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.

Rovers Search For Form Against Shrews

Matt Harrold in a previous life, wearing Shrewsbury Town Colours

When your luck is out the last thing you need is a questionable refereeing decision. That's exactly what Bristol Rovers were handed at the weekend.

With literally seconds of stoppage time to go Michael Flynn spoiled the Pirates' northern jaunt by slotting away his second penalty of the game to level the scores at 2-2. The first spot kick was a stonewaller, there could be no protestations from the gas contingent. It was the second award from the officials that had players in uproar. Jamie Devitt broke into the box only to fall under minimal contact from Rovers full back Lee Brown, the linesman flagging, referee Miller pointing to the spot.

Had the decision not gone Bradford's way it would have seen a run of three league games without a win halted, it wasn't to be. Instead Rovers go into Tuesday's game with high-flying Shrewsbury looking for a change in fortune, that may be hard to come by against one of the divisions form teams. Having handed Plymouth what remains their only point of the season on the opening day the Shrews kicked off the season in tortoise-slow fashion, there was to be one further point from their next two games. What has transpired since has seen the club propel upwards and into the automatic promotion spots.

Four straight wins, not to mention a shock Carling Cup victory over Swansea, have boosted the mood at the Greenhous Meadow, their last game finishing in a 3-1 triumph over local rivals Hereford. Marvin Morgan was at the double in that match, outmuscling his defender for the first and slotting coolly home to put the game beyond the Bulls late on.

Those strikes came either side of a goal from Mark Wright, a former Rovers player himself, who left the the club after a largely unfruitful season under Paul Trollope. His attitude made him a bete noir among the Bristolian faithful though since dropping down to the fourth tier Shrews his form has been stunning. The former MK Dons winger netted 14 goals last term and was a major part of Town's run to the play-offs, he already has braces of both goals and assists this season.

There could also be a possible Memorial Stadium return for left back Joe Jacobson, who started in the XI that faced Hereford. Tuesday will also give Matt Harrold an opportunity to give Shrewsbury, the club that sold him to Rovers in the summer, just what they are missing out on.

Rovers hold the lead in the overall record between the two sides, holding 27 wins to their opponents meagre 15. It will be the first time the clubs will have met since 2006/07, a season which saw them become well acquainted with each other. In the four games that season Rovers came out on top three times, drawing the other, most importantly in front of over 61,000 spectators at Wembley when they ran out 3-1 winners in the League 2 play-off final. It was their tenth unbeaten game in succession, a run from which they snatched sixth place on the final day of the season and disposed of Lincoln for the end of season showpiece.

Stewart Drummond headed the Shropshire side into a 3rd minute lead though Rovers refused to lay down quietly. Richard Walker produced a fine finish to equalise before exquisitely lobbing Chris Mackenzie for the half time lead. Shrewsbury spent the second half probing for a way back into the match and won a corner in the final minute for which Mackenzie made his way into the opposing penalty area. The corner was swung in but the danger removed, allowing Pirates midfielder Sammy Igoe to pick up the loose ball, run half the length of the field and slip the ball into the unguarded net, securing promotion and inciting delirium among the nigh on 40,000 Gasheads that had made the trip to the capital.

Team news for Tuesday sees Gary Sawyer unavailable, the full back missing out as he slowly returns to fitness following a hernia operation.

Captain Matt Gill has been feeling fatigued of late but manager Paul Buckle is hopeful that he will be available.

Shrewsbury will be without ex-Rovers defender Carl Regan who is lost his place in the side following a quadricep injury.

Striker Terry Gornell is suspended following a straight red card in the win over Hereford. While he serves a three match suspension Tom Bradshaw and James Collins will be fighting for the vacated spot.

The space on the bench could go the way of defender Connor Goldson or one of the wing pair of Steve Leslie and Jon Taylor.

Parkinson Looks Forward To 'Special Occasion'

Much of the focus on Bristol Rovers trip to Bradford City will be on new Bantams boss Phil Parkinson and his first game at Valley Parade, the Gas will be looking to slip under the radar.

The former Charlton boss made his first appearance in a Bradford dugout a week ago at Morecambe, taking his first point in the process thanks to a 93rd minute Ross Hannah goal. The fact that City needed to appoint a new manager so early in the new season was a surprise in itself as Peter Jackson, a former player at Valley Parade, tendered his resignation to the Bradford board after a below par start to the season that had seen his side lose three of their first four League 2 games. Following his departure the Bantams picked up their first win of the campaign, beating Barnet 4-2, in front of a crowd just short of the 10,000 mark.

Parkinson cut his managerial teeth at Colchester, saving the club from relegation before turning them into promotion winners two seasons later. Success in Essex lead Parkinson to Hull City, though he eventually left in December 2006 after a dreadful start that wore on over the following months had seen the Tigers drop into the relegation zone. After nearly two years as assistant manager to Alan Pardew at Charlton he was given the chance to manage once again with the Addicks, getting the job permanently after two months in caretaker charge. He was unable to save Charlton from the drop but had a tilt at the League 1 play-offs the next season, losing out to Swindon. Parkinson was relieved of his duties in January after a poor run in December.

While Bradford have started at a snails pace Rovers can claim to be only marginally better. It has been three league games since Paul Buckle's team last overcame an opponent, throw two cup defeats into the mix and you will find a side lacking in form. There was a highly commendable display against Watford in the first round of the Carling Cup, Rovers winning through on penalties, but the last time they won in ninety minutes was an August 16th game against Northampton. Despite the adverse results the squad remain in a confident and jovial mood ahead of the long journey up to Yorkshire.

It will be the first meeting between Rovers and Bradford for twelve seasons and also represents the first time the clubs will have met outside of the third tier. The history books have Saturday's visitors down with the favourable record, Rovers having won twelve of the eighteen clashes compared to the Bantams three. Five of the nine games at Valley Parade have ended with an away win.

The home side will be without defenders Simon Ramsden and Steve Williams who are both suffering with calf injuries. Two midfielders, David Syers (knee) and Lee Bullock (hip), are also set to miss out, as is striker Nialle Rodney (ankle). Forward Ross Hannah is pushing for a starting berth having netted the late equaliser against Morecambe as well as scoring a hat-trick for the reserves in midweek.

Rovers will be bouyed by the return to training of defenders Gary Sawyer, Adam Virgo and Cian Bolger and winger Joe Anyinsah who may play some part in the game. Chris Zebroski looks set to miss out after he picked up a knock against Crawley last Saturday.

With Saturday approaching Parkinson was eagerly anticipating taking his Valley Parade bow.

"Saturday will obviously be a special occasion, there's no doubt about that," said the new City boss.

"Your first game at home is always something extra special - I have friends and family coming - but I just want to focus on what I have to do with the team.

"I am really looking forward to the day, but we have to try and ensure that it ends on a happy note for us."

Paul Buckle was much more focussed on his sides own build up and was pleased with the availability of previously injured squad members.

"We have not been able to put our best team on to the field, you want to have your full quota of players to chose from, we have not had that yet, but hopefully we will have that soon.

"It has been tough; Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, but that is life. We are not getting the rub of the green at the moment, but hopefully we will get it soon, and get it for the rest of the season.

"This is a big job, to try and get this football club back where it belongs."

Young Strike Seals England Win

Where England had looked ruthless on Friday they looked every bit as insipid on Friday.

Thanks to Ashley Young's solitary first half goal at Wembley the Premier League stars could return to their clubs with a further three points . They deserved just the one.

Fabio Capello's men played out the ninety minutes with an air of complacency, knowing that they were good enough to get the goal to put them one up, all the while failing to contemplate that Wales may produce an attack of any note. It was a superiority complex that seemed not of their own making but that of their manager, though at no point did the eleven men on the field decide amongst themselves to turn the dial up a notch in an attempt justify the 113 world ranking places that separate the Lions from the Dragons.

From the first whistle, then, England came out and looked to monopolise possession, pinging the ball comfortably around their own half. It could have been an attempt to set the tempo of the game, stamp an authority upon the Welsh and get into their heads. What looked like tactics for the first five minutes swiftly became wishful thoughts after ten, the home side not stroking the ball around of their own choice but because of the pressure zone that was the middle of the park, Wales packing five men into their midfield and denying England any space in the central third.

Any joy that was to come England's way was as a result of the front three of Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young and Stewart Downing. The two widemen in particular were the biggest threats that the home side could conjure up as they twisted and turned, passed and crossed to the beat of a drum, their compatriots more musically on par with the England band on the Wembley terraces. They were blowing.

It was quite apt that the two ex-Villains would combine to open the scoring and notable, too, was the fact that the first time England managed to sew two attacks together they produced a goal. After James Milner's cross was cleared away Gareth Barry immediately sprayed the ball back out to the right flank, Downing able to steal a yard of space off Joe Ledley, his low, driven cross beaten between Wayne Hennessey's left hand and the near post by Young.

With that came hope that the lead could be doubled sooner rather than later as England were suddenly invigorated by the breakthrough, their opponents looking bewildered, there was to be no further test for Hennessey, though, and with the half time whistle came a much needed moment of respite for Wales, a moment that Gary Speed used impeccably.

Three England shots came and went in the first minute of the second half and a wasteful Frank Lampard effort aside there was to be no more football of note from the home side. Wales had spent the majority of the match coping comfortably with all that a half-hearted England had to throw at them and now felt that there was never a better time to fight back. Gareth Bale grew increasingly into the game and, one wayward effort aside, was the key figure for the final thirty minutes, though that mantle could, should, have been taken from the roving Tottenham winger.

With a quarter of an hour left on the clock a free kick from the left was floated onto the far edge of Hart's six yard box. Cardiff Full back Darcy Blake got the better of his marker to cushion the ball back across goal for Robert Earnshaw who connected not with the sweet spot of his left boot but the edge, his shot ballooning over the England goal along with any hope the Welsh had of claiming a point.

The result was greeted with less ecstasy than relief amongst those in the stands, the Welsh left to feel slightly aggrieved at not returning across the Severn Bridge with something to show.

A Podgorica point is all that England require from their final qualifier against Montenegro to secure a spot at the Polish/Ukrainian finals next year, not that a display of such meekness will strike fear into Europe's elite come June.

England are fourth in the world, Wales 117th, it is difficult to see whether this result makes a more of a mockery of Capello's team or the FIFA world rankings, though the answer is most likely both.

Young Strike Saves Unspectacular England

A meagre second half performance from England saw the Lions limp towards qualification for the 2012 European Championships as they took the points against a battling Wales at Wembley.

One goal was enough for the win, Ashley Young the man to sweep home a Stewart Downing cross late in the opening period, it was the second, though, that will have England fans worried as Wales began to even the game out and they would have had a point to take back acrpss the Severn Bridge had Robert Earnshaw not spooned Darcy Blake's cut back over the bar just five yards from an open goal.

There were two changes from Fabio Capello's Bulgarian teamsheet. Friday's notable admission, Frank Lampard, was restored to the the starting XI in place of Scott Parker, the Tottenham man dropping to the bench for fear of receiving the yellow card that would rule him out of England's final group game. Theo Walcott was the other man to lose his place, a hamstring injury putting paid to his night out, James Milner was his replacement in what would become a three man midfield.

The enforced abscense of star hitman Craig Bellamy weakened the Welsh frontline, Steve Morison the lonely figure at the top of Gary Speed's 4-5-1 formation, while fellow suspendee David Vaughan also missed out, though the returns of Jack Collison and Andrew Crofts to Wales' midfield helped to reinforce the Dragons' quest to frustrate the England attack.

England started patiently, monopolising the first five minutes' possession yet unable to break through the steadfast Wales. It wasn't until the seventh minute that fans had an effort to gasp at, John Terry out-muscling Ashley Williams, only to steer his header wide of Wayne Hennessey's goal.

The Welsh 'keeper's hands were rarely involved in the opening exchanges, though his feet were busy with a spree of backpasses, a punch off the head of John Terry was the first notable piece of glovework the Wolves custodian had to execute.

Whichever wing England attacked down their widemen, Stewart Downing and Ashley Young, looked continually threatening against the opposing full backs and it was the quick feet of the latter who carved out a cross from the left, narrowly evading the head of Wayne Rooney, floating through instead for Downing to acrobatically blaze over the crossbar.

As England produced two consecutive waves of attack came the opening goal of the evening. James Milner twisted himself away from his marker on the right flank, his original cross hacked away as far as Gareth Barry who fed the ball forward immediately, again out to the right, this time for Downing, the Liverpool man working a yard of space on the outside of his defender before scything in a cross that was met with a drilled near-post finish from Young.

England were invigorated and Rooney came inches from doubling the England advantage, Young the instigator once again, this time working a short corner and flashing a cross across the face of goal.

Within the first minute of the second half England had managed a further three attempts on Hennessey's woodwork, intricate passing allowing Young to test the Welsh number one before Downing saw his shot blocked. Gareth Barry swiped wildly at the third attempt to give the Welsh a moment of respite.

Having produced nothing of note for the best part of 55 minutes Wales suddenly had England scampering. Aaron Ramsey was played into the England box only to find his progress halted by a nerveless challenge from Gareth Barry.

The visitors continued to attack and with a quarter of an hour to go missed their golden opportunity. A free kick was whipped onto the far edge of Joe Hart's six yard box, Darcy Blake knocking the ball back across goal to leave Robert Earnshaw, scorer of over 200 career goals, with what should have been the simplest of tasks. The substitute's connection, however, was anything but sweet as he sent his shot off target with the goal at his mercy.

Suddenly the Welsh had some wind in their sails, Joe Ledley pinging a ball across the box which Chris Gunter collected, slamming his effort against the strong right hand of Joe Hart, not that it would have counted anyway, the full back punished for shoving Ashley Cole to the floor as he controlled the ball on his chest.

That move summed up Wales performance, coming so close and fighting so hard, yet fatally flawed when push came to shove in the final third.

Hope Is Not Enough

27 Years, that's how long it has been since the national football team of Wales claimed victory over their senior counterparts from England and, in all honesty, they should not be changing that fact when the the two sides meet for the second Anglo-Welsh clash this year.

It took just fourteen minutes in March for England to wrap up victory at the Millennium Stadium, Frank Lampard converting a penalty and Darren Bent slotting home from close range.

The past twelve months have been a torrid time for Welsh football, John Toshack stepped down as manager of the side following a qualifying defeat to Montenegro a year ago, leaving the FAW board with the task of finding and appointing a successor capable of turning the tide of a sinking ship.

Since ending 2007 in a vaguely respectable 57th place on the FIFA rankings there has been an irreversible slide that has seen the Welsh drop, almost stonelike in fashion, down to 117th, below the likes of the Central African Republic, Antigua and the Faroe Islands. In the latest table they remain just two points ahead of Grenada.

Following Toshack's departure Brian Flynn, coach of the under-21 side, was handed the reins in a temporary spell as a test of his calibre, he didn't get the job, the task eventually falling into the lap of Gary Speed, inexperienced at club management, let alone international.

The barren spell was not arrested by fresh blood, the Welsh lost to Ireland in the Carling Nations Cup before one of the biggest games the country had seen for nigh on five years, England were coming to town. We all know how that one finished and Speed would have to wait another two games before claiming his first win, beating a woefully understrength Northern Irish line-up in a scarcely populated Aviva Stadium, Dublin, just 529 people turning up for the game, less than 200 of those were actually supporters of either country.

And then, salvation. Cardiff City Stadium, now one of the national team venues that are used in rotation, played host, not least because of the paltry crowds that turned the Millennium Stadium from a cauldron into a cave. Montenegro, daring to challenge England atop qualifying group G, were the visitors and Wales gave them one hell of a ride. Where the spirit and vigour for such a performance came from we can't be quite sure but wherever it was it couldn't have come soon enough for supporters. Steve Morison opened his international account before captain Aaron Ramsey doubled the advantage, not even a Stevan Jovetic consolation could take the shine off Speed's first competitive win.

A modicum of pride has been restored to Wales, though it should prove to be no more than a cruel build up of hope once the trip to Wembley is done and dusted.

The history doesn't stack up well for Tuesday's Wembley visitors either, just once in five trips to England have Wales come up trumps, that was in 1977, while the last time any venue saw a victory for the Dragons was 1984. History, form and the squads, on paper at least, do not seem to favour Wales, neither do the bookies. England are 1/7 to win, their opponents are way out at 20, does any more really need to be said?

The star of the show, Craig Bellamy, picked up a yellow in Friday's win, thus ruling him out of this one. No rest for the wicked.

"Hopefully we'll nick a result over there." Was the resoundingly uneasy comment to come from Gareth Bale pre-match. Hope springs eternal, it does for Welsh football at least, but to dispose of England, regardless of their form at Wembley, a little more than hope is required. Wales will have to play at their best, England, not so much so.

Will it be the formality that Britain, nay, the entire footballing world expects? I wouldn't want to be seen as writing them off completely, but...

Paul Buckle Untroubled By Slow Start

Despite an inconsistent start to life at Bristol Rovers Paul Buckle is confident that he and his squad can get the results, it just won't happen overnight.

Spirits amongst supporters dropped after a dismal display on Saturday saw the Gas come away with nothing but a 4-1 defeat to title favourites Crawley to show for their troubles, a result that left Buckle disappointed, not only in the performance of his players, but in his own showing.

"Everyone wanted to get off to a cracking start and be top of the league, but it is a long, long season." Commented the former Torquay boss.

"If we were sitting in the play-offs now, you wouldn't catch me jumping around saying we were the finished article and I am certainly not going to stand here now a few games in and be worried.

"We have a long way to go until we get the rebuild right. Saturday was not nice for us, the players know that, and we put a few things right yesterday, and tomorrow night will be another opportunity to get on the front foot and try and win the game.

"On Saturday we played a good side who have been together for a while, and they are the bookies favourites for a reason. The one thing that disappointed us is that we know we can play a lot better. We didn't perform Saturday; me, the staff and the players."

Buckle continued by bemoaning the injuries that have prevented him from sending out a settled side on a regular basis, a factor that lead to Rovers conceding three goals from set pieces at the Broadfield Stadium.

"I have signed some excellent people, we have all come together very quickly, that is not an excuse, but we need a bit of time to understand each other.

"We have had a lot of injuries, we still have good players to come in, it is always an opportunity for other players to come in and do well, but ultimately the sooner we can get an 11 on the pitch on a regular basis, then the understanding will come.

"I am not saying we didn't try on Saturday, we did, we had a go, we were just very loose on set plays. We have been watertight up to then, two clean sheets in the last two league games.

"We got tested to the max at Macclesfield, but on Saturday we came unstuck. Teams don't have to do an awful lot on games these days to get something if you are not switched on in the 18 yard box.

"They had six shots on our goal and scored four goals. We know that we have got to be better in the 18 yard box, and that is something I will instill at the club."

Sunday saw the Rovers squad called in for extra training by their gaffer, though he insists it was not so much a disciplinary action as a chance to evaluate what has passed so far this season.

"It wasn't a punishment, I think that if you have to punish people, you need to get rid of them. It was a case that we needed to have a chat as a group, the players need to know where I am coming from, and what we expect.

"Basically it was to have a look at what we have achieved so far, there was lots of good, and a few bits that weren't so good.

"We are trying to build something at the club, we are trying to get wins, but we are also trying to build a mentality which was not here before we got here."

It was then revealed that two players picked up knocks on Saturday that could prevent them from lining up against Wycombe in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on Tuesday night. There was, however, good news about full back Gary Sawyer who has spent the opening weeks on the sidelines recovering from a hernia operation.

"We are hoping Gary Sawyer will be back today. Joe Anyinsah is a no, and Adam Virgo is struggling with his calf. Chris Zebroski got a whack on Saturday.

"At the moment it seems to be one step forward and two back in terms of getting players back on the training field. But that is life, that happens.

"The place is very healthy, I am delighted with a lot of things. We had a harsh result in the week, the players gave so much and we lost by the odd goal."

Questions then moved to the loan window which opens up again in midweek, Buckle claiming to be caught in two minds as to whether any new faces needed to join his squad.

"It is catch 22. I am speaking to 'Kitey' [physiotherapist Phil Kite] all the time in regards to how long the players are going to be. Right now if you offered me two players, of course I would like two players to come into the squad.

"But, in a week's time I have got players coming back, you have a dilemma there. I would have brought players to the club to play, and it is going to be a period of time for them to settle in and find their feet, so I don't really want to overload.

"We have taken a hit with injuries at the moment, it is not a good time to go to Crawley, but we will take it on the chin. We were not good enough on Saturday, and we will be working very hard to put it right."

Before moving on to his next training session Buckle saved the last word for the fans, over 900 of whom made the journey to Sussex, only to witness defeat.

"The biggest plus again for me was the supporters. I know so many clubs where they would have booed us off, but they didn't do it. They weren't happy, I could see that, we are not happy. But if we stick together we will come out on top."

Rovers Hope For A Change In Luck

It's times like these that have fans split down the middle as to whether the distraction of cup football is a help or a hindrance. Without a ninety minute win in five games Bristol Rovers had their pride damaged by a 4-1 defeat away at Crawley Town on Saturday, the Reds one of the sides they were supposedly competing with for the League 2 title.

The early season tips of promotion have thus far been found wanting as Rovers sit 14th in the division, not languishing in the grand scheme of things but for a set of supporters whose hopes were raised by the high calibre of pre-season performances and the encouraging words that rolled off Paul Buckle's tongue their start has been none to impressive. Out of the last 270 minutes of football played only 45 have been up to the expected standard, though by that time they were already 2-0 down to Leyton Orient.

The entirety of the team are yet to perform in sync this season, when the defence have held firm the forwards have been found wanting and vice-versa. When the Pirates do hit their rhythm and produce that elusive complete performance you feel that they will be hard to handle, what remain are the questions of when such a display will be produced and whether it can be built upon in time for a tilt at promotion, play-off or otherwise.

This will be the fourth week in a row that the Gas have played Saturday-Tuesday games, the postponement of their first round Carling Cup tie can field the blame for that, and while fatigue should not be a major factor at such an early stage of the season it could end up being a key element against a Wycombe side who will come into the game refreshed, having not played for ten days. Saturday's League 1 fixture with Preston was postponed due to the number of Deepdale based players on international duty, giving Gary Waddock's men a break from competition.

Having started their league season unbeaten in three the Chairboys have proceeded to lose their last two on the trot as well as receiving a 4-1 thumping by Nottingham Forest in the League Cup. The only side they have managed a victory over this term are bottom of the table Leyton Orient who only claimed their first point last weekend in a basement clash with Chesterfield.

Wanderers have shared their nine goals around, only Joel Grant and Scott Donnelly making it past the lonely one while Rovers can boast only one man who can claim such an accolade, former Wycombe striker Matt Harrold netting three goals.

Harrold is not the only player who has played in the sky and navy blue quarters either, both Scott McGleish and Chris Zebroski have been a part of Wycombe line-ups in seasons gone by. On the other side the Chairboys squad contains no less than two ex-Gasmen, wing back Andy Sandell spent a season at the Memorial Stadium, winning promotion via the League 2 play-offs in the process, while central defender James Tunnicliffe was a member of the Rovers squad that was relegated from the third tier last season.

Since then, and since last years Johnstone's Paint Trophy tie, the two clubs have switched both divisions and seasonal targets, Rovers looking for promotion while Wycombe will attempt to stave off the drop come May. That JPT game, also played at Adams Park, saw the Pirates address a poor run of form with an enthralling 6-3 away win, Jo Kuffour scoring a hat-trick in the process, Scott Rendell snapping up the three Wanderers goals on that occasion.

Kuffour is unlikely to trouble Wycombe in this seasons meeting though, the striker looking to orchestrate a move away from Bristol, closer to his London home, Wanderers one of the clubs linked with the tricky forward on a seasons loan deal.

Left back Gary Sawyer could make his first appearance of the season in Buckinghamshire as he looks to have recovered well from a hernia operation. Joe Anyinsah will be missing, once again with a hamstring injury, while Adam Virgo is a doubt with a calf strain. Defender Cian Bolger is definitely out with an ankle ligament injury while Chris Zebroski could be on the sidelines having taken a big hit against Crawley.

Badminton's Greatest Fighter

In the grand scheme of sporting comebacks, Kim Clijsters returning from motherhood to win the US Open, Lance Armstrong fighting back from cancer to claim the Tour de France title, the Slovakian Open, an international series tournament on the world badminton calender, may not have quite the same ring to it, what it does provide, however, is proof that Petr Koukal has successfully fought back from his life threatening illness.

September 2010, Koukal had just completed the Bitburger Open, returning home to the Czech Republic having swept nearly all before him to reach the semi-finals, including the number 3 seed and world number 16 Rajiv Ouseph on the way. Little over a fortnight later, during a routine check-up with his doctor, came the devastating diagnosis of cancer.

Fast forward three months to December and Koukal was able to reveal to the world that he had been give the all clear after three cycles of chemotherapy, 'It was very hard experience,' admitted the philosophical shuttler, 'but I believe that it will only make me stronger and tougher.'

After just two months training Koukal returned to the court to defend his mantle as Czech national champion. It was never in doubt. The final in Prerov pitted the four time defending champ against Tomas Kopriva with an opportunity to complete a fairytale return to the court, the 25 year old duly obliging to claim his fifth consecutive national title.

Numerous small tournaments later and with a world ranking hovering around the late 60's came the next step in Koukal's recovery, a chance to take to the world stage again for the Sudirman cup in Qingdao, China. Playing in the third tier of the tournament the Czech's ended as runners-up in their group, Koukal winning two of his three matches before his team were forced to pull out, handing the Vietnamese a walkover and 23rd place.

Following all the positivity from his recovery there was still one other major tournament for Koukal to try his hand at before the year was out, the 2011 World Championships in London. Unfortunately for the Czech it didn't go quite to plan as he was on the wrong end of a 21-5 21-8 thrashing, Ukrainian Dmytro Zavadsky his conqueror. It was difficult to hide the disappointment after such a harrowing defeat but when you've come so far in such a short time you can't let go of your self belief, and there was never any doubt that Koukal was going to continue.

Onto Slovakia, then. Without dropping a game the big Czech made it to the final to face left-handed Pole Hubert Paczek, ranked 316 by the BWF. Koukal opened the match with five straight points, his lead extended to seven at the mid-game interval thanks to a flurry of powerful attacking strokes. Paczek pulled back a couple of points but in the end it was academic as his opponent took the first game by a 10 point margin, winning 21-11 on the first of his nine game points.

Though the second game saw a far more purposeful display from the Pole it was Koukal who stormed to a 21-15 victory in the second game, buoyed by the support of the horn-blowing crowd, the Czech fourth seed's all round game proving too strong for Paczek to deal with.

"You know I was so disappointed after a poor performance at the worlds in London that I decided to come here to Slovakia to try and get some wins under my belt." Said the bubbly Koukal after his victory. "But now it’s clear to me that actually London was meant to be and I was supposed to come here and win this tournament and really it’s a great feeling to win again."

To stand in the face of cancer and come out the other end as mentally tough as ever is a testament to the mindset of Koukal who never once showed that his illness was getting the better of him. Where others may have folded it shows that the physical abilities of this extraordinary athlete are not the only attributes that make him a world class sportsman, but the way he dealt with the psychological ramifications of facing his toughest opponent to date.

It is nearly a year after the soul destroying diagnosis for Koukal who has never once thrown in the towel when faced with a life-threatening adversary and now, less than twelve months after waiting for a totally different set of results, the strong willed shuttler is now eagerly anticipating Thursday's release of the latest world ranking tables. The push has begun for Koukal as he looks to force his career back to where it stood before, if he continues in the same vain it won't be long before he achieves his goal in a quite remarkable manner.

Out Of Form Rovers And Reds Look For Boost

It is the game that will have League 2 punters keenly watching their computer screens for minute-by-minute updates, Crawley Town, favourites for the fourth tier title, hosting the team tipped to be their closest rivals, Bristol Rovers. It is not, however, the top of the table clash that many predicted, though the new season is still in it's infancy.

Having taken three wins and a draw from their opening four league fixtures it looked as though newly promoted Crawley were set to live up to the hype, sitting as they did atop the division following a 3-1 victory away at Torquay. Since then the good form has began to slip away as the Red Devils have tasted defeat in their last three, though two of those games were in cup competitions. The loss in the league came away at Cheltenham Town, Kaid Mohamed, Marlon Pack and Jeff Goulding giving the Robins a 3-0 half time lead. Three half time substitutions by Crawley boss Steve Evans could only rescue a consolation goal, the gaffer seething about his sides first half display when interviewed post-match.

Don't get too confident just yet, Rovers fans, all those losses were on the road and when it comes to home league games the Reds are unbeaten in 17, Newport County the last team to overcome the home team at Broadfield Way, and you can almost guarantee them a goal, too. It was the opening game of last season, in a defeat to Grimsby Town, the last time Crawley drew a blank on home turf.

A midweek Carling Cup match against Leyton Orient ended in defeat for Rovers, though not for a lack of effort on their part. 2-0 down after 23 minutes the Gas pulled the game level in second half stoppage time, only for the Londoner's to deliver a sucker punch in the shape of a Stephen Dawson winner just seconds before the final whistle. It was the first defeat away from the Memorial Stadium for Rovers but the spirit shown will be pleasing for fans and club officials alike.

It hasn't all been positive away from home for Rovers, though, only an opening day win at AFC Wimbledon have given the Pirates three points in their two trips, a 0-0 stalemate at Macclesfield the other result. With four games since claiming victory in any game for the Gas it leaves two highly thought of teams in relatively poor form, a win for either giving a potential platform from which they can push on.

Pablo Mills (ankle) and Jamie Day (back) will miss out for the home team while Scott Shearer, Scott Davies, Wes Thomas and Tyrone Barnett could be in line for recalls having been dropped for the JPT loss to Southend.

Wantaway striker Jo Kuffour is highly unlikely to feature in the Rovers squad, the former Swindon man looking for a new club closer to London.

Cian Bolger (ankle), Jo Anyinsah (hamstring) and Matt Harrold look set to miss out as they continue to recover from respective complaints.