Rovers Relegated As Wednesday Hold Firm

Barring a footballing and mathematical anomaly next weekend Bristol Rovers were consigned to relegation back to League 2, four years after they returned to the third tier via the play-offs.

The point they took in the 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday was not enough for the club to retain their League 1 status, the game itself being a tale of two penalties, Tommy Miller giving the visitors the lead in the third minute before Will Hoskins levelled after twelve.

Stuart Campbell made two changes to his starting line up, dropping himself following the dead calf injury he suffered against Bournemouth on Monday, JP Kalala joining the starting line up along with Danny Coles who made his way back from an achilles injury. He replaced the suspended David McCracken.

After Rovers did so well to take an early lead away at Bournemouth they suffered a taste of their own medicine as Danny Coles was adjudged to have taken out Gary Madine in the penalty area, though the Rovers players were not at all pleased with the referee's decision. But as it was it was too late and Tommy Miller dispatched the spot kick high to Logan's right.

Within nine minutes of that goal, however, Rovers had been awarded a penalty of their own, Wayne Brown being pushed over by Lewis Buxton when he had his back to goal and it was captain Will Hoskins who stepped up to the plate, scoring the equalising goal and setting Rovers up to put a period of pressure on their opponents.

Hoskins was the man who nearly got an assist on another goal, the striker curling in a corner that Byron Anthony headed against an upright from a tight angle.

News filtered through that both Dagenham and Walsall were ahead by this point and it was the Gas who continued to make all the running as they searched for the goal they so desperately needed, Jo Kuffour heading inches wide.

Wednesday were not totally out of the game though, James O'Connor dragging an effort wide of the goal as his side looked to retake the lead.

Chris Lines almost finished the half in spectacular style unleashing a fierce thirty yard drive on Nicky Weaver's goal but the experienced keeper successfully tipped the ball over the bar in front of a rowdy Blackthorn End.

Rovers started the second half well as Jo Kuffour was able to cut onto his right down the left hand flank and scooped a ball over to Hoskins who had to lean back as he headed goalwards, the ball glancing off his forehead and flying just wide of the Wednesday goal.

An Owls free kick from about thirty yards and at an angle to the goal was touched short for substitute Jermaine Johnson to thump goalwards but he sliced his shot horribly wide, producing great jeers from the visibly nervous but bubbling fans in the Blackthorn End.

Conrad Logan made a meal of a high backpass, sending the ball up into the sky where the much maligned Gary Madine played it back for Tommy Miller to wildly half volley over the crossbar.

But the action kept up at the other end, Gavin Williams the latest to test Weaver connecting well with a volley that the visiting stopper held onto while flinging himself to his right.

Another chance came and went as Will Hoskins looked to place the ball into the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the box but Weaver was once again up to the task, parrying the ball away.

Hearts were in mouths when Neil Mellor and Conrad Logan leapt into each other in the area, the ball running out of play allowing the referee to consult with his linesman as to whether the incident was penalty-worthy before eventually signalling for a corner.

Chris Lines had a low free kick pushed around the post by Weaver as he looked to tuck the ball in the bottom corner from thirty yards and aside from a weak effort from substitute Charlie Clough that was to be it, the clock running down on Rovers struggle for survival leaving the club needing a true miracle to remain in League 1.

Many fans stayed and clapped and cheered their valiant heroes from the field, leaving many of them with one last rendition of Goodnight Irene ringing in their ears at the Memorial Stadium before they play for their own professional pride at Colchester in a weeks time.

Rovers caretaker manager Stuart Campbell was visibly down when he summarised the game with the press, telling them:

"We are absolutely devastated with what has happened.

"We had an eye on the other results, but I fully expected them to win anyway and knew in my heart of hearts that we had to go out and get three points, but unfortunately we didn't do that.

"The three games we have had in the last week we could quite easily have won all three of them, the amount of chances we created.

"I thought today our luck was going to turn and we would get a couple of goals, but yet again we have missed a hat full of chances.

"We are bitterly disappointed, no more so than for the fans, they were outstanding again today and they most definitely don't deserve that."

Gary Megson was also in the eyes of the media after the game, talking about his disappointment with the drop in his sides performance. He said:

"It was typically end of season from our perspective.

"The team that got that draw today played nowhere near as it has in the last six weeks but that happens in football at this stage of the season.

"It was very hot out there but I don't want to make any excuses because I just didn't think we played very well."

Time For Rovers To Turn It on

Forget the money spent on a match ticket and travelling down to the south coast, no Bristol Rovers fans would have complained had the referee blown the final whistle just after Wayne Brown gave Bristol Rovers a fourth minute lead over Bournemouth.

But he didn't and the Gas went on to lose thanks to two late goals, denying them the chance to drag themselves out of the bottom four as the Cherries cemented their place in the play-off positions. After Brown scored his second goal of the Easter period to give the visitors the lead but Mathieu Baudry and Steve Fletcher struck in the 84th and 89th minutes to give Bournemouth the points. That game came just two days after a comeback from two goals down in a dramatic game against Charlton that saw the visitors go down to nine men and defender for their lives as Rovers fought their way to a point. There was controversy at the end of that game as Gavin Williams looked to handball before volleying in the equaliser before Will Hoskins had a chance to settle the game, hitting the ball into the ground and over from nine yards out.

Sheffield Wednesday will be facing up against a side in the relegation zone for the third time in eight days on Saturday. They drew with Walsall last weekend, Neil Mellor netting the equaliser at the Bescot Stadium after Jon Macken gave the Saddlers the lead, and then relegated Swindon Town on Easter Monday, Mellor again getting on the score sheet with two more goals. If Rovers don't claim anything this weekend and results go against them it could be that Wednesday send two west country teams down in consecutive matches.

A month ago the Owls found themselves on a poor run of form and after losing 3-1 to Brentford were only four points off of the relegation zone but since then there has been just one defeat, that coming against league champions Brighton, and that spell has seen Gary Megson's side move up to a comfortable 14th and certain survival. Four wins have come in the Yorkshire sides last six with one draw and that aforementioned defeat but away from home they are far less reliable having failed to win in their last four games on the road. Conceding goals away from Hillsborough has been the big problem for Wednesday, only four teams have conceded more than their 37 and all of them occupy the bottom four.

After a good spell over the end of March and the start of April Rovers form has slumped. Stuart Campbell's side have failed to win in their last four, losing three of those games. At home there have been just three wins in the last sixteen, that run starting way back in September. The Gas have only collected five points at most in consecutive home games, that little spell surprisingly coming when Dave Penney was still in charge. All four of the wins under Campbell's reign have come by a scoreline of 1-0, three of those were away from the Memorial Stadium and you have to go back to the 3-1 win over Swindon in January for the last time a Rovers side won by anything other than that score.

What Rovers lacked for so long was an experienced, creative edge from their midfield but Dave Penney successfully changed that when he brought in former Yeovil and Bristol City midfielder Gavin Williams. The Welsh international was released from his contract at Rovers City rivals when it was clear that he was not going to be getting near the first team, allowing him to look for new pastures to continue his career and he has found that with the Pirates. He scored his first goal for the club against his previous employers Yeovil Town, a club he made over 100 appearances for, giving Rovers a vital win. His next goal came against Charlton and over the past three games he has shown his experience and technical abilities, putting in a good shift for the club and showing the spirit that is required to survive and a goal against Wednesday would help to give the fans hope that their club can beat the drop.

If Rovers are to stop Wednesday and get the win they so desperately need their back four will need to keep tabs on Neil Mellor. The former Liverpool striker, best known for his late goals against Arsenal and Olympiacos back in 2004, has got twenty goals during the current campaign including six in the last six games and hat tricks in a further two matches. The big centre forward will bring his typically physical game to the Memorial Stadium and will hope to pose problems for what is an injury hit Rovers back line.

There have only been twelve games between Rovers and Wednesday, eleven of them occurring in the league, and the overall record is very much against Saturday's home side. The Owls have won six of the league meetings as well as the only one to take place in a cup competition and you have to go back to April 1959 for the last of only two times they have lost out to Rovers, seven games being played since. Prior to the 6-2 hiding the Gas received at Hillsborough back in December the two sides hadn't met for ten seasons and before that you have to go a further ten years into the past for the previous encounters, the last four of which Wednesday have won. But Gasheads shouldn't lose hope just yet as both of the games their team have won against the Sheffield side have been at home and they have lost just once on their own turf back in 1990.

Rovers will be without their suspended centre half David McCracken after his red card against Bournemouth and will also miss Danny Coles and James Tunnicliffe with achilles and foot injuries respectively.

Left midfielder Jeff Hughes is out for the last two games of the season with a triple wrist fracture suffered against Charlton.

Charlie Clough was recalled from his loan spell at Bath City and is likely to take a place in the squad as defensive cover, being able to play in the centre of defence as well as his usual central midfield position.

Sheffield Wednesday look as though they will have to do without the services of striker Gary Madine who suffered a calf injury against Swindon and is waiting for the results of a scan to determine how serious it is.

Central defenders Danny Batth (illness) and Mark Beevers (fractured cheekbone) are also set to miss out.

Rovers caretaker player-manager Stuart Campbell knows about the threats that Wednesday possess and is wary of them, saying:

"They have had a great run of form of late, the new manager has stamped his authority on the team and what he wants from the players.

"They are a huge club, with a huge fan base, and there are some very good players in there.

"We have had them watched and they have some good attacking players, so we are going to have to be at our best to keep them quiet."

Wednesday boss Gary Megson chose to speak about the effort his players have put in during their recent upturn in form, on the subject he said:

"The players are working a lot harder and putting a lot more effort in. So they do need some rest, we do look after them.

"It's a great life being a footballer. They come in and train then it's up to them to rest themselves. The idea then is when we do play, the team will be going into games all guns blazing.

"Bristol Rovers is going to be a game similar to Walsall, I'm sure. They will come out and know they need to get a result against us, so they'll try and do that from minute one."

Midweek League 1 Round Up - 25/01/2011

Six fixtures took place on Tuesday evening in League 1, the highlight being Brighton, top of the division, taking on Colchester at the Withdean but there were also important games taking place at Hillsborough and The County Ground in Swindon.

Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 Colchester United


With MK Dons being the only other member of the top six to be playing Brighton had the chance to extend their lead at the top of League 1 to six points and they didn't disappoint, remaining at the head of the table for the 18th consecutive game.

Albion threatened early and loan signing Chris Woods nodded a shot towards goal, only to see it come back off of the post, but it was just before half time that the home side took the lead, Inigo Calderon stroking home, the full backs fifth goal of the season.

With 75 minutes on the clock Brighton doubled their advantage thanks to Craig Noone's first goal for the club since joining from Plymouth at the start of the month, beating numerous before driving past Ben Williams from the edge of the area. Colchester will be without Pat Baldwin for their next game after the defender was shown red for a second bookable offence late on.

Leyton Orient 2-2 MK Dons


Despite a patchy run of form MK Dons find themselves sat in fifth place in League 1 following an exciting encounter at Brisbane Road. A win would have taken the Dons up to fourth but Orient are decent at home, having gone unbeaten in their previous eight fixtures at their own place including a thumping 4-0 weekend win over big guns Sheffield Wednesday. Orient were without manager Russel Slade for this game, the gaffer having to spend time in hospital following minor surgery, so assistant manager Kevin Nugent was to take charge, and it wasn't long before they found themselves behind in a pulsating first half.

It was Stephen Gleeson who gave the Dons the lead with a stunning volley from 25 yards out having controlled the ball on his chest. Two minutes was all the lasted, though, Scott McGleish taking advantage of Dean Lewington's slip to draw Orient onto level terms. That goal totally changed the game and the O's started to make real headway, Dean Cox rifling a shot back off the post before the winger turned provider, sending in a cross for experienced defender Terrell Forbes to head home and it remained that way until 56 minutes. Sean O'Hanlon heading in from close range from a Peter Leven delivery.

It remained that way until the end pushing Orient a point further from the relegation zone and propelling the Dons into the play-off zone, although the away side would have preferred the victory they arguably deserved, having a negative goal difference and playing at least two games more than many of the teams on their tail.

Walsall 1-1 Oldham Athletic



Before this game Walsall were cut adrift at the bottom of the table, nine points behind 20th placed Swindon Town and after this draw nothing had changed. Oldham on the other hand knew that a win against the strugglers would see themselves jump Charlton, Peterborough and possibly the MK Dons and into the play-off places.

Much of the early pressure came from the hosts but on a number of ocassions striker Will Grigg, recently called up to the Northern Irish under-21 side, found himself unable to beat Oldham stopper Ben Amos and they were punished for their carelessness when Filipe Morais scored in his second successive game to give Latics the lead. Just past the hour mark Walsall levelled thanks to a fierce Darryl Westlake effort from just inside the penalty area.

It was a result that will do no side any great favours as they continue in their own personal battles at either end of the league table.

Sheffield Wednesday 2-2 Yeovil Town



Following an appauling mauling from Leyton Orient on Saturday Sheffield Wednesday looked to get their play-off challenge back on trakc against relegation threatened Yeovil, but there was to be no relief for under fire Owls boss Alan Irvine following a clash that had it all.

Dean Bowditch opened the scoring for Yeovil, running into the area and seeing his shot take a deflection off of a home defender to loop over the stranded Nicky Weaver and into the net. It was down to Wednesday's new signing Gary Madine to level it up for the home team, heading in from six yards out. Two melees took place on the pitch as the game really started to heat up and tensions boiled over.

The Somerset side took the lead again in the second half, Paul Huntington heading goalwards from an Andy Welsh corner before the context of the game changed due to a second yellow card for Yeovil full back Luke Ayling. Adam Virgo came on to shore up the Glovers defence, only to be sent off for fouling Madine in the area moments later. It was down to Giles Coke to level it up for Wednesday and if it weren't for Paul Heffernan encroaching into the area it would been, but as it stood the penalty had to be retaken and this time it didn't end well for the former Motherwell midfielder as he skied the ball well over the crossbar.

With four minutes left, however, Wednesday drew level. Despite a fine double save from Yeovil man of the match Stephen Henderson Reda Johnson knocked the ball over the line to deny Yeovil a battling win. The home side sit 10th, off of the pace and will hope for an up turn in fortunes between now and the end of the season. Yeovil remain in the relegation zone but their good form in recent games will give them the confidence that they need to stay up.

Hartlepool United 1-1 Notts County



Injury hit Notts County faced a trip to Hartlepool where a draw always looked the likely result. County were unbeaten in their last four games on the road, drawing three and winning one trip, while Pools had gone 419 minutes without scoring a goal.

It was Hartlepool who made the breakthrough in the 38th minute, Gary Liddle the scorer despite claims of offside from the Notts defence. The Magpies had to wait until the second half for their equaliser, Lee Hughes stepping off of the bench to secure a point for the visitors, knocking the ball over the line from a position he could hardly miss from. The striker is the subject of transfer interest from Sheffield Wednesday, who are looking to bolster an already strong frontline in their promotion challenge.

County moved a further point away from the relegation zone while Hartlepool have now failed to win in five games.

Swindon Town 0-0 Tranmere Rovers



Following Saturday's 3-1 defeat to local rivals Bristol Rovers Danny Wilson is starting to look down the barrel as his side slip deeper into relegation trouble. Tranmere have moved slightly away from trouble after they shocked Southampton 2-0 at the weekend.

The best chance of a dour game fell to Charlie Austin but the wantaway striker saw his penalty saved by former Fulham goalkeeper Tony Warner after Michael Timlin was fouled in the area by Joss Labadie. Tranmere's best chance fell to Lateef Elford-Alliyu who hit the post while Rovers also saw two penalty shouts turned down. In the second half Austin had another great chance but his drive from a tight angle hit the underside of the crossbar before bouncing to safetey for the Merseysiders.

A draw does neither of the sides any real favours as they both remain in trouble at the wrong end of the League 1 table.