to get their place back, and if the competition is what we're seeing on the past two Saturdays then I think they'll have no problem getting straight back in. I want a winning team so it's up to the players to start putting the effort in and show how well we can play AS A TEAM!"