Post by molloy on Nov 17, 2013 21:29:16 GMT
Starting line up.
Gavin (GK)
Marc
Luke
Phil
Andy M
Stephen (c)
Liam G
Lee
Rick
Craig
Ben
Subs
Alex
Robbie
Andy D
Liam W
Cooper
After last weeks morale boosting victory against a very stubborn Chorlts team, rovers were in good spirits coming into the weekend fixture against an Oldham team that sat only a few places than rovers.
With 3 points today taking us above Oldham and back into the hunt for the league, the lads knew defeat just wasn't an option in this tie.
With the pitches being in surprisingly good condition despite the heavy rain throughout the week the game got underway, with Oldham not having many players under 6 foot just as expected they tried to bully rovers out of the game early on but with a good tempo to the game Oldham found themselves on the back foot as rick found Craig on the left hand side and with Craig's mazy run through the box the Oldham players could only watch as Craig fired his shot hard and low right across the keeper and into the back of the net, brilliant start to the game and not a bad way to open his rovers account either.
Despite the good start rovers seemed to fall a bit flat as the first half wore on and Oldham started to get a foot in the game, but rovers continued to battle as the centre back pairing of Luke and Marc getting long range shots off but unable to test the keeper in the Oldham goal.
Just when rovers started getting the tempo of the game up again the weather took a turn for the worse as a thunder storm began just above us, with heavy rain beating down the pitch began to cut up and really took the pace out of every rovers attack.
Midway through the first half Oldham had rarely threatened the rovers goal but were level when a long throw found itself into the box and onto the head of the Oldham striker leaving gav with no chance with such a close range header.
Rovers still continued to press feeling the injustice of only drawing against a team that rarely offered anything in attack, and the injustice continued as cross from the left hand side hit the Oldham fullbacks arm no doubt redirecting it away from goal but the ref waved away appeals from the rovers players, despite that rovers restored the lead not long after when Stephens run from midfield and neat pass found Craig's intelligent run putting him one on one with keeper and with a lot of time to think Craig slotted home cooly.
Just before the second half kicked off the manager addressed the issue of the goals rovers have conceded in the first 15 minutes of the second half costing us a lot of points, and with jonos war cry like team talk rovers knew they had to remain solid and keep winning their individual battles, but just like clockwork Oldham were gifted a great chance to level when the ref awarded them a penalty for hand ball a harsh decision considering Marc was lookin the other way when the ball bounced up and hit his hand even harsher considering the handball in the first half which was waved away, a few of the Oldham players began to argue about who was taking the spot kick but eventually Oldham's full back stepped to take it and while rovers held their breath they could only watch as Oldham player out effort far wide of the left hand post, big let off for rovers.
But still Oldham continued to threaten from set pieces and found themselves level when another throwing was launched into the box only for Andy M to slice the header into his own net.
Rovers continued to push for all 3 points as 2 great chances fell to Craig with only the keeper to beat this time Craig was denied after some fine saves from keeper kept the scores level and with only seconds to go rovers nearly won the game as some brilliant dribbling from Andy M 25 yards out gave him the perfect opportunity to unleash a powerful left footed drive as the ball whistled towards the opponents net everything went in slow motion, but there was not to be a happy ending as once again the keeper came to Oldham's rescue again tipping the shot over the bar.
Full time 2-2
MOM- easy one this Craig Coleman absolutely outstanding and very unlucky not to have 4
Gavin (GK)
Marc
Luke
Phil
Andy M
Stephen (c)
Liam G
Lee
Rick
Craig
Ben
Subs
Alex
Robbie
Andy D
Liam W
Cooper
After last weeks morale boosting victory against a very stubborn Chorlts team, rovers were in good spirits coming into the weekend fixture against an Oldham team that sat only a few places than rovers.
With 3 points today taking us above Oldham and back into the hunt for the league, the lads knew defeat just wasn't an option in this tie.
With the pitches being in surprisingly good condition despite the heavy rain throughout the week the game got underway, with Oldham not having many players under 6 foot just as expected they tried to bully rovers out of the game early on but with a good tempo to the game Oldham found themselves on the back foot as rick found Craig on the left hand side and with Craig's mazy run through the box the Oldham players could only watch as Craig fired his shot hard and low right across the keeper and into the back of the net, brilliant start to the game and not a bad way to open his rovers account either.
Despite the good start rovers seemed to fall a bit flat as the first half wore on and Oldham started to get a foot in the game, but rovers continued to battle as the centre back pairing of Luke and Marc getting long range shots off but unable to test the keeper in the Oldham goal.
Just when rovers started getting the tempo of the game up again the weather took a turn for the worse as a thunder storm began just above us, with heavy rain beating down the pitch began to cut up and really took the pace out of every rovers attack.
Midway through the first half Oldham had rarely threatened the rovers goal but were level when a long throw found itself into the box and onto the head of the Oldham striker leaving gav with no chance with such a close range header.
Rovers still continued to press feeling the injustice of only drawing against a team that rarely offered anything in attack, and the injustice continued as cross from the left hand side hit the Oldham fullbacks arm no doubt redirecting it away from goal but the ref waved away appeals from the rovers players, despite that rovers restored the lead not long after when Stephens run from midfield and neat pass found Craig's intelligent run putting him one on one with keeper and with a lot of time to think Craig slotted home cooly.
Just before the second half kicked off the manager addressed the issue of the goals rovers have conceded in the first 15 minutes of the second half costing us a lot of points, and with jonos war cry like team talk rovers knew they had to remain solid and keep winning their individual battles, but just like clockwork Oldham were gifted a great chance to level when the ref awarded them a penalty for hand ball a harsh decision considering Marc was lookin the other way when the ball bounced up and hit his hand even harsher considering the handball in the first half which was waved away, a few of the Oldham players began to argue about who was taking the spot kick but eventually Oldham's full back stepped to take it and while rovers held their breath they could only watch as Oldham player out effort far wide of the left hand post, big let off for rovers.
But still Oldham continued to threaten from set pieces and found themselves level when another throwing was launched into the box only for Andy M to slice the header into his own net.
Rovers continued to push for all 3 points as 2 great chances fell to Craig with only the keeper to beat this time Craig was denied after some fine saves from keeper kept the scores level and with only seconds to go rovers nearly won the game as some brilliant dribbling from Andy M 25 yards out gave him the perfect opportunity to unleash a powerful left footed drive as the ball whistled towards the opponents net everything went in slow motion, but there was not to be a happy ending as once again the keeper came to Oldham's rescue again tipping the shot over the bar.
Full time 2-2
MOM- easy one this Craig Coleman absolutely outstanding and very unlucky not to have 4