Early goals from Deon Moore and Kyle Bennett put the visitors ahead, but the Gas had to survive a scare from Yate Town, as Jordi van Stappershoef saved a penalty, and Nick Peare got a goal back.
After weathering a Yate Town storm, Tom Nichols provided a brilliant strike to reaffirm the Gas’ dominance in the game before half time. Following myriad changes at the break to give plenty of players game time, Ollie Clarke, Alex Rodman, Gavin Reilly, and Bernard Mensah added to Rovers’ tally, with the Gas running out 10-1 winners.
Yate Town were not phased by their early error, and earnt an opening just before the 10th minute, as Adam Kamara found himself in space from some distance out. He lashed a shot on goal, but it lacked power, and Jordi Van Stappershoef collected comfortably.
On the 12th minute, it was Rovers who broke the deadlock as Kyle Bennett used some tricky footwork to shake his man, before stroking a beautiful ball towards the six-yard box. Deon Moore popped up on the end of the cross, and without hesitation, smashed the ball into the goal from close range.
A clever corner from the left created an opportunity from Liam Sercombe in the 15th minute, as Ben Morgan played him in after a short corner. Sercombe took a touch but lashed his effort high and wide.
Moments later, a thunderous effort by Yate Town’s Mayson Evans had van Stappershoef worried, as it deflected off a Rovers defender and bounced just wide of the Dutchman’s right post.
In the 17th minute, Kyle Bennett was once again at the heart of a Rovers goal, as he picked the ball up in the center of the park before ghosting past numerous Yate Town players with brilliant trickery. He arrived into the box whilst still being hassled by defenders and stroked the ball past the keeper with his right foot.
Inches separated Liam Sercombe from scoring the Gas’ 3rd of the game on the 21st minute, as he laced a shot on goal from the edge of the area. The keeper got to it but made a meal of the save, and almost watched it bobble into the net, before scrambling to it and palming the ball away.
Seconds later, Yate Town’s Adam Forster was in action again, as a loose ball set Tom Nichols through. Forster made a fantastic save from close range to deny Nichols, who managed to get a touch on the rebound but knocked it wide.
In an action-packed few minutes, Yate Town then found themselves stepping up to the penalty spot, as Jordi van Stappershoef brought down a striker, leaving the referee no option but to point to the spot. However, van Stappershoef redeemed himself, getting down well and palming the penalty past his right post.
Yate Town reacted brilliantly after a short drinks break on the 28th minute and managed to grab a goal as Nick Peare rose well to cushioned an inviting Jack Lee cross into the top left corner of the goal, leaving van Stappershoef with no chance.
Rovers worked their way back into the game after Yate Town’s goal, with Tom Nichols moving well to create an opening for the next opportunity. He dropped deep to collect the ball on the 32nd minute before turning and curling a ball towards the far post. Adam Forster in Yate Town’s net was left stranded but watched the ball go wide, just shy of the left post.
If it wasn’t for van Stappershoef, Yate Town would have almost certainly equalized on the 37th minute as Jack Lee glanced a header towards the roof of the goal. However, not to be outdone, van Stappershoef showed brilliant acrobatics to leap to the ball and tip it over.
Once Rovers regained possession, they raced down the other end of the pitch through Sercombe, who turned away from goal inside Yate Town’s box, playing the ball back to Nichols. Learning from his earlier shot, Nichols opted the blast the ball from the edge of the area, hitting an arrowing shot towards the top right, giving the keeper no chance, making it 3-1 in advance of half time.
After the restart, it took just two minutes for the new club captain Ollie Clarke to grab a goal, as he stole the ball from Sam Kamara around 20 yards out before lacing it with his right foot into the bottom left corner, a superb finish.
The game calmed shortly after Clarke’s strike, with the next big chance falling on the 55th minute, as Bernard Mensah stroked an inviting low ball across the six-yard box from the left side. Alex Rodman arrived on the far side to drill the ball home to make it 5-1.
Just before the hour mark, the Gas made it six, as Lucas Tomlinson played a perfectly weighted ball through Yate Town’s ranks. Gavin Reilly sprinted to the ball to get a vital touch past the onrushing keeper, before calmly placing the ball in the open net. Shortly after the goal, Rovers made their 11th and final change, as Alexis Andre-Jr replaced van Stappershoef in goal.
Gavin Reilly added a second to his total and a 7th to the Gas’ on the 63rd minute, as Rodman whipped a superb cross in from the right-hand side. Mensah rose well alongside the competing defenders to knock it down to Gavin Reilly who powered a header past the keeper.
Reilly almost had his hat-trick on the 66th minute as Rodman whipped another brilliant ball in, this time from the left-hand side. Reilly lept brilliantly to make it but placed the header just over the bar.
Just a minute later, Reilly managed to complete his hat-trick, as he hit a strike low and hard past the keeper from the edge of the area, making it 8-1.
On the 74th minute, following a short drinks break, Reilly turned provider as he pounced on a brilliant through ball to hit a low cross through the 6-yard area. The outstretch Tomlinson couldn’t quite make it, but Mensah arrived even later at the back stick to poke it home.
With 8 minutes to go, Ollie Clarke dispatched a second brilliant strike. Collecting the ball towards the left-hand side around 25 yards out, and smashing a beautiful effort that climbed perfectly into the top right corner to put Rovers into double figures.
A superb solo run on the 87th minute from Tomlinson almost results in the 4th goal for Reilly, as Tomlinson beats two men deep in the opponents half before playing Reilly in. However, his touch takes him too close to the keeper, and Forster in the Yate Town net is able to knock it wide to keep it 10-1.
Rovers XI 1st Half: Jordi Van Stappershoef, Mark Little, Alfie Kilgour, Tony Craig, Ben Morgan, Tom Mehew, Cameron Hargreaves, Liam Sercombe, Kyle Bennett, Deon Moore, Tom Nichols.
Rovers XI 2nd Half: Jordi Van Stappershoef, Josh Hare, Tom Davies, Rollin Manayese, Luca Hoole, Luke Russe, Ollie Clarke, Lucas Tomlinson, Bernard Mensah, Alex Rodman, Gavin Reilly.
Yate Town FC: Adam Forster, Mayson Evans, Elliot Keightley, Nick Peare (C), Josh Ford, Sam Boulton, Adam Price, Sam Kamara, Olly Mehew, Jake Lee, Nick Humphreys.
Attendance: 1’100