Fratton Park Saturday 5th August 2023
Portsmouth 1
Yengi (90 + 2)
Bristol Rovers 1
Thomas (24)
Referee: Sam Allison
Attendance: 19,165 Away fans: 1,991
Traditionally, the football season begins on a sweltering hot day with drinks breaks built in to the standard 90 minutes; not on the occasion of the opening day of the 2023/24 campaign, though!
Windy and sunny prior to kick off, things had changed dramatically by the time 3.00pm came around and torrential rain greeted the teams as they made their way out of the tunnel and on to the pitch.
The game was also more likely to last longer than 90 minutes on account of new rule changes brought into effect to allow for timewasting.
This season is the 125th anniversary of the formation of Portsmouth and 140 years since Rovers were founded. And let’s get those unwanted records for Rovers out of the way; they haven’t beaten Portsmouth at Fratton Park since 1975 and not won an opening day fixture since 2011.
Andy Mangan was in charge of Rovers in the absence of the suspended Joe Barton and three of the starting XI were making their league debuts for the club, namely Matt Cox, James Wilson and Jevani Brown.
Rovers should have taken a seventh minute lead when John Marquis found Lewis Gordon and his delightful pass picked out Aaron Collins in space. The striker rounded keeper Will Norris, who had rushed off his line in an attempt to clear the danger but fired his shot into the side netting from an acute angle.
Wilson diverted a shot from Colby Bishop over the bar but that was all the home side could muster in the opening exchanges and it was no surprise when Rovers took a 24th minute lead.
Although fouled, Marquis laid the ball off to Sam Finley and he, in turn, found Brown. As space opened up for him to shoot, he chose to play in Luke Thomas and the former loanee, making his second debut for the club, smashed his shot beyond goalkeeper Norris to register his first ever Rovers’ league goal.
Gavin Whyte had two opportunities to equalise for the home side, but his first effort was blocked and the second he dragged wide of the upright.
Although Portsmouth enjoyed a great deal of possession in the final stages of the half they failed to trouble debutant goalkeeper Cox. The custodian was called into action early in the second half, though. Whyte saw his ferocious drive well saved and then the youngster held on to a header from Bishop.
With Rovers on the back foot but defending well, there was almost an 83rd minute equaliser but Connor Ogilvie saw his long range shot hit the post with Cox beaten.
With the fourth official already having signalled an additional six minutes would be played, it seemed that Rovers were capable of holding out for an opening day win, but it wasn’t to be.
In the second of those six minutes Cox was beaten as a Pompey effort hit the post and rebounded to substitute Kusini Yengi, who headed home. The Pompey substitute, who had been on the pitch for eight minutes, had previously played all of his football in Australia and was making his Pompey debut.
As expected, the game lasted way beyond 90 minutes – there were 14 added on in this instance!
Portsmouth: Norris, Rafferty, Poole, Towler (Sparkes, 73), Ogilvie, Lowery (Saydee, 46), Pack, Morrell, Whyte (Kamara, 65), Bishop, Scully (Yengi, 84).
Substitutes: Raggett, Devlin, Scofield.
Bristol Rovers: Cox, Hoole, Wilson, Connolly (Taylor, 61), Gordon (Grant, 65), Finley, Ward, Collins (Evans, 82), Thomas (Sinclair, 82), Brown, Marquis.
Substitutes: Belshaw, Crama, Jones.
It’s a fact
Former Rovers’ assistant manager Shaun North was on the bench as Pompey’s kit manager
Skipper: Finley
Yellow cards: Finley, Wilson, Hoole
League Debuts: Cox, Wilson, Brown
Number of substitutes used: Four
Time added on: 14 minutes
Cumulative time added (league) 14 minutes
League Position: 10th
Portman Road Tuesday 9th August 2023
Ipswich Town 2
Taylor (12), Aluko (76)
Bristol Rovers 0
Referee: David Rock
Attendance: 15,047 Away fans: 123
Rovers faced Ipswich Town in the first round of the League Cup at Portman Road for the third time in 11 years and looking to score their first goal in the competition since a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion in August 2019
Promoted from League One last season, Ipswich have a strong squad and felt confident enough in their ability to win this Carabao Cup tie by making 11 changes to their starting XI from the side that beat Sunderland just three days earlier.
As for Rovers, again missing manager Joe Barton from the dugout, they made three changes from their 1-1 draw at Portsmouth on the opening day of the season.
Summer loan signing from Brentford, Tristan Crama, was handed his senior debut, while Scott Sinclair and Connor Taylor also came into the starting XI. The players to make way were James Wilson, James Connolly and John Marquis.
The home side made much of the early running and enjoyed a great deal of possession and there were only 12 minutes on the clock when they opened the scoring.
Kayden Jackson’s run down the right saw him cross into the box and when the ball reached Jack Taylor he made no mistake with his right foot shot. The former Peterborough man, who moved to Ipswich in the summer, was making his debut for the Portman Road outfit.
Ipswich continued to dominate possession and Taylor went close to adding a second goal, but his shot was blocked by a packed Rovers defence.
Freddie Ladapo headed over and Taylor, once again, caused problems when he lobbed a shot towards goal after seeing goalkeeper Matt Cox caught off his line. However, Crama did well to get back and head clear.
Rovers did manage to respond before the break and Grant Ward, playing against one of his former clubs, saw Town keeper Cieran Slicker dive low to his left to touch his shot away.
There were no further goals in the first half and assistant manager Andy Mangan made a change at the start of the second half when he sent on Marquis in place of Sinclair.
The first action of the second period saw Ladapo force a save from Cox, who touched the striker’s effort round the post for a corner.
At the other end Slicker needed to be alert to keep out a low shot from Jevani Brown just after the hour mark. Ipswich were finding it difficult to break down a stubborn Rovers defence and it was only after they had made their permitted five substitutions that they scored again.
The goal arrived in the 76th minute, just after Brown had dragged a shot wide of the Ipswich upright. Elkan Baggott picked out substitute George Hirst and he, in turn, pulled the ball back for another substitute, Sone Aluko, who fired a shot past Cox.
In spite of sending on Josh Grant and Luke McCormick, in place of Lewis Gordon and Brown, Rovers were unable to get any joy from the home side and slipped to a 2-0 defeat.
Ipswich Town: Slicker, Ball (Clarke, 73), Edmundson, Baggott, Leigh, Evans, Taylor (Humphreys, 66), Jackson, Hutchinson (Aluko, 66), Harness (Chaplin, 73), Ladapo (Hirst, 73).
Substitutes: Hayes, Bradshaw, Carr, Ayinde.
Bristol Rovers: Cox, Hoole, Taylor (Connolly, 61), Crama, Gordon (Grant, 77), Finley (Evans, 65), Ward, Sinclair (Marquis, 46), Thomas, Collins, Brown (McCormick, 76),
Substitutes: Belshaw, Loft, Lawrence, Jones.
It’s a fact
No Rovers players attached to the opposition.
Skipper: Finley, then Ward
Yellow cards: None
Senior Debuts: Crama
Number of substitutes used: Five
Time added on: Six minutes
Time added on: Cumulative time added (league): 14 minutes
Cumulative time added on: (cups): Six minutes
League Position: 10th
Ipswich were drawn away to Reading in the second round of the competition.
The Memorial Stadium Saturday 12th August 2023
Bristol Rovers 1
Sinclair (81)
Barnsley 1
Cadden (7)
Referee: Carl Brook
Attendance: 7,929 Away fans: 500
The first home game of the new season saw last season’s beaten play off finalists, Barnsley, provide the opposition.
There were two obvious changes to the old stadium; firstly, and most noticeably, Rovers were, for the time being, returning to play in a three sided ground due to delays in obtaining planning permission to erect a new South Stand. Secondly, the Tote End Clock had been repaired and was back in its place above the Thatchers Terrace.
Goalkeeper Matt Cox was making his home debut while defender Tristan Crama was making his league, and Rovers, debut.
On the bench there were two more youngsters waiting to make their Rovers league debuts in the shape of recent signing Matt Hall and defender Ryan Jones, while one familiar face was missing from the squad; James Belshaw. The media representatives were told that they would need to ask the manager about that situation!
Former boss Darrell Clarke was introduced to the crowd prior to kick off and even sang a chorus of Goodnight Irene before returning to the Executive Box occupied by Wael Al Qadi and new co owner of the club Hussain AlSaeed. Given that Clarke had enjoyed a meal out in the company of Al Qadi during the previous week, there was much speculation as to whether or not he was returning to the club in some capacity. I think it’s a case of watch this space!
On to the game, and Rovers found themselves a goal down after only seven minutes when Max Watters played in Nicky Cadden out on the left and his first time shot beat Cox at his near post.
It was one of the few instances of the visitors penetrating Rovers’ back line as the side, once again under the stewardship of Andy Mangan, seized the initiative and had they been more clinical in front of goal would have ran out comfortable winners.
John Marquis and Aaron Collins, who looked strangely out of sorts, passed up golden opportunities of scoring, the former heading wide from an Antony Evans cross, the latter robbed of a shooting opportunity when he delayed pulling the trigger.
Marquis, who might have ended the afternoon with the match ball, went close again in the second period, being denied once by the woodwork and once by visiting keeper Liam Roberts.
Evans and former Barnsley man Luke Thomas tormented the visitors all afternoon and it was the latter who set up Rovers’ equaliser in the 81st minute as he led a counter attack that saw him play a diagonal ball out to the left where Scott Sinclair, who had replaced Sam Finley seven minutes earlier, was waiting.
Sinclair made no mistake with his finish, curling a shot low into the far corner of the net beyond the reach of Roberts. He might have added a couple more, as he headed over the bar two minutes later and then saw a shot saved by Roberts.
The visitors almost snatched a late winner, but Cox did well to smother the ball at the feet of substitute Oli Shaw.
For the second week running Rovers had to be content with a share of the spoils, though they will rue missed opportunities to take maximum points from both games.
Bristol Rovers: Cox, Hoole, Taylor, Crama, Gordon (Grant, 74), Ward, Finley (Sinclair, 74), Thomas, Evans (McCormick, 90 + 3), Collins (Loft, 90 + 3), Marquis.
Substitutes: Hall, Connolly, Jones.
Barnsley: Roberts, Williams, Lopata, Kitching, Cotter (Lofthouse, 90 + 6), Kane, Russell (Chapman, 90 + 6), Cadden, Styles, Cole (Shaw, 76), Watters (Dallas, 59).
Substitutes: Killip, Shepherd, Winfield.
It’s a fact
No Rovers players attached to opposition
Skipper: Sam Finley, then Grant Ward
Yellow cards: None
League Debut: Crama
Number of substitutes used: Four
Time added on: Nine minutes
Time added on: Cumulative time added (league): 23 minutes
Cumulative time added on (cups): Six minutes
League Position: 15th
The Valley Tuesday 15th August 2023
Charlton Athletic 1
Kanu (73)
Bristol Rovers 2
Sinclair (58), McCormick (90 + 8)
Referee: Charles Breakspear
Attendance: 12,756 Away fans: 780
Manager Joe Barton, having served his three match suspension, was back in the dugout as his side went searching for a second consecutive league win at The Valley.
He made just one change to his starting XI, bringing Scott Sinclair at the expense of skipper Sam Finley who suffered a minor knock in the Barnsley game. John Marquis was given the captain’s armband.
There was a new face on the bench, that of Chelsea youngster Harvey Vale whose signing was announced by the club prior to kick off, meaning there was no place in the squad for Ryan Jones.
Marquis was denied by a smart save from goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer in the third minute. The keeper only cleared the ball as far as Sinclair, but he snatched at his shot and fired well wide of the target.
Alfie May, still searching for his first goal in a Charlton shirt, went close with 21 minutes on the clock, but his fierce drive was straight at Matt Cox and the Rovers keeper made a routine save.
Corey Blackett-Taylor hit a cross shot past the post and Cox made two more simple saves from May before the half ended and while the hosts enjoyed a great deal of first half possession, they were unable to make the breakthrough and it was goalless at the break.
Jack Payne saw one shot deflected wide of the target and another saved by Cox shortly after the restart, but it was Barton’s side that took the lead, in the 58th minute.
Maynard-Brewer made an outstanding save from an Antony Evans free kick but could only parry the ball as far as Aaron Collins and he was able to pull it back for Sinclair to net from close range.
Sinclair might have scored again shortly afterwards, but his lob over the keeper drifted agonisingly wide of the upright. It was his last taste of the action as he, Lewis Gordon and Luke Thomas were replaced by Finley, Josh Grant and new boy Vale who became the 997th player to make a league appearance for Rovers.
Marquis almost increased the lead on 68 minutes but saw his shot cleared off the line by Lucas Ness. Five minutes later the home side equalised though substitute Daniel Kanu, who fired home after being played in by Karoy Anderson.
Vale almost made it a goalscoring debut, but with eight minutes remaining he miscued his shot on goal and his tame effort was cleared.
With a minute of normal time remaining Charlton almost added a second goal when May rattled the upright with Cox beaten but, fortunately, Panutche Camara was not able to reach the rebound.
Rovers substitute Luke McCormick then scored the winner, in the eighth of seven added minutes! And when he was played in by Grant Ward, he chested the ball down before rifling his shot past Maynard-Brewer who might have dealt with the shot better than he did, but who cares!
McCormick raced to the bench to celebrate with Barton and every other player and staff member joined in. as soon as the game restarted, referee Charles Breakspear called time and the celebrations began all over again!
Charlton Athletic: Maynard-Brewer, Asiimwe, Jones (Hector, 77), Ness, Edun (Thomas, 84), Dobson, Payne (Kanu, 65), Anderson (Taylor, 77), Camara, Blackett-Taylor, May.
Substitutes: Kirk, McGrandlees, Isted.
Bristol Rovers: Cox, Hoole, Taylor, Crama, Gordon (Grant, 65), Evans (Loft, 83), Ward, Thomas (Vale, 65), Collins, Sinclair (Finley, 65), Marquis (McCormick, 89).
Substitutes: Hall, Connolly.
It’s a fact
No former Rovers players attached to opposition
Skipper: Marquis then Finley
Yellow cards: Marquis, Grant
League debut: Vale
Number of substitutes used: Five
Time added on: Eight minutes
Time added on: Cumulative time added (league): 31 minutes
Cumulative time added on (cups): six minutes
League Position: 9th
The Abbey Stadium Saturday 19th August 2023
Cambridge United 2
Okenabirhie (79), Kaikai (90 + 6)
Bristol Rovers 0
Referee: John Busby
Attendance: 6,390 Away fans: 811
The pre match entertainment at the Abbey Stadium may not have been planned, but it was quite funny to this Rovers fan at least!
Having worked out that it was United’s 2000th Football League match, Cambridge decided to celebrate the occasion with a brass band playing out on the pitch and they duly set up on the halfway line on a sunny, blustery, afternoon.
Halfway through their first number the groundsman, obviously not a brass band fan, turned on the sprinklers and, with the wind blowing down the pitch, several band members received a pretty good soaking.
The conductor, though, escaped a shower and, as his band finished their final number he turned to face the fans in the stand and gave an exaggerated bow (think Meghan Markle and her explanation of a curtsey!) and made his way off the pitch closely followed by his bedraggled band members!
On to the football and manager Joe Barton made just the one change, bringing in skipper Sam Finley for Scott Sinclair as his team looked to extend their unbeaten start to the season.
There was also a change on the bench where Lamare Bogarde, back for a second spell on loan from Aston Villa, took his place at the expense of James Connolly.
There was an early scare for Rovers when skipper Finley gave the ball away in the middle of the park to set Jack Lankester in on goal. However, the Cambridge man saw his angled drive comfortably dealt with by Matt Cox.
Elias Kachunga’s header was also saved by Cox and it wasn’t until the 21st minute that Rovers threatened for the first time in the game when John Marquis intercepted a back pass by Liam Bennett and although he was able to pull the ball back across the face of goal there was no one in a blue shirt to convert what would have been a simple chance.
George Thomas saw his effort saved by Cox in what was, in all honesty, a lacklustre performance by both sides and it remained all square at the break.
Early in the second half Liam Bennett blazed a shot over the bar while Aaron Collins had an opportunity to give Rovers the lead. Under pressure from Ryan Bennett, though, last season’s top scorer fired his shot straight at goalkeeper Jack Stevens.
The home side made the vital breakthrough with 11 minutes of the game remaining when substitute Fejiri Okenabhirie curled a shot beyond the dive of Cox and saw the ball nestle in the corner of the net.
Bogarde, on in place of Finley, almost equalised with five minutes to go but he was denied by a fine save from Stevens.
In the sixth minute of added time another United substitute, Sullay Kaikai, made sure of the win for his side when, following a swift counter attack he was on hand to tap the ball home from close range.
Rovers, whose form in their opening three league games, had promised so much were unable to cope with a side that sat back and hit them on the counter. They seemed unsure what to do with so much possession, but they will need to learn very quickly if they are to be considered serious contenders for a top six placing come the end of the season.
Cambridge United: Stevens, Bennett (L), Bennett (R), Morrison, Andrew (Dunk, 74), Digby, Thomas, Brophy, Lankester (Rossi, 90 + 5), Kachunga (Kaikai, 63), Ahadme (Okenabirhie, 74).
Substitutes: Holden, Okedina, Simper.
Bristol Rovers: Cox, Hoole, Taylor, Crama, Gordon (Vale, 83), Finley (Bogarde, 83), Ward, Evans (Sinclair, 60), Collins (McCormick, 71), Thomas, Marquis (Loft, 60).
Substitutes: Hall, Grant.
It’s a fact
No former Rovers players attached to opposition
Skipper: Finley then Ward
Yellow cards: Taylor, Evans, Hoole
Number of substitutes used: Five
Time added on: Seven minutes
Time added on: Cumulative time added (league): 38 minutes
Cumulative time added on: (cups): Six minutes
League Position: 14th
The Memorial Stadium Saturday 26th August 2023
Bristol Rovers 1
Vale (84)
Wycombe Wanderers 2
Low (20), McCleary (74)
Referee: Lee Swabey
Attendance: 7,951 Away fans: 329
In what this writer saw as a statement of intent, manager Joe Barton made five changes to his starting XI for this game against Wycombe Wanderers.
Making their league debuts for the club were Jack Hunt and George Friend while the three players recalled were James Wilson, Scott Sinclair and Jevani Brown. Making way for that quintet were Luca Hoole, Connor Taylor, Lewis Gordon, Antony Evans and John Marquis.
The team selection must have confirmed, for one or two players at least, that their immediate future lies elsewhere though it was a surprise not to see either Hoole or Gordon on the bench.
Former Rovers players Luke Leahy and Brandon Hanlan were in the Wycombe squad, as was Joe Low, son of former Rovers player Josh.
Rovers enjoyed a great deal of early possession and the combinations of Friend and Sinclair down the left and Hunt and Luke Thomas down the right looked promising.
Barton’s side, though, didn’t trouble visiting keeper Max Stryjek while they were on top and fell behind in the 20th minute as the visitors entered enemy territory for almost the first time in the match. Friend was penalised for a foul and the resulting free kick, taken by Leahy out on the right, saw Low head home.
An ill advised, and exuberant, celebration in front of the Blackthorn End resulted in a yellow card for the Wycombe defender.
The goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of Rovers and they didn’t really play their way back into the game until the latter stages of the half.
Brown, who had already fired one shot over the Wycombe crossbar, repeated the feat with seven minutes of the half remaining but went closer with a drive from a tight angle just a minute before the break, and saw his effort hit the post.
Seven minutes into the second half Matt Cox was called into action to touch a Leahy volley over the bar and shortly afterwards the keeper made another smart save from the same player, this time touching his low shot round the post.
Garath McCleary, on as a substitute for Killian Phillips, hit a low shot towards goal but saw it blocked by a packed home defence.
Former Rovers striker Hanlan entered the fray in the 70th minute and was immediately in the thick of the action. He fired a shot into the side netting shortly after his introduction and then saw another shot saved by Cox with his legs.
The former Rovers man was involved in the second goal for the visitors when he played in fellow substitute McCleary who comfortably beat Cox to double the lead.
The goal appeared to spur Rovers into action at last and substitute Harvey Vale, who had been on the pitch for just seven minutes, scored his first Rovers goal when he turned home Tristan Crama’s ball into the box.
There was almost a dramatic equaliser during the ten minutes of added time but Crama’s goalbound effort was blocked by Wycombe goalscorer Low, ensuring that Rovers’ wait for a third home win of the calendar year continues.
Bristol Rovers: Cox, Hunt (Vale, 77), Wilson, Crama, Friend (Grant, 64), Sinclair (Marquis, 65), Finley (Evans, 77), Ward (Bogarde, 65), Thomas, Collins, Brown.
Substitutes: Taylor, Hall
Wycombe Wanderers: Stryjek, Farino, Low, Tafazolli (Keogh, 50), Vincent-Young, Scowen, Phiilips (McCleary, 50), Leahy, Boyes (McCarthy, 81), Vokes (Potts, 71), Taylor (Hanlan, 70).
Substitutes: Breckin, Shala.
It’s a fact
Former Rovers player Luke Leahy started for Wycombe and Brandon Hanlan came on as a substitute
Skipper: Finley then Evans
Yellow cards: Friend, Wilson, Hunt, Bogarde
League Debuts: Friend and Hunt
Number of substitutes used: Five
Time added on: 13 minutes
Time added on: Cumulative time added (league): 51 minutes
Cumulative time added on: (cups): Six minutes
League Position: 17th