Buckle Hails 'Outstanding' Rovers

Bristol Rovers picked up their first home win of the season as they beat Northampton Town 2-1 at the Memorial Stadium.

Jo Kuffour swivelled and half volleyed past Sam Walker to the delight of the home faithful to send the Pirates into the break with a 1-0 advantage.

The game was level after 64 minutes when Cian Bolger's attempted clearance struck Adebayo Akinfenwa and ricocheted into the net but Matt Harrold finished the game as he struck high into the net to move Rovers up into the League 2 play-off zone, much to the delight of manager Paul Buckle.

"We would have took a win by hook or by crook, but to get it in that fashion; I thought we were outstanding.

"Underneath I was disappointed that we weren't 3-0 up at half time, as we dominated the game, had good tempo and good fight and knew what Northampton would offer us.

"Northampton struggled to contain us with the tempo we played at. There was a lot of aerial battles, if you play against a side that keeps throwing the ball in, you have to be resilient and professional."

Rovers were in the ascendancy from the off and nearly took an early lead when Joe Anyinsah hit a spectacular volley, spinning and hitting from waist height, that forced Northampton custodian Walker to tip the ball around the post.

The home side weren't to be denied for long though, Matt Gill's free kick found Kuffour in the box, and the former Arsenal trainee made no mistake, turning and scoring his first of the season.

Into the second half a spell of Northampton pressure tolled as a goalmouth scramble lead to Bolger's clearance rebounding off Akinfenwa to hand Gary Johnson's side an equaliser.

The parity lasted just eleven minutes before Chris Zebroski's fluffed effort rolled through for Matt Harrold who hit the ceiling of the net to restore Rovers lead.

Kuffour and Harrold both had shots cleared off the line late on but there were to be no more goals and Cobblers boss Johnson had to make do with a fruitless journey back to the East Midlands.

"We just never got started at all." Said the Londoner. "They took the game to us, they played their four up front and we knew if we gave the ball away they’d be down our throats.

"That was exactly what we did, we kept giving the ball away and that meant they put us under pressure."