Today’s column had to be written last Monday before Rovers latest trip in the Checkatrade Trophy to the Liberty Stadium at Swansea where the home club’s Under-21s provided another opportunity for us to get a win on the board. Just what sort of team either club put out in this thoroughly devalued competition is anyone’s guess but let’s hope we had some success there because wins remain in very short supply in the Football League at the present time.
The latest failure was a costly one as it came here against fellow strugglers Gillingham who scored with both their only two strikes at goal all night and we lost ‘keeper Jack Bonham with a mystery injury to heap more pressure on to the players. In fairness Rovers responded to the second ‘Gill’s goal with perhaps our best spell of attacking football all season with ‘Man-of.the-Match’ Liam Sercombe putting the Kentish men to the sword in the last half-hour or so. As well as scoring a brilliant free-kick Liam had a couple of shots cleared off the line before striking the foot of the post with a thunderous last-minute drive to almost cap a virtuoso performance with a deserved equaliser. Unfortunately it was frustratingly all just too little too late and we now face an uphill battle against a more upwardly mobile Rovers this afternoon with a visit from old rivals Doncaster who will be gunning for points to improve their play-off prospects.
That is not to say that all is lost and with the sort of fantastic backing the ‘Gas’ gave to the team on that wet Tuesday night, despite the scoreline and several weeks of frustration and disappointment, there must always be hope of an upset in League form. How we could do with an early goal today but, even without, I know our fans will give the boys in blue every opportunity as long as the effort is there and so far the players have certainly been trying. Goals win games as Darrell always says so let’s hope we get a couple this afternoon!
Up the Pirates!
Jim Chappell.