THE GAME
On a day when football remembered those killed in conflict, Rovers performance was much better, of that there’s no doubt, but it wasn’t enough to prevent them from slipping to a fifth consecutive league defeat as Gillingham secured all three points thanks to an outstanding strike by Max Clark.
Darrell Clarke named an unchanged starting XI for this game, while the visitors welcomed their manager, Gareth Ainsworth, back into the fold following his recent heart surgery. Ainsworth wasn’t in the dugout, though, and watched proceedings from the gantry in the West Stand.
Rovers enjoyed a great deal of early possession and forced six corners in the opening 20 minutes and both Joel Cotterill and Alfie Chang saw goalbound attempts blocked by the massed ranks of the Gillingham defence.
Fabrizio Cavegn saw an effort saved by goalkeeper Jake Turner shortly before Gillingham were awarded a penalty following their first corner of the game. When the delivery came in from the right, there was obviously a lot of pushing and shoving and striker Josh Andrews went to ground.
That was enough for referee Alan Young to put whistle to mouth and point to the penalty spot, though from up in the stands it looked a ridiculously soft decision.
Clark took the resulting spot kick and blasted it down the middle, presumably expecting Luke Southwood to dive to his right or to his left. However, the keeper stood his ground and comfortably beat the effort away thus completing his second penalty save of the season.
Rovers should really have taken the lead not long afterwards as Shaq Forde, who impressed down the right, lifted a cross to the back post where Stephan Negru, on his home league debut, somehow managed to lift the ball over the bar from three yards out.
Gillingham scored the only goal of the game nine minutes into the second half when Rovers failed to cut out a cross from the right. As the ball came into the box, Negru’s headed clearance reached the unmarked Clark who struck a superb shot into the top corner of the net giving Southwood no chance of saving.
As Rovers hit back, Chang saw one shot saved by Turner and another drift just past the post and in time added on two of Clarke’s substitutes went close to equalising. Kamil Conteh thumped a header against the bar and Freddie Issaka saw his attempt blocked on the line.
Time ran out, though, and Rovers now face two league games on the road following a Vertu Trophy game against Plymouth Argyle, when putting points on the board is a must.
WHAT WAS SAID
‘I thought the performance was, at times, decent, but we don’t want hard luck stories. We have to be better in the final third. We dominated large parts of the game and we have to be better with our forward thinking play at times, to create more opportunities although we did create enough to score a few goals today.
‘We didn’t take them, though, and as I said to my players , there’s 25% more I’ve got to come from my forward thinking players, end of, because I thought the build up was good, we controlled the possession and then when we get to the final third I need players to be firing a lot better than we are.
‘When you play games like that it’s about putting the ball in the back of the net, which we aren’t doing. We aren’t getting enough, at the moment, out of those players and we need to be working on them. I need to get them positive, which I will do.’ Rovers Head Coach Darrell Clarke
‘It was lovely to walk out with my daughter and on the remembrance game as well, which is obviously nice. I had the family here, a lot of support and walking out with my daughter was a bit of a surreal moment for me. I was a little bit emotional with that, and it meant a lot.
‘It was a game that I think we dominated, and you should have heard them in the changing room after the game, it was like they won the league. So, I think that pretty much sums the game up. So, fair play to them, one nil away from home, you’ve got to hold your hands up. He [Clark] has put a worldie in the top corner, fair play to him, but I think if we replay that game ten times, we probably win it eight or nine. So, it’s just one of those days. We probably have to be a little bit more clinical in the final third, have a little bit more quality, have more patterns and nous and how we are going to open them up and what chances we are going to create.
‘I hate losing, it’s as simple as that. But if you do lose, there is a way to lose, and I think that was probably shown today, and I think the fans felt that the way we were clapped off at the end. Bristol Rovers fans are no mugs; they know when you’re trying to pull the wool over their eyes or when you’re actually willing to run and fight and die for the team, and I think you saw that today.’ Rovers defender Tom Lockyer
‘I’m really, really, proud. I had an emotional moment in the gantry there, because being back is a big thing for me. Those boys in the dugout, Dobbo [Richard Dobson] and all the crew and staff, that’s for them that win, because they have stepped up when I have not been there, and they have had it rough. They have had decisions go against them and some performances that we should have won, and that one today, I think they deserved it.
‘I am so glad that they experienced that in front of the fans, who were immense. I had a really nice moment with them, where they all started waving to me at one stage. I think that they picked me out, and that’s amazing. This Football Club is truly, truly special. I am really proud of the boys today, because they have given absolutely everything.
‘You might look at the shots against or the crosses and entries into our box and look at how many Bristol Rovers had and how many we had, and think, how did Gillingham win that game? I will tell you how we won that game: the running, the tackling, the sheer defiance of blocks and headers, and a willingness to be together, like I needed them today. Then the fabulous save from Jake Turner at the end, which epitomised everything. I am so, so proud of these boys. They never stopped running.’ Gillingham Manager Gareth Ainsworth
