Another large contingent of travelling ‘Gas’ left Gigg Lane feeling a little bemused when we should have been ‘over the moon’ with a first League victory of the new campaign. Those two very late goals definitely took the shine off what had been Rovers’ best performance on the road for a very long time. We completely dominated the game with a great attacking display and should have been ‘oiut of sight’ by half time.
A string of near misses and, it must be said, a brilliant series of saves by the Bury ‘keeper looked like it might continue in the second period but, thanks to the unusual sight of a headed goal, especially one by our young skipper followed by yet another from the prolific Billy Bodin and the ground suddenly emptied of home fans – I have never seen such a mass exodus before. Billy then capped it off with a well-placed third and Rovers were coasting. Unfortunately the ‘Shakers’ must have sensed that and struck twice to set up a completely un-necessarilly ‘hairy’ last couple of minutes along with a return to the stands of a few optimistic, if fickle, home supporters!
A win is a win and I certainly don’t want to decry what had hitherto been such a brilliant performance but a repeat of those last few minutes will almost certainly prove very costly against this afternoon’s opponents who have made the most perfect of starts to date – maximum points and not a single goal conceded. Rovers clearly have the fire-power to unlock any rearguard but any defensive frailties are sure to be exposed by the ‘Cod Army’ in their current form. Get behind the boys in blue and perhaps the Pirates can plunder the first points of the season from the Fleetwood trawlermen!
Jim Chappell.