Plymouth Down Rovers In Christmas Cracker

After 45 minutes of Bristol Rovers' Boxing Day clash with Plymouth Argyle, boss Paul Buckle was at the head of the table for Christmas dinner. By the time it was over, he was the proverbial turkey.

The air of positivity that had swept over the Memorial Stadium following a half of football that saw the home side deservedly lead 2-0 was refreshing for the beleaguered manager, whose side had not won in five league games. The two goals Argyle had scored after 79 minutes meant the green army finally had the Christmas cheer that has been such a long time coming, the stoppage-time winner wrapping up the relegation battler's perfect present.

The seasonal good will was not extended to the under-fire Rovers boss, who was jeered off the pitch by the frustrated locals growing increasingly weary of their supposed promotion push being thrown to the dogs in post-dinner scraps.

The bad feeling towards Buckle has been reinforced by his egotistical nature; club legend Stuart Campbell agreed to a contract termination last week, after the pair played out a war of words through the local press - striker Jo Kuffour has also been shown the door during the opening months of 41 year old's turbulent reign.

The result resurfaced uncomfortable memories for the Rovers faithful. In the opening week of 2011 the Pilgrims visited Bristol, finding themselves 2-0 down after just 11 minutes, but three second half goals sent the Greens home with the points. Only one of the Argyle players from that game took to the pitch on Monday, yet the end result was just the same.

With the first half an even affair, Rovers made the first great opening of the game, Andy Dorman's header forcing Jake Cole into an athletic save, pushing the ball onto the woodwork to keep the game level.

He had little chance to keep out the opener, however, the Pirates' top scorer Matt Harrold converting the penalty he won after a trip from Onismor Bhasera.

Harrold's second, his tenth of the season, completed a two minute double-salvo, Joe Anyinsah's tinsel-toes evading Bhasera's challenge before his cross found the well-travelled striker. Rovers were making it a blue and white Christmas.

As home supporters wandered off for a half-time pasty, they were looking upwards - towards seventeenth place, no less. Argyle, meanwhile, were left at the foot of the table; a quirk of the day's results leaving them in that position, thanks to Dagenham's 3-0 win over Barnet.

The full effects of the previous days Christmas lunches appeared to take it's toll on the Rovers' players as the second half commenced, Plymouth clawing a goal back through Warren Feeney. The Northern Irishman forced the ball past Scott Bevan after Nick Chadwick had knocked down Ashley Hemmings corner in the 52nd minute.

Andy Dorman's volley was thwarted by Cole at one end, before Chris Zebroski was forced to clear off the line at the other. Though before long, the Pilgrims got the equaliser their efforts, or Rovers' lack of, deserved.

Plymouth's momentum was pegging back the home team into their final third, the pressure only relenting when Chadwick shrugged off Eliot Richards and struck a fierce drive past Bevan to level the scores.

The Greens were carving Rovers apart and, with the home side wilting with fatigue, any joy was destined to head to Devon.

Bevan's sharp reactions kept a Chadwick header from flying under the crossbar but, soon enough, the former Torquay stopper's mark out of ten went down the chimney. A poor clearance found the grateful feet of Hemmings, whose pace allowed him to go one-on-one with the lanky goalkeeper, his cool finish defying the Wolves loanee's lack of senior experience.

The rapturous scenes in the away end continued right up until the final whistle; the Plymouth entourage driving home for Christmas with all three points. The Rovers faithful hoping the only trip Paul Buckle was taking went straight to the North Pole.

Campbell's On His Way Out, But Buckle's Going Nowhere

The season of good will has proved less so for Stuart Campbell - and it looks as though it will go the same direction for Paul Buckle.

Campbell's unceremonial departure from the Memorial Stadium has been on the cards for weeks, the saga finally coming to an end on Tuesday with the announcement that the midfielder had agreed mutual terms to cancel his contract.

Shocked supporters have raged at Buckle's decision to let the ever-popular Campbell leave, his status at the club far outwaying the fans view of the underperforming manager.

But however much Buckle remains unpopular, it seems that he is here for the long haul.

After five managers in the space of six months the club needed stability and, for better or for worse, that is what Nick Higgs is going to provide with his backing of the under fire boss, even if it means letting a living legend pass through the exit door.

Campbell's seven and a half years at the club have been filled with pride; a leader on the pitch who helped the club to two major finals in 2007 and an FA Cup quarter-final a year later. A complete professional who never gave less than 100% and stepped into the breach in a last ditch attempt to prevent relegation last year.

For the past two seasons there have been question marks over his ability to maintain a regular starting place, a view that was shared by Buckle, though not so by Campbell himself.

His wishes to extend his playing career at the club were rebuffed by the former Torquay boss, who claimed to have received an ultimatum from the players agent, details made public after the pair took part in a slanging match via the Bristol Evening Post.

Since taking the helm at the Memorial Stadium the 41 year old manager has had a track record of falling out with his playing staff. Jo Kuffour was shipped out on loan to Gillingham, his story of the events that preceded his departure differing from the details given by Buckle, Craig Stanley also had a reported falling out with the boss, whose popularity with the local media is also in a trough.

Whatever Campbell's reasons were for taking the matter into the public domain, taking on an ego the size of his new gaffers was never going to end with a win in his column. The majority of fans may have backed Campbell throughout the saga, but Higgs was never going allow the midfielder to upstage the manager.

In any walk of life, having a dissenter amongst the ranks will cause nothing but trouble; Campbell made clear that he was going to be a thorn in the managers side. With the chairman having bankrolled an overhaul of the squad in the summer, the release of Campbell was inevitable.

To this point, there have been 19 signings made either permanently or on loan, and the chairman has hinted that further ins and outs will occur over the January period, so, complete disaster aside, it looks as though Buckle will have at least another six weeks in the Rovers dugout.

Gasheads will look at the situation as the dark side winning over the good, but there is no immediate change on the horizon.

Paul Buckle may not have such a merry Christmas, but he will hope for a happy New Year.

Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Hereford United: Chadwick Pen Earns Pilgrims A Point

Two late red cards marred a feisty relegation tussle between Plymouth Argyle and Hereford United, Nick Chadwick's late penalty rescuing a point for the Greens at Home Park.

The point keeps Argyle off the bottom of the table, though gaffer Carl Fletcher felt a more consistent performance could have resulted in three points.

"At times, in the first half, we were okay; at times we weren't. In the second half, we weren't and then we were. So it was up and down.

"Overall, I'm disappointed we didn't win at home because we want to win every home game we play but it's another big case that we didn't lose today.

"After going a goal behind, we came back well and possibly could have won, but, in terms of what we're looking at and what we want, it wasn't fully there."

The opening period was a largely drab affair, Chadwick forced Bulls stopper Adam Bartlett into a fine save early on, Yoann Arquin's spectacular scissor kick flashing inches wide for Hereford.

Durrell Berry looked on in horror after he sliced Delroy Facey's centre towards his own goal, the crossbar sparing the 19 year old's blushes.

67 minutes in, however, the travelling support did have something to cheer. Harry Pell found yards of space in the final third and burst into the penalty area, cutting the ball back for on loan Blackpool winger Tom Barkhuizen to give United the lead.

The Pilgrims were fighting hard for a way back into the game and were rewarded when Nicky Featherstone clattered substitute Warren Feeney in the area, former Bull Chadwick converting the 81st minute penalty.

Michael Townseend's crass fould ended Ashley Hemmings forthright run, earning the defender a second yellow card.

Feeney had two late opportunites to snatch the full quotient of points for the home side; initially forcing Adam Bartlett into an outstanding full-stretched save before sending a swivelling volley into the Green Army behind the goal.

Darren Purse still found the time to receive Argyle's ninth red card of the season after a dreadfully mistimed slide on Nathan Elder, though the 26 year old's breakdancing antics made the challenge look worse than it actually was.
Hereford boss Jamie Pitman left with his frustration increased following the low points return his side have garnered from their last few games, despite positive displays.

"We go into every game wanting to win it but obviously it was a big game given where both teams are in the league.

"Our last three performances previous to this one have not given us the rewards we have probably deserved.

"Today was another such case. To be fair to them, they have had a few chances but I think we were good value for the win."

On Song Gills Leave Rovers Crooning

Danny Kedwell netted two goals from the penalty spot as Gillingham continued their fine run of form, storming to a 4-1 win over Bristol Rovers at MEMS Priestfield Stadium.

Andy Hessenthaler's side remain unbeaten in all of their eight games since the end of October, a sequence that has propelled the Kent side into the final League 2 play-off place and set up a third round FA Cup tie with Stoke.

The Gill's boss was pleased with the performance of his players in the emphatic win.

"I'm very happy, it was a good performance," Hessenthaler told the media. "We had tempo, desire and set the tone to get the crowd behind us.

"We thoroughly deserved to win the game, I'm absolutely delighted and once their lad got sent off we just saw the game out.

"We plugged away, and although it was a bit disruptive with [Andy] Frampton going off we tried to play in the right way and got the second goal at the right time."

Little over seven minutes in Lewis Montrose opened the scoring, nodding in Danny Jackman's left-wing cross with no Rovers defender in sight.

Joe Anyinsah tangled with Montrose, felling the midfielder in the area, setting Kedwell the task of doubling Gillingham's advantage.

Mustapha Carayol produced a neat finish to give the Pirates a fighting chance, but Jackson drove past the ball between Scott Bevan and his near post to restore the two goal cushion.

Cian Bolger swiped away Curtis Weston's legs with a quarter of an hour to go, earning himself a straight red card and allowing former Wimbledon striker Kedwell to slot home his sixth spot kick of the season.

Visiting manager Paul Buckle came out with a surprisingly positive outlook on Rovers' display, questioning referee Oli Langford's decision making throughout the heavy defeat.

"They had one goal for their troubles in the first half and then we had a penalty decision go against us which saw them double their advantage. I really don't think that one should have been awarded.

"That changed the game, because it gave them a two goal advantage. In the second half we came out and scored a great goal and we were on top, massively on top, at that stage of the game.

"However decisions change games and I don't think anything went for the players today and I'm bitterly disappointed for the team."

British Badminton Is Mixing It Up

Just when it looked as though British badminton was going nowhere, two bright sparks reignited hopes of a home medal at the London Olympics.

Since the sport was promoted from an exhibition event to a fully-fledged member of the Olympic family in 1992, Britain has won just two medals, one silver and one bronze. The powerhouses of the game lie in Asia - China, Malaysia and Korea just three of the nations that dominate the international scene - leaving Britain as a fairly minor country, left to plough the fields of the Badminton World Federation’s third and fourth tier Grand Prix events for titles.

The BWF Super Series, launched at the beginning of the 2007 season, has seen only a single event end up in British hands; that was Anthony Clark and Nathan Robertson at the 2009 Singapore Open. Last year’s Commonwealth games witnessed a new low for the sport, as no gold medals were placed around British necks for the first time since the sport was inaugurated into its fold.

So where does this tale of woe change? August came around with little under a year to go until the opening of the London Olympics and test events in full flow as part of the preparations. The BWF decided to hold the 2011 World Championships at Wembley Arena to feature in the test calendar, hoping to win the hearts and minds of British fans in the process.

The remotest chance of a medal was with the English mixed doubles pair of Robertson and Jenny Wallwork, the top ranked of any Britons over the entirety of the five events. Robertson has long been one of the faces of English badminton, rising to prominence during the 2004 Olympics in Athens, where he claimed a silver medal with Gail Emms in the mixed, garnering the sport a lot of media attention and a new found audience. He his previous partner also managed to strike gold at the 2006 World Championships, England’s first in 23 years.

Unfortunately, Robertson and Wallwork were downed in the second round by an unseeded Malaysian pair. The remaining collection of assorted Brits fell by the wayside, leaving only the partnership of England’s Chris Adcock and Scotland’s Imogen Bankier in the round of 16, facing the task of Japanese 15^th seeds Shintaro Ikeda and Reiko Shiota for a place in the quarter-finals.

Burgeoning Talents

Adcock and Bankier first set foot on the Super Series tour towards the end of 2010 as a new pair, losing out at the second stage of the French Open. They followed up with a trio of tournament wins, taking the crowns in the Grand Prix Scottish, Irish and Italian International events at the close of the year, before taking up a regular spot in the travelling English team on the top rung of the international tour. Only once did they pass the first stage of any Super Series tournament, leaving their success at Wembley a shock to the badminton world.

They disposed of the Japanese in three games, before proceeding to delight the local support with a typically British story of underdogs come good. They eliminated fourth seeds Tao Jiaming and Tian Qing in the quarters, before sending Indonesian second seeds Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir out in straight games at the semi-final stage.

They fell at the final hurdle to the world number one pair of Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei from China, ending the tournament on somewhat of an anti-climax, though the initial disappointment soon turned into pride.

”It's hard to end the tournament on a loss when we've been on a high all week. But, when we reflect, we've produced some fantastic performances and had brilliant results against top 10 pairs," Bankier said to BBC Sport immediately after the final.

The Numbers Game

In the months since, Adcock and Bankier’s world ranking has risen from 18^th up to 12^th - they hit a high of 11^th – while the well-travelled Robertson and Wallwork have slipped from inside the top ten to 15^th, falling to a low of 20^th in early November.

As per Olympic qualifying rules, this means that it would be the younger pair who will clinch the British spot at the games come July, potentially leaving Robertson in a quandary. Prior to his top ranked status being usurped by the hungry Anglo-Scottish partnership, he had spoken to the media about his plans to retire after one last hurrah at London 2012, though he now appears to have a fight on his hands.

In doubles competition only 16 pairs will make it to the showpiece event at the games, but two teams from the same country can only qualify if they are both in the world’s top eight. This leaves the top two British partnerships with a shootout for the place, assuming they aren’t overtaken by another couple looking for a break.

Scotsman Robert Blair and Gabby White, ironically Adcock’s girlfriend, are back at 22^nd in the world, yet they had the opportunity to gain points that their rivals didn’t this week. Blair and White finished 7^th in this season’s Super Series rankings, qualifying them for the tour finals in Liuzhou, China – thanks in part to their appearance in the semi-finals of the Malaysian Open at the turn of the year, and the quarter-final they achieved at the China Masters.

The world rankings take the 10 best tournament results, based on the points received, and total them up to give a final place. Despite losing all three games at the Masters Finals, Blair and White took home a haul of 6050 points, replacing their first round exit at the Indonesian Open.

With a little bit of calculation, this takes them up to a year ending ranking of 15^th, the place currently occupied by Robertson and Wallwork, putting them straight back into the race for Olympic contention.

The Olympic qualification period finishes across all events on May 3^rd with the release of the BWF world rankings, it is likely that only then will we know identity the successful pair, if any, who make it to Wembley Arena.

The opportunity to capture the memories of a lifetime on the biggest stage of them all, and in front of a partisan home crowd, is there for the taking. Be it the first of many for Adcock and Bankier, or a swansong for Robertson, this is the chance to end years of hurt for British badminton.

Tip-Top Town Represent Tough Test For Rovers

Bristol Rovers will host and in form Swindon Town at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday in League 2, hoping to put to bed the shortcomings that see them languishing in the lower reaches of the fourth tier, though they will have to put in the performance of the season to overcome the rocking Robins.

The form

Both sides come into the game on the back of excellent FA Cup victories, Rovers thrashing non-league AFC Totton 6-1, while Swindon caused a minor upset, dumping League 1 Colchester out to set up a home tie against Premiership Wigan in the third round.

The Wiltshire side are currently on a 13 game unbeaten run, inclusive of the whole of October and November, the most impressive of those results coming in the FA Cup first round, where they dismembered League 1 high-flyers Huddersfield 4-1 at the County Ground.

This stunning form has seen Swindon rise from 11th up to a comfotable 6th in the League 2 standings, as well as guiding them to the area final of the Johnstones' Paint Trophy with victory over table topping Southend. They will clash with Barnet over two legs for a place in the Wembley showpiece, potentially their second final at the national stadium in three seasons.

42 goals in 26 all matches to this point in the season makes them a sizable threat, though the scoring duties have been shared around in recent games, Algerian striker Mehdi Kerrouche is the leading marksman with eight for the season.

The key men

Despite his goalscoring prowess Kerrouche has started just one of Town's last five games, being substituted after just 26 minutes of the cup game at Colchester, as well as receiving some constructive criticism from his manager this week. Raffaele De Vita and Alan Connell have worked in rotation up front along with Birmingham loanee Jake Jervis.

A one time Rovers target under Paul Trollope's management, Jervis possesses a fine physique, standing at 6'3", while also being fleet of foot with the turf ahead of him. The additional tricky feet make the 20 year old a potent threat to any defence in League 2.

Joining at the back end of September means that only one of Jervis' 11 appearances has been on the losing side - that was his debut game away at Macclesfield - the four goals he has bagged in that time displaying his burgeoning talent.

If Rovers are able to keep Jervis and the rest of Swindon's dangermen at bay, then they will have to work their way past towering centre back Aden Flint to take the win.

The lanky defender, signed for an undisclosed fee from Alfreton Town at the turn of the year, has been a rock in the Robins defensive line, dominating the aerial duties when is called upon, leaving Paul Buckle with a tactical weight on his mind come match day.

The gaffer

If you don't know about the latest rider on Swindon's managerial roundabout, which rock have you been hiding under; the focal point for much of the media's coverage of Town this season has been ever-controversial boss Paolo Di Canio.

The County Ground hot seat is the Italian's first job in football management and, after battling through a rocky start, he seems to be coming good. Di Canio has produced a multinational squad containing Spaniards, Italians, an Algerian and even a Namibian, a rare sight in the British dominated bottom rung of the Football League.

The continental approach instilled into his squad is paying dividends, the Reds now playing an attractive brand of slick, passing football, the pace of the forwards and widemen a menace to opposing defences.

In-keeping with the former West Ham striker's character, there have been differences with players, the touchline dispute with Leon Clarke was well publicised at the time, and it is fair to say that opposing fans have centred their attention on Di Canio, often taking pressure away from his team inadvertently.

The history

The close proximity of the two clubs, both in terms of locale and league positions, has created a simmering rivalry, never more apparent than in recent seasons.

Every year since Swindon became the first Premier League era side to be relegated to the basement division, they and Rovers have met in league fixtures. Rickie Lambert scored a scorching 40 yard half volley at the Memorial Stadium that season to help Rovers into the play-offs, from which they were promoted.

The Robins have edged the record since then, winning four of the eight games, although the Gas did manage an emphatic double in 2009/10, thumping Swindon 3-0 at home before humiliating them 4-0 at the County Ground. Will Hoskins opened the scoring in last season's corresponding fixture, which ended 3-1 in favour of the home side.

Surprisingly, it may be Jeff Hughes that Rovers will miss the most. The midfielder, now with Notts County, had scored in each of the last four tussles between the clubs.

The verdict

Rovers will have to be on the top of their game to snatch all three points in this one; Swindon are riding on the crest of a wave. The Pirates will need to remain tight, compact and not get sucked in by Town's passing rhythm, while breaking incisively themselves.

Aden Flint will most likely monopolise the aerial challenges, so getting the ball out to Mustapha Carayol and Jo Anyinsah on the wings will be way forward.

Matt Ritchie's suspension will be a blow to Swindon, the wideman has scored seven this term, as well as creating numerous others. It may, however, open up a space in the centre midfield for Simon Ferry, who will need to be kept under wraps by his quartered counterparts - bringing Craig Stanley back into the side may be advisable.

Rampant Rovers Outclass Totton

Paul Buckle has had a satisfactory week, a fairly unusual occurrence in the tumultuous opening to his career as Bristol Rovers manager, but a positive period nonetheless.

Languishing in 18th place in League 2, the early promotion tips have been underachieving greatly, the support quickly growing weary of the performances put in under Buckle's stewardship.

There have been home defeats to Cheltenham, Port Vale and Barnet, and thrashings on the road at Crawley and Oxford, the voices on the terraces calling for their managers head, meaning the 1-1 draw on the road to league leaders Southend last Saturday came as a relief to many supporters.

And so came the chance to make amends on Sunday, Rovers lining up against Southern Premier League AFC Totton, three full divisions lower than the West Country club, a place with the big guns in the FA Cup third round up for grabs.

The Pirates turned up on the south coast and looted Totton for all they were worth with a display of exquisite finishing, easing some of the mounting pressure on Buckle's shoulders, and setting up a home tie against Premier League Aston Villa at the Memorial Stadium in January.

Though the far less illustrious Stags controlled much of the opening five minutes, a storm of Rovers attacks killed off the tie within a quarter of an hour.

Joe Anyinsah was the first to ripple the net, driving past Grant Porter after skipping away from two defenders to score his fifth goal of the season.

There was little time for the home side to regain their composure, Mustapha Carayol marauding forward from the centre circle to the edge of the Totton area, dispatching the ball onto the underside of the crossbar and over the line for a stunning second.

While the first two strikes had been absolute pearlers the third was arguably the best of the lot. Right back Danny Woodards pushed forward, his ball inside kindly bouncing up for the 28 year old to emphatically volley into the bottom corner with his weaker foot, his first for the club.

The non-league side could easily have been shell-shocked - no doubt both sets of supporters were - but they continued to push for a way back into the game, almost pulling one back when former Rovers youth Jonathan Davies' deflected strike was cleared off the line by Andrew Dorman.

Carayol's game was tarnished after squaring up against Totton's assistant manager, who appeared to stick out a leg the way of the winger as his momentum took him off the pitch. The Gambian received a yellow card for his troubles, before being replaced by Eliot Richards in the 41st minute.

Visiting custodian Scott Bevan pulled off a barely-believable double save in the opening minutes of the second half, preventing Nathaniel Sherborne and Mark Osman from getting on the scoresheet, Gary Sawyer then having to keep out Davies instinctive flick on the line.

Soon enough the fourth tier side made their prowess count once again, Byron Anthony rising to head Richards corner home in front of the travelling fans.

Totton did eventually score a consolation, Sherborne flicking Tom Baddeley's cross past Bevan, but little over a minute later the four goal advantage was restored, Richards swivelling to thrash the ball past Porter for the fifth.

His fellow substitute Ben Swallow, making his first appearance of the season for Rovers, lasted barely six minutes on the Testwood Stadium turf, the young Welshman handed a straight red card for a lunge on Totton captain Carl Pettefer.

After three minutes of stoppage time were signalled there was still time for the Pirates to bag another, Matt Harrold laying the ball across for Richards who showed neat footwork and technique, placing his final shot for a seventh goal of an entertaining afternoons football.

Fifth Home Defeat Leaves Rovers Reeling

Bristol Rovers slumped to their first ever defeat to Barnet, going down 2-0 to the Londoner's at the Memorial Stadium and heaping pressure on manager Paul Buckle in the process.

Izale McLeod poked in the opener after 19 minutes before Mark Byrne finished the job, curling an effort around Scott Bevan with the final kick of the match.

The squad left the field to a chorus of 'we want Buckle out' from the home support, who are growing ever more tired of their sides inability to break down opposing sides, the manager taking the brunt of the criticism.

Two changes were made from the starting line-up that disposed of Corby in last weekends FA Cup tie; Matt Gill starting in central midfield while Joe Anyinsah replaced Scott McGleish, Chris Zebroski taking the veterans place up front, partnering Matt Harrold.

It was Zebroski who had the first chance on goal, prodding a right footed effort at Dean Brill's near post, though the goalkeeper was able to comfortably hold the ball in his arms.

McLeod's explosive pace was causing problems to the Rovers backline, the Gas lucky to escape without a red card after ten minutes. McLeod looked as though he was in behind after a ball over the top, only to be sent tumbling by last man Gary Sawyer 35 yards from goal, the referee's final decision lenient with the former Plymouth defender.

Matt Harrold headed against an upright from a Gill corner, but with the game an end-to-end affair it was the visitors who struck first with their own set-peice. Mark Byrne sent a corner towards the near post, Mark Hughes flicking the ball on before McLeod had the simple task of nodding over the line from two yards out.

Neither side was able to take a stranglehold on the game, both defences scrambling crosses out of their penalty areas. The only chances came from long range shots, Gill only yards away with one such dig on the turn, though he could only send the ball into the Rovers fans in the Blackthorn End.

Mark Marshall was a constant threat down the Barnet left, and early in the second half he found a yard of space to shoot, his final effort, however, was scuffed wide.

The home team were beginning to gain the ascendancy, yet still found themselves unable to break through. Full backs Danny Woodards and Lee Brown tried their luck from range, neither able to hit the target, while Mustapha Carayol snatched at a long distance strike which eventually bobbled comfortably to Brill.

With twenty minutes to go McGleish replaced Harrold, unfortunately the experienced forward was not to last long, falling heavily and eventually being replaced by Eliot Richards after a lengthy stoppage, leaving the field on a stretcher.

It was Richards who came closest of all to netting Rovers equaliser, hitting a stinging 30 yard half-volley that looked to be dipping goalwards. The back-peddling Brill, however, managed to tip the ball onto the crossbar, denying he youngster what would have been a stunning leveller.

Despite constant late pressure during the seven allocated minutes of stoppage time the gods looked against the Pirates. Sure enough, Byrne ended any hopes of a revival, beating Bevan from the edge of the box, leaving Buckle with the weight of the world on his shoulders as Rovers go into next Saturday's clash with league leaders Southend.

New Venue, New Champions?

That remains to be seen, but what we do know is that all five reigning Hong Kong Open champions will return to the Pearl of the Orient to fight for title retention. They will not, however, be making their way back to the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

Instead the badminton world's finest will take to the court at the Hong Kong Coliseum, a far larger venue that means that an extra day for qualifying and first round ties no longer needs to be facilitated.

Men's Singles

Lee Chong Wei, winner of the tournament's previous two editions, will begin his title defence against Spaniard Pablo Abian, the world number 23 whose search for form looks unlikely to improve come November 15th. Abian failed to advance past the opening rounds of the last two Super Series events in Denmark and France, a pair of disappointments, especially after he reached the third round of August's World Championships, scoring a victory over European number two Marc Zweibler on the way.

Chong Wei has been shaky in his own right, falling short at the final hurdle at three of his last four tournaments. After losing a pulsating World Championship final to Lin Dan, Lee lost two consecutive Super Series finals to Chen Long, though he put that ghost to bed in France, knocking his newest nemesis out at the semi-final stage.

If he is to face Chen Long once again it will be in the final, as the Chinese starts his first tournament as the world's second ranked player. Hsuan Yi Hsueh stands between him and the second round, where he will be reward with either of the two potential qualifiers who face-off in round 1.

Home hopes rely on Wong Wing Ki, who notched a famous victory over Lin Dan at the Danish Open. If he can find his way past Japan's Takuma Ueda he could square off with Lin once again, providing the World Champ beats Kashyap Parupalli.

First round games to watch:

[MAS] Lee Chong Wei (1) V [ESP] Pablo Abian
[CHN] Lin Dan (3) V [IND] Kashyap Parupalli
[GUA] Kevin Cordon V [DEN] Peter Gade (4)

Women's Singles

Despite having been toppled at the top of the rankings Wang Yihan goes into the tournament as the number one seed in the women's singles.

She will open up against Ayane Kurihara, though the young Japanese shuttler, taking her first crack in Hong Kong, should prove little fare for Yihan, looking to add to her Korean, Indonesian and Japanese titles thus far this season.

Her namesakes, Wang Shixian and Wang Xin, face testing tasks in their openers, matching up against talented youngsters Tai Tzu Ying and Sung Ji Hyun respectively. Sung, winner of September's Chinese Taipei Open, proved victorious the last time the pair met; that was in the Korea quarter-finals, the home player coming out on top in three games.

17 year old Tai broke into the top 20 for the first time in April and looks set to become a star of the future. Having captured her first international title in the US back in July the upstart remains on a high, especially after reaching the French Open semis, beating Wang Yihan on the way.

Saina Nehwal, the current holder of the Hong Kong trophy, will have the local crowd on her back as she starts against Chan Tsz Ka.

First round games to watch:

[GER] Juliane Schenk (6) V [JAP] Ai Goto
[CHN] Wang Xin (3) V [KOR] Sung Ji Hyun
[TPE] Tai Tzu Ying V [CHN] Wang Shixian (2)

Men's Doubles

Defending champions Ko Sung Hyun/Yoo Yeon Seong will enter the Coliseum as fourth seeds, battling Chen Hung Lin/Lin Yu Lang of Chinese Taipei, ranked a full 20 places behind them. Their road into the quarter-finals should not be too steep, as they would play either Michael Fuchs/Oliver Roth or a qualifying pair in round two.

Their Korean counterparts, Jung Jae Sung/Lee Yong Dae, open up against the Chinese pair of Hong Wei/Shen Ye, a combination they knocked out of the World Championships and hold a 3-0 record over.

Top seeds Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng have yet another Korean pair to challenge them in the first round. Kim Ki Jung/Shin Baek Chol may be way down in 48th place of the latest world rankings, though that may be deceptive. They have only played eight tournaments together since forming their partnership back in June, their results showing they are still working out the creases of their new line-up.

First round games to watch:

[MAS] Koo Kien Kieat/Tan Boon Heong (5) V [JAP] Hiroyuko Endo/Kenichi Hayakawa
[DEN] Mads Conrad-Petersen/Jonas Rasmussen V [IND] Alvent Yulianto Chandra/Hendra Aprida Gunawan (7)

Women's Doubles

With eleven consecutive tournament finals and gold from the Sudirman Cup to boot Wang Xiaoli/Yu Yang look set to continue their domination of the women's doubles category. They took gold twelve months ago and begin their tilt at retention against Sandra Marinello/Birgit Michels, the rest of their potential opponents until the quarters providing similarly average.

Teammates Tian Qing/Zhang Yunlei should have no problems in defeating lowly Chan Tsz Ka/Cheung Ngan Yi, despite the having the crowd against them.

The field for the women's doubles event looks fairly poor on paper, with seven pairs from the home nation, alongside two from Macau, though world number threes Mizuki Fujii/Reika Kakiiwa will look to build on their success at the Bitburger Open.

First round games to watch:

[CHN] Wang Xiaoli/Yu Yang (1) V [GER] Sandra Marinello/Birgit Michels
[IND] Jwala Gutta/Ashwini Ponnappa V [DEN] Christinna Pedersen/Kamilla Rytter Juhl (8)

Mixed Doubles

In-form Joachim Fischer/Christinna Pedersen will be looking to make it a hat-trick of Super Series final wins when they start up against Toby Ng/Grace Gao of Canada. The titles in Denmark and France went the way of the Danes and with Robert Mateusiak/Nadiezda Zieba the other seeds in their quarter of the draw they stand a good chance of making the semis, where their likely rivals will be Xu Chen/Ma Jin, though Hirokatsu Hashimoto/Mizuki Fujii look dangerous floaters.

Top seeds Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei have a Hollywood clash in the first round with Lee Yong Dae/Ha Jung Eun, while Kim Ki Jung/Jung Kyung Eun and Chris Adcock/Imogen Bankier are also in the top five ties of what is expected to be a highly contested category.

Adcock/Bankier have overtaken British rivals Nathan Robertson/Jenny Wallwork in the rankings as they start their first Super Series as seeds.

First round games to watch:

[CHN] Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei (1) V [KOR] Lee Yong Dae/Ha Jung Eun
[GBR] Chris Adock/Imogen Bankier (6) V [CHN] He Hanbin/Bao Yixin
[GBR] Robert Blair/Gabriel White V [CHN] Xu Chen/Ma Jin

Argyle Saved From FA Cup Upset

Onismor Bhasera's weaving run and finish earned Plymouth Argyle a replay, denying Stourbridge a place in the FA Cup second round for the first time in their history.

Warren Feeney opened the scoring with an early header, only for Aaron Drake to repeat the feat at the other end.

The game came alive in the second half as Ryan Rowe put the visitors ahead with a stunning lobbed half-volley. Argyle player/manager Carl Fletcher levelled with a deflected strike, but his side were soon behind again, Sean Gebbis firing home from the spot after Robbie Williams was dismissed.

Bhasera had the final word, however, netting with two minutes to go.

220 seconds was all it took for the home side to open the scoring, Paul Bignot and Will Atkinson working the ball around the right hand flank; the former eventually putting in a pinpoint cross that Feeney headed past Lewis Solly, despite the keeper getting two hands to the ball.

Stourbridge were struggling to get the ball down, but forced Romain Larrieu's hands into work when Rowe's effort struck his teammate Nathan Bennett and looped up for the French custodian to claim.

The home side continued to pile on the pressure, Feeney, Atkinson and Matt Lecointe all missing the target, only to get hit on the break by the plucky visitors. Larrieu failed to hold Rowe's initial effort, allowing a teammate to chip the ball up from the left-hand side of the area for Leon Broadhurst to head into the path of Drake, equalising with a bullet from his own cranium.

Broadhurst nearly put his side in the lead, though he could only nod into the side netting with Stourbridge starting to take the ascendancy.

The second half opened with Sam Rock hitting a shot at Larrieu, though a qute stunning finish lit the blue-touch paper for an enthralling forty-five minutes.

Drake cleared the ball long upfield, Rowe latching onto the end of it and clipping the ball over the on-coming Larrieu to send the sizable travelling support behind the goal into raptures.

A cleverly worked free kick resulted in Atkinson thudding an effort off the left-hand upright as Plymouth searched for an equaliser, while Rowe was prevented from doubling his tally at close range by Larrieu.

The pressure was growing on the Southern League team's defence, though it took a huge slice of luck for Argyle to level. Fletcher jinked past one man in midfield, left free to run into acres of space, his final shot taking a huge deflection over Solly and ricocheting in off the far post.

With both sides searching for the killer blow the final ten minutes proved a highlight, with two more goals and a pair of red cards. It was Stourbridge who broke into the lead first, Rowe dragged down by Williams when poised to shoot, leading to a straight red card for the ex-Preston defender; Gebbis taking the opportunity to score from 12 yards.

The game was vying for the tie of the round, and it gave the assembled crowd of 6,173 one final twist, Bhasera beating a handful of static red shirts before slamming home the final goal of the game, the stoppage time dismissal of Conor Hourihane proving insignificant in the grand scheme of what was a pulsating cup tie.

Taufik Hidayat: Is the star burning out?

With 24 career titles in 11 years Taufik Hidayat is rightly regarded as one of the finest players in modern badminton. Yet his star is on wane, and with the London Olympics on the horizon, the Indonesian needs a late pick-up to turn around a torrid year.

At the age of 30 Hidayat is not getting any younger – there have long been retirement plans, stretching back four years, when he should still have been in his prime – meaning that 2012 is likely to be his final chance to recapture the lost glories that have included some of the biggest tournaments on the world calendar.

Only a single game was dropped throughout the 2004 Olympics, Taufik cruising to the gold medal with a comfortable 15-8 15-7 victory over Shon Seung-mo, cementing a place within the sports elite. The World Championships in Anaheim followed a year later, but those illustrious pasts are exactly that, adding to the pressure for one last hurrah when the eyes of the badminton world focus on Wembley Arena next July.

The current struggles began following this year’s Korean Open, Taufik finishing in a defeat to eventual winner Lin Dan in the Seoul quarter-finals. The All England Championships, arguably the most prestigious of the Super Series tournaments, were just around the corner, though a first round loss to unseeded Kazushi Yamada left the Indonesian feeling sorry for himself.

Early exits followed in India and Singapore, while a respectable quarter-final loss to Peter Gade back at his home Super Series event looked fairly respectable, given the circumstances that had preceded it. To the home faithful, however, it was a disappointment.

For almost a decade Hidayat has been touted as the face of Indonesian badminton; the star with the forthright power, deft touch and demon backhand, a star that the nation has not seen since Rudy Hartono and his eight All England titles back in the 1970s.

He has the hopes of an entire nation on his shoulders, Hartono himself telling Today Online that Simon Santoso, the second ranked Indonesian, is simply ‘not a world-class player’. One of the superpowers of world badminton is in decline, in the singles game at least, leaving Hidayat as the pinnacle of the nation’s hopes, bringing all the associated pressures with it.

In the same interview Hartono also stated that Taufik was too old. That can’t be argued with. He won his first international title in 1999 and has been competing ever since. 30 doesn’t seem old for a sportsman, but badminton takes its toll on the body faster than most, Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei have hinted at retiring after the Olympics and they are even younger than Taufik.

Without a title to his name since the 2010 French Open, the perfect time came to claim a winners’ medal with the two tournament tour of North America in July, though there was to be no gold for the falling giant.

The key tournament before the Olympics was undoubtedly the World Championships, staged at the same venue as a test event for the London games. There should have been little trouble until the quarters for Taufik, though he succumbed to Derek Wong in the second round.

Further failures to make any true progress at the Japan and Denmark Opens compounded a truly awful year, the lacklustre displays against Hans-Kristian Vittinghus and Viktor Axelsen in the latter demonstrating Hidayat’s woes perfectly.

The exhaustion he may be suffering is not only physical but also mental, when you watch the Indonesian in recent months there looks to be an air of complacency surrounding his play, as well as a lack of will. Hidayat himself has stated in interviews that he has fallen out of love with the sport, and to hear such a comment from a man who has built his life around the game is disheartening to say the least.

Departures in Japan and France followed, leaving his world ranking down at 8th, with the potential of losing out on Olympic qualification if his countrymen Santoso, in 11th, and Sugiarto, in 16th, overtake him, or if he drops out of the top 16 completely.

Six months are left for Hidayat to maintain his seat on the plane to London, six months that require a mental rethink if the star from Java is to get one final shot at glory. Despite his troubles the Olympic rings hanging above the Wembley courts should be inspiring enough to re-instil the passion in any sportsman, Taufik being no exception.

The First Months Of Marjon

Starting at a new university can be a daunting experience for the brightest of people. One Marjon student, however, has taken it in her stride.


Tina Fouracre, a resident of the campus’ Kay-Shuttleworth halls, has found the transition into the student routine a breeze, and has nothing but complementary words about the institution, be it the people or the academic side of life.

“It’s really good,” The freshman exclaimed. “You settle in really quick, even though we haven’t been here that long. It’s surprising how quick you fit in and get used to everyone.

“I’m on the coach and physical education course; we haven’t actually got too much work to do at the moment, but we have a presentation coming up, so the work is slowly starting to build. Overall I’m really enjoying it.”

There is more to this student’s life than studying, though, with a bubbling social scene to get to grips with.

“There’s a big social life here; it’s really good. You go out every Wednesday, and we’ve just had Halloween, so we all went out for that. Everyone’s really nice, it’s so welcoming.”

One way of mixing with your peer group is to get involved with student sports, our interviewee keen to get going with the Marjon badminton club, though she is not hopeful of making this Friday’s Plymouth & District league game.

“The training is alright, though there don’t seem to be many games at the moment. Hopefully it will pick up, and when it does, I hope to be a part of it.”

“I don’t think I’ll be playing in that one, it’s mainly for the older years, as the first years have just started. I’ll train up a bit first and then, hopefully, who knows.”

Stuart's Sorry, Saddening Saga

'Legend' is a word that is banded about far too often in modern day sports, with an alarming disregard for definition. It is a status that should be earned through years of graft, labour and the highest level of consistency; not just on the pitch, track or court, but with professionalism away from the arena of choice.

In the past decade no Bristol Rovers player has risen through the ranks - from fans favourite, to hero and the final step up to 'legendary status' - like Stuart Campbell, a former captain and manager who has been held in the highest regard by all those connected to the club. One slip, however, has taken the shine off a glittering relationship with fans, who had held him up as a champion of all that is good about Bristol Rovers.

It's been a week since our 3-0 defeat to Port Vale and the start of this ever-unfolding saga, in the public eye at least.

I've spent the last four seasons watching Campbell put his heart and soul into Bristol Rovers, both on and off the pitch, and to look over the current situation brings a tinge of sadness. 'Cams' has been a great servant over the past seven seasons, his exemplary record, through the good and the bad, speaks for itself. When I look with my heart, I don't want to see him leave, but with my head, perhaps it is time to move on.

Stood outside the clubhouse bar at the Mem last Tuesday night I checked my Twitter feed, the best source for finding the team news straight away. BBC Bristol told us that Campbell was missing through illness, though in truth I wasn't disappointed to see him missing out.

The linchpin of our midfield for so many seasons, Stuart has been a great servant, but last year you could see he was beginning to age, in footballing terms at least. JP Kalala came into the side under Dave Penney and did Campbell's job to a better degree than we had seen all year. This season, nevertheless, I still wanted to see Stuart as part of the squad, though not as a regular starter.

From what we have seen so far the midfield has struggled as a whole, Campbell has been putting his usual 100% into his game, but for me he has been chasing shadows too often, once his run in the team began.

Watching 'Cams' leadership and drive, his welcoming nature off the pitch, you instantly get the idea that he is perfect for coaching. He is fully qualified in that respect and made it common knowledge that he believed it was where his future lay, yet he still wants to continue playing. I respect that, but then again you get the impression that he hasn't accepted that his days as a regular starter in the Football have almost passed.

Being honest, most of us on the terraces can see it, but more importantly Paul Buckle sees it. The deal that Nick Higgs has claimed Campbell and his advisor have requested is, quite frankly, ludicrous. An extra year? Perhaps, if he shows what he can do this season. But to throw in the possibility of a further year beyond, and on increased wages to boot, does not make any sense for Bristol Rovers.

If Campbell has, as we are told, rejected the player/coach role, his possible career chances have been threatened by himself. We are lead to believe that getting a job in coaching professional football is an arduous task, Campbell looks as though he has shut a door that was wide open to him.

The comments that have come out in the press are totally out of character for a man who has acted with such dignity throughout his career. The sequence of events, the ultimatum from his advisor, only succeeded in riling Paul Buckle, a man whose ego knows no bounds. While player power has significantly increased over the past two decades, Buckle doesn't come across as a man to play the stubborn game with.

Nick Higgs and the board have invested significantly in both the new manager and his squad, leaving them with no option but to stick to their guns and back the manager on this one. The last line of Higgs' statement on the official Rovers site - 'I am personally disappointed that my previously good relationship with Stuart has disintegrated to a level where these issues have been played out in the press.' - is ominous for Campbell's future at the Memorial Stadium.

What is clear to me is that Stuart Campbell lives and breathes football, and that may have been his undoing. The desire to continue playing, into and past his mid-thirties, while admirable, is not realistic, not while he is at Bristol Rovers at least. I want to see Campbell as a coach at Rovers, he knows the club inside out and his passion for the game, coupled with his reams of experience, give him the tools required to coach at our club.

A little bit of inward reflection, a few harsh words to his advisor and a couple of heartfelt apologies are required for Stuart to get a second chance with us; if anyone deserves one it's him, he hasn't required it in over seven years of faithful service.

The fans showed on Saturday what he means to them and this club, and I'm sure he feels the same way about us.

Whether you stay or go, Stuart, I wish you the best of luck. But please, don't let it end like this.

Rovers End Saturday Curse

Bristol Rovers won a Saturday home game for the first time in eight months, beating Dagenham & Redbridge 2-0 at the Memorial Stadium.

The visitors survived a goal mouth scramble in the opening period but could not hold out in the second, Joe Anyinsah mopping up from close range on 50 minutes before Matt Harrold scored a penalty in stoppage time.

Rovers third game in eight days saw manager Paul Buckle under pressure to set straight a run of four defeats from the last five, a segment of the fanbase already calling for his head after Tuesday's 3-0 home defeat to Port Vale.

In light of the previous two defeats Buckle reverted to a 4-4-2 formation, giving Mustapha Carayol his first start since October 1st, playing on the left wing, with Anyinsah stationed on the opposite flank.

From the off it was the home side who had their foot on the gas, Harrold heading a Matt Gill corner wide before Scott McGleish suffered the same fate from a Craig Stanley cross.

Rovers captain Gill then found himself with a yard of space in the penalty area, defying the tight angle and forcing Dagenham goalkeeper Chris Lewington into a sharp save.

The away side, managed by former Rovers assistant John Still, were hanging on by a thread, Scott McGleish's centre finding Anyinsah, whose shot was kept out, the rebound falling kindly for Gill. After the captain's effort was blocked by the desperate Dagenham bodies Carayol had one final chance to turn the ball in, but there was a visiting body in the way once more.

Though Rovers had the better of the first half exchanges there were few moments of quality, Dagenham's line-up looking bereft of any confidence, though that was not to be unexpected, the Essex club having lost their last four League 2 games.

What ever words of wisdom cane from Still had little effect on his squad as Rovers came out and scored within five minutes of the restart. Stanley was allowed space to run down the right hand side and found McGleish with a cross, Lewington keeping out the veteran forwards header, parrying straight into the path of Anyinsah who blasted his volley into the goal.

Seven minutes later the lead could have been doubled, Stanley again the man to break from midfield and whip the ball in, though Harrold's header ricocheted off the inside of the post to allow the Daggers to clear.

A Cian Bolger slip allowed substitute Brian Woodall to run in behind the Rovers defence, though his burst was ended prematurely by an emphatic sliding challenge from Danny Woodards, hurtling back to prevent the forward from getting a clear shot on goal.

Damien McCrory had to be on hand to clear a Carayol strike off the line, though the home crowd weren't to be denied a second goal for long. Abu Ogogo hauled down Harrold shirt first in the penalty area and referee Mark Heywood pointed straight to the spot. The former Shrewsbury man picked himself up to convert, push Rovers up to 15th in the table and lift the mood on the unnervingly tense terraces.

'We've Got To Pull Together' - Buckle

Following Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat to Port Vale at the Memorial Stadium Paul Buckle and his Bristol Rovers side left the field to a chorus of boos and jeers.

The Pirates boss didn’t attend his post-match press conference that evening, but spoke to press on Thursday, exasperating at the trying start to the season.


‘It’s so frustrating, we feel we’ve been picked off, we go a goal behind and it’s difficult for the players to turn it around. We try to be positive but it’s difficult, the only ones who can get us out of it are ourselves, it’s back onto the front foot, we try and put it right on Saturday.

‘I had a long conversation with Nick [Higgs, chairman]. If you look at the history of the players I’ve brought to the club they’ve been successful, we’re trying desperately to do it here but we feel a lot has gone against us, that’s not an excuse, that’s a fact.

‘This week we’ve lost Stuart Campbell and Danny Woodards and we’ve not been able to replace [Wayne] Brown or Virgo due to finances. It’s a difficult time for the club but we’ve got to get through it, like I said, nobody’s died, we’ve got to get our heads up and get on with it.’

When asked what his side needed to do to change their luck he pin-pointed one key factor.

‘We have to try and get the first goal, we did that away after our success at home but we slipped up. It’s not like we’re being battered in games, we look at the stats and we have 18 attempts on goal and more corners. It’s not lack of effort; the players are giving me everything in training and in the games. We have got to try and get on the front foot, raise the ground and get a good atmosphere in the stadium.

‘It’s been chop and change, it was again on Tuesday, Woodards went off ill, and this week, again, the squad is depleted. We haven’t got the finances to bring anyone in but we have to get on with it, it’s not a major problem.

‘The confidence is still there, if you lose a game or two you take a strong look at yourself. Fifteen games into the season the players aren’t bad players, I’m not a bad manager after fifteen games. It’s a good football club; we’ve got to pull together from top to bottom.’

One key omission from Tuesday’s squad was Stuart Campbell, missing out through illness Buckle, however, confirmed rumours that his name had been circulated amongst other clubs.

‘I discussed Stuart Campbell’s future on Monday but we’ve not been able to agree. He fell ill on Tuesday morning which threw everything, if he was starting or on the bench it would have been a plus. In the end we had to play Rendell in the middle of the pitch because we are short on midfielders.

‘He’s part of the squad and like any player or member of staff that’s being paid by the football club we expect them to give their all. It was a horrible coincidence we lost him on Tuesday because we could have done with the leadership. We can’t agree a contract, Stuart has an advisor he uses and we got an email that said if we can’t agree a deal we would have to look elsewhere.’

Mustapha Carayol has found first team chances hard to come by in recent weeks, though upon his arrival from the bench against the Valiants he showed Buckle what he had been missing. His manager praised the performance and gave the winger a boost ahead of Saturday’s game against Dagenham.

‘That’s why I brought him to the club; Zebroski, Mustapha, Anyinsah, [have] lots of pace, that’s what we set up to do. Mustapha came on early in the game and showed what he can do, he was outstanding; he has to do that every time he gets the ball, pick the ball up and run at people. Now he’s got every chance of starting Saturday.’

Buckle stopped short of criticising his recent tactics, instead insisting that it was the basics his side needed to work on.

‘We scored five goals against Rotherham and created untold chances, we created again away at Burton; it’s the fundamentals we’ve got to do better. If you tell me that Port Vale and Burton peppered our goal you would be lying, that’s what makes it frustrating.

‘But that’s why were in the job, the highs and the lows, at the moment we’re suffering some lows, but the league table is not running away, we’ve got to remain positive and pull in the right direction.’

Rigg Enjoys Rovers Return

A Sean Rigg stunner against his former club capped off a fine Port Vale win over an ailing Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium.

Marc Richards and Doug Loft scored in the first half before Rigg finished off any hope Rovers had of a late comeback in the 3-0 triumph.

The game started at a frenetic pace, the home side making much of the early runnings, though they found themselves unable to get an effort in on goal. After the clock had ticked over ten minutes Vale began to exert control over the game, Rigg firing wide from the edge of the area, before Rovers resistance was broken in the 19th minute.

The visitors broke down the right-hand side, Tom Pope finding space in the penalty area, squaring the ball for Richards. The former Barnsley striker spun on the spot, sending Rovers defender Cian Bolger flailing, and beat Scott Bevan with a low effort.

Ollie Norburn, making his first start for the home side, found himself unable to adapt to the pace of the play and was replaced by Joe Anyinsah with just 32 minutes gone. The change, however, made little difference, a further Rigg shot preceding Vale's second, though it didn't come without a large slice of luck.

Central midfielder Doug Loft collected the ball in the middle third and was allowed to push forward unchallenged, his eventual long range shot taking a hefty deflection, helping it loop up and over Bevan's head for his fifth goal of the season.

Conceding the second appeared to kick Rovers into life as they ended the half on top, Scott Rendell seeing his strike blocked prior to each full back taking their chances from distance, Lee Brown and Dan Woodards forcing Stuart Tomlinson into making saves. Scott McGleish's header went wide of the left hand post to end the opening period with the Bristolians in the ascendancy.

Anyinsah and Matt Harrold tried their luck as the second half began, though neither could hit the target with a volley and glancing header respectively. The introduction of Mustapha Carayol, in place of Woodards, gave Rovers an added spark down the left hand side and the winger made an immediate impact, giving Tomlinson more work in the Port Vale goal.

The substitution did, however, mean that Matt Gill had to move from midfield to right back, taking away much of the creativity from the heart of the home side, gradually allowing the Valiants to wrestle back control of the match.

The ever-menacing Rigg continued to test Bevan while Anyinsah lashed a volley over the crossbar at the other end before the former had the last word, jinking inside of makeshift midfielder Rendell before driving left-footed into the top corner of the Rovers goal, leaving Paul Buckle's team to exit the field to a chorus of boos from the home supporters.

Fischer And Pedersen Ensure Danish Joy

The home fans had something to cheer at the Yonex Denmark Open as Joachim Fischer and Christinna Pedersen claimed mixed doubles gold in Odense.

The pair claimed their third Danish Open title thanks to a 22-20 21-16 win over Chinese fifth seeds Xu Chen and Ma Jin. The first game saw a number of intense rallies, neither side able to break into a lead of more than two points, as they battled for control in the topsy-turvy opener, the lead exchanging seven times before the Danes took it on their second game point.

Nothing changed at the beginning of the game two, until, that was, the scores reached eight apiece, the Chinese taking three straight points to open up an 11-8 lead at the mid-game interval. It didn't last long, as the scores were soon levelled after the break before the home stars, ranked fourth in the world, secured five consecutive points, the longest streak of the match. That was a mark from which the Danish partnership never looked back as they maintained their lead right the way through, claiming the championship with their first match point after Ma Jin hit long of the backline.

Lee Chong Wei put in an abject performance in the men's singles final, falling to China's Chen Long for the second time in as many matches.

Chen's 21-15 21-18 victory means that he has now won the last three Super Series tournaments, following his victories at the China Masters and Japan Open, taking his career total to four top tier titles.

Chong Wei's erroneous first game gave his Chinese opponent an easy ride, the top seed scoring just eight winners throughout the opener. That is not to discredit Chen, however, who worked hard from back to front, the six point margin a fair reflection of each players efforts.

The scoring tightened up during the second game, the lead moving from one player to another before Chen finally made his lead stick at 16-15, closing out the match to secure a record equalling third consecutive Super Series win, Chong Wei himself and Sony Dwi Kuncoro the only other players to achieve that feat.

Jung Jae Sung and Lee Yong Dae clinched the men's doubles crown after a physically demanding win over Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng of China, their second consecutive win over the top ranked pair. For a match between two partnerships of such calibre there were a lot of expectations from fans, and the match lived up to the hype, finishing 21-16 21-17 in favour of the Koreans.

The first game started at a frantic pace, both sides ruthless in their exposition of attacking badminton and only playing clears when absolutely necessary. Quite typically it was the Koreans who coped better with the flat exchanges and an error on service from Cai gave them the advantage at the end of the first game.

What turned out to be the winning game picked up where the first had left off, the physicality refusing to be taken down a notch, though as with the first game it was Jung and Lee who held off the relentless attack the best, too many errors slipping into the Chinese play as the match drew to a close.

Though the final score, coupled with the fact that the final was finished after just 42 minutes, could lead you to believe this was a straightforward win for the world number twos. It was anything but; neither pair may ever get such a workout from a two game match.

Wang Xin claimed her second Super Series crown of the year, fending off the challenge of Wang Yihan 21-14 23-21 in an all-Chinese affair.

World champion Yihan was never able to settle into a rhythm and committed far too many errors, 25 throughout the match. The contest was cagey throughout, the teammates experts in one another's styles and tactics through training; Wang Xin restricting her nemesis to just one net winner in the first game, and no smash winners whatsoever.

The second was more open, though the quality of the badminton was still fairly low. It was, in fact, Wang Yihan who comfortably hit more winners, 18 in total, but the 23 year old was unable to land enough of her shots within Wang Xin's court, missing out on two game points at the death.

The women's doubles tournament churned out a rematch of this years World Championship final in it's own setpiece. The result ended up the same. Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang took home the $31,600 prize money, leaving Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei with the silver medals, winning 22-20 21-16.

Game one could have gone either way as the Chinese rivals battled valiantly for the lead, Tian and Zhao wasting the first game before handing the lead to their opponents in a hard fought opener. The second game took a very different path, Tian and Zhao taking the first point before letting seven in a row slip away. They never so much as drew level, that despite winning seven straight points of their own, as Wang and Yu ended the match at the first attempt.

De Vita Breaks Pilgrims Resistance

Raffaele De Vita's 82nd minute strike lead his battling Swindon Town side to a 1-0 triumph away at Plymouth Argyle.

The Italian ended a flowing counter attack to leave the Pilgrims rock-bottom of the Football League, though it was not for a lack of trying on the hosts part, their eight shots on target finding determined Swindon bodies between them and the back of the net.

It was Plymouth, looking to extend their unbeaten run to three games, who started the brighter, a barrage of corners eventually leading to two efforts on goal. Curtis Nelson initially found the back of teammate Matt Lecointe, before the rebound looped up for Robbie Williams to volley into the arm's of Wes Foderingham.

Central defender Nelson was a constant threat when lurking in the Swindon penalty area, as two more of his strikes required blocks from visiting bodies, either side of Jake Jervis' header going narrowly wide at the other end.

With his side on the back foot Cristian Montano took it upon himself to take the game to the fragile Plymouth defence. The Colombian managed to skin two defenders before letting the moment slip, his final shot rolling comfortably into the grateful palms of Argyle custodian Jake Cole.

Robbie Williams late free kick, held by the strong hands of Foderingham, summed up the first half as the home side worked hard for no reward.

Paulo Di Canio's half time team-talk appeared to motivate Swindon for the second half as the visitors began to stroke the ball around more confidently, adding an extra yard of pace to the game.

Birmingham loanee Jake Jervis twice missed the target when well placed while two short-corner routines caught the Plymouth defence cold, though Jonothan Smith's header was the best chance to result from them.

Argyle were not done yet, however, as their best chance of the match came and went within the blink of an eye, Conor Hourihane's inswinging corner finding the forehead of Jamie Griffith. With the substitute's bullet header flying goalwards Foderingham instinctively threw a hand up, tipping the ball over the crossbar.

Five minutes later, with the home side pressing for the winner, Swindon broke downfield, the ball making it's way to Matt Ritchie on the right hand side, the ex-Portsmouth youth crossing for De Vita to beat Cole with a low angled drive.

With the game almost up Argyle fought valiantly for a route back in, but not even the presence of Cole in the Swindon area for a late corner could force the equaliser, leaving the Pilgrims five points adrift of safety, while the Robins move to just a point away from the League 2 play-off places.

Wrights And Wrongs

Stand at Memorial Stadium bar and mention the name 'Mark Wright' to the assembled Gasheads and you'll probably be met by Bristolian mumbles of 'lazy b*****d' into a pint of Blackthorn. The former Rovers winger, now with Shrewsbury Town, represented the Pirates 25 times during the 2009/10 season and swiftly became a bete noir amongst supporters.

That was, of course, two seasons ago, and yet the hostility felt towards the Wolverhampton born footballer was still in evidence when Shrewsbury visited Bristol for their League 2 clash with Rovers, boos ringing around the terraces every time Wright touched the ball.

It is a tale that doesn't just involve Wright, his best friend in the game, Carl Regan, has also been on the receiving end of vitriol from the Rovers faithful, vitriol that, at one point, went a step too far.

Having spent two seasons at MK Dons, winning the League 2 title and the Johnstone's Paint Trophy during the course, Wright was allowed a free transfer by Paul Ince, joining fellow League 1 side Brighton & Hove Albion. After just five appearances in an Albion shirt Wright secured a move to Bristol Rovers, not even having been under contract at the Withdean Stadium for six weeks. The claim from all parties was that he had failed to settle on the south coast. Brighton still made a profit from the sale to Rovers, rumoured to be in the region of £30,000.

Wright went straight into the Rovers team, facing Millwall for the second time in eight days, and had a spell in the side that lasted throughout the winter and into the new year. Wright was finally dropped from a regular starting XI berth on February 9th, his last appearance for Rovers at their Filton Avenue ground, he would play just one further minute for the club, coming on as an 89th minute substitute against Brighton on April 24th.

Over this period Wright had a number two marked next to his name in the assists column, though his performances in the blue and white quarters of the Pirates were largely ineffectual. Wright was demonised by the fanbase as a slacker who made little effort to get forward and rarely picked out a forward pass. Those facts can't be argued with and after a few games supporters grew weary of such displays, noticeably getting on the wingers back, but it can't all be put down to form and confidence, both areas in which he was found lacking.

During his time with MK Dons Wright was allowed freedom in the attacking formation of Paul Ince and and paid back his manager during 2007/08 by finishing as the clubs top scorer, claiming 15 goals and helping his side to the aforementioned double. His debut season in League 1 with the Dons didn't go quite so well, Wright netted just five times, though flashes of talent were shown. He was deemed surplus to the requirements of a club that were gunning for promotion at the third tiers top end, thus moving onto Brighton.

His manager at Rovers would be Paul Trollope, well known for his outright defensive and thoroughly negative tactics. Wright was thrown onto the right hand side, not to play as an out and out winger but to help support the team in their defensive duties. His natural instincts, bred into him over two seasons at Stadium:MK, were not allowed to flourish as he was instructed to double back on opposition wingers, running the flanks in the way that Wright no doubt wished to.

Bereft of confidence and with fans breathing down his neck Wright could, should, have been made to fight hard for his place, he was instead left in the team to suffer by the stubborn Trollope. With little improvement in performances forthcoming Wright began to make his own bed, his attitude lacking in subtlety as he loped around the pitch, seemingly without a care in the world.

Wright's move to Rovers was predated by the club signing Carl Regan, the two were teammates at MK Dons. Regan began his Rovers career with solid displays and was a top performer for the first few months of the season, though the appearance of his buddy, Wright, on the scene was thrown into the ring as a reason for his form dropping over the course of 2009/10

At the front end of the next season Wright was shipped out on loan to Shrewsbury, becoming an instant hit at the Greenhous Meadow, scoring ten goals before January when his switch was made permanent.

Meanwhile Regan had started the season in good form at Rovers, until, that was, a straight red card was flashed his way in a 3-0 home defeat to Leyton Orient. As he left the pitch the crimes of last season resurfaced amongst those on the terraces and he was booed as he traipsed down the tunnel. He never regained his form and on 23rd of February went out on loan to Notts County, a move which was met by a comment from Wright, via Twitter, that his friend had moved onto better things, Rovers struggling, eventually in vain, against relegation.

Many of the online Gas contingent were still following Wright at this point and, soon enough, abuse was sent the way of the 29 year old. The keyboard warriors continued to fire insults Wright's way before someone went over the top. An account 'wright2s***e' was created and posted on the social networking site '@markwright82 [Mark Wright's Twitter user name] don't worry mark now you've left brfc you've got a better chance of playing in the african nations or shrewsbury zoo'.

This comment was simply 'retweeted' by Wright, meaning that anybody who followed him via Twitter would see the posting. Wright is no longer on Twitter, the wright2shite profile is still live, though totally inactive since the incident

Eventually the situation settled down, Wright scored four more goals and finished as top scorer as the Shrews lost out in the play-off semi-finals. Regan was released by Rovers and subsequently joined the Shropshire club. The latter would miss out on the game at the Memorial Stadium, announcing his injury via Twitter, receiving further uncouth replies from a small segment of Rovers fans.

Wright, however, would take to the pitch in his sides losing effort. Catcalls were sent his way throughout a contest in which he would no doubt have liked to put in a match-winning performance, though in the end he flattered to deceive. While twisting and turning the defenders successfully he didn't provide the end product to match. Wright's match was summed up when his late corner failed to beat the first man and flew high up into the air. It fell for Wright himself to control, dropping onto his foot and skidding out for a home throw in to great cheers from the much of the support.

It is a sorry saga that shines neither Wright or Rovers in a good light, they would both like to put it behind them. The fans, however, will not forget the whole deplorable situation, though a modicum of amnesia would, perhaps, be for the better.

There are Wrights and wrongs on both sides.

Zebroski Halts Rovers Slide

When the cheers that greeted the final whistle of Bristol Rovers 1-0 win over Shrewsbury subsided the fans within the Memorial Stadium drew a collective sigh of relief.

Chris Zebroski's first half goal successfully ended a run of four League 2 games without a victory that had blighted the early season optimism of supporters, though it wasn't all plain sailing for Paul Buckle's side. If it weren't for the Shrews wastefulness in the final third the result could easily have been different, though as it was the Gas were the team who created the best chances on the night.

Chris Zebroski's inclusion in the started line up, in place of the veteran Scott McGleish, was the only change from Saturday's team that drew up at Bradford, the former Torquay forward proving, quite typically, to be a thorn in the opposition's side. Now getting a chance to play through the centre Zebroski appears more capable of producing on a regular basis than when placed out wide, his powerful running pressurising the Shrewsbury back four.

One such burst at the heart of the Salops defence drew a foul from central defender Ian Sharps two yards from the edge of the penalty area. Referee Graham Scott ignored home catcalls for a red card, instead awarding a yellow, deeming there to be a covering defender. It was one of a set of bemusing decisions from the Oxfordshire official.

Zebroski's goal, a volley from the edge of the box, came as a result of Matt Harrold's knock-down and was a well taken strike, doubling the 24 year old's tally for the season. It came very much against the run of play as Shrewsbury ran the majority of the game.

The visitors ended the match with 62% of the possession, pushing hard down the wings via Lionel Ainsworth and ex-Rover Mark Wright. Ainsworth's pace had Rovers on the back foot from the off, though first Lee Brown and then Michael Smith dealt with the threat commendably. Wright proved to have a frustrating night, his twists and turns were dangerous, his final balls less so, though a second half drive that whistled inches past the frame of the goal had Scott Bevan flying despairingly through the air.

The right hand flank saw Ainsworth backed up by monstrous full back Jermaine Grandison who overlapped at will as Shrewsbury looked to force the issue from the wide positions. Grandison, and his left sided cohort Joe Jacobson, were able to make an impression on the game with little care for their defensive duties as neither of the Rovers flankmen possessed great pace, indeed, both were arguably playing out of position, Wayne Brown a central midfielder by trade, Eliot Richards a striker.

And yet for all their statistical dominance Rovers still created the better of the chances, Cian Bolger unlucky not to score from a corner as Shrews stopper Ben Smith made a fine save on the line from point blank range.

The dying seconds saw Ainsworth almost snatch a leveller, his twenty five yard drive pushed around the post by the palms of Bevan. The resulting corner saw Smith charge towards the Rovers area, the short corner taken his way, only for the rush 'keeper to slip at the crucial moment. Eliot Richards had the chance to give the travelling support a sense of Deja Vu, though he was unable to put the ball into the empty net as Sammy Igoe had for Rovers at Wembley five years ago.

Paul Buckle and his squad would have taken a win in this fixture by hook or by crook, but if they want to continue to push past their current position of 12th in League 2 their game will need to pick up. Rovers had been kicked back to square one, now they must rise again.