Rovers were promoted to League One on this day in 2007 after a 3-1 win against Shrewsbury Town in the League Two Play Off Final at Wembley. The win was achieved courtesy of two superb Richard Walker goals and a last minute effort from Sammy Igoe; all this after Stuart Drummond had given the Shrews a third minute lead.
Drummond’s goal came from a glancing header after he met Neil Ashton’s free kick and although Steve Phillips managed to get a touch on it, the ball ended up in the back of the net.
Rovers were back on level terms after 21 minutes. Ryan Green played the ball inside to Craig Disley and continued his run down the right. When the return pass came he got to the byeline and crossed to the near post where Walker hit the ball past goalkeeper Chris Mackenzie with his left foot.
With 35 minutes on the clock Walker struck again with what probably ranks as his best ever goal in a Rovers shirt. Running into space on the left, he saw Mackenzie advance off his line and clipped the ball over the keeper’s head and into the far corner of the net.
Shrewsbury came back into the game after the break and only some resolute defending by Rovers kept them at bay. They were reduced to ten men with a minute not go when Marc Tierney saw red after a challenge on Stuart Campbell and then Rovers scored a dramatic late goal.
In the final minute of the game the Shrews were awarded a corner and every one of their players, including Mackenzie, went up for it. However, the ball was cleared as far as Igoe who was deep inside his own half. The diminutive midfielder set off for the unguarded Shrewsbury goal with opposition players in hot pursuit and as they closed in on him Igoe summoned up enough strength to shoot. As the ball rolled agonisingly towards the empty net it looked as though Kelvin Langmead would get back to clear. Time seemed to stand still for a moment but as the ball finally crossed the line and the 40.000 Gasheads in the crowd of 61,589 roared their approval after seeing their team escape from the League’s basement division.
Paul Trollope had this to say after the game; ‘When I took over as caretaker manager and then went on to work with Lennie Lawrence, I said I was very proud. There aren’t many bigger clubs in the lower divisions and we are really pleased to get some success.’
Rovers: Phillips, Green (R), Anthony, Elliott, Carruthers, Igoe, Campbell, Disley, Haldane (Rigg, 65), Walker, Lambert.
Substitutes: Sandell, Lines, Lescott, Green (M)
Keith Brookman