Keynsham and Bristol Academy handed tough cup tests

Keynsham Town Ladies will continue their record breaking Women's FA Cup run with a home tie against Premier League leaders Sunderland.

The Lady Ks thrashed Sheffield 5-2 at Crown Field on Sunday to make it into the last sixteen for the first time in their history. Naomi Clipston, Kayleigh Sage and a Leanne Lapham penalty put Town three goals up on their Premier League North opponents, though Jodie Michalska pulled two back for Sheffield to put the game on a knife edge. Keynsham rode out the storm, however, Polly Wardle and Ashley Reinecke adding the gloss to the final score, allowing Lapham's miss from her second spot kick to go unpunished.

The cup success will come as welcome respite to Town, who are currently battling relegation from the Premier League South, one half of the third tier of the women's game in England. They currently sit one place above the drop zone on goal difference.

Sunderland have previous in the cup, reaching the final in 2009, and will prove a hefty obstacle for Keynsham's slim quarter-final hopes. Currently, the Black Cats top the Premier League's national division and are revered as the strongest team outside of the top flight Women's Super League, having also claimed the Premier title last term.

The region's only WSL team, Bristol Academy, will also be involved, having been given a bye to the fifth round. The Vixens were also handed a home tie, Leeds United the opposition scheduled to visit the Stoke Gifford Stadium and open Academy's 2012 competitive campaign.

Despite their status as one of the eight semi-professional Super League clubs, progression will be no simple task for the 2011 finalists; Leeds are just three points off Sunderland at the top of the Premier League and have not lost since facing the table toppers in December.

The potential reward for Academy reaching a second consecutive final will not just be the glory of a showpiece national event, as this year's final is being held at Ashton Gate.

Bath based Larkhall Athletic will look on at the draw in envy, as they were unable to repeat their vanquishing of Tottenham in the previous round, falling 3-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion at the Withdean Stadium yesterday. Had they produced another upset against a third tier club, a trip to WSL Chelsea would have been their reward.

All ties are pencilled in to be played on Sunday, March 11th. The full draw is as follows:

Bristol Academy v Leeds United
Barnet v Doncaster Rovers Belles
Charlton Athletic v Blackburn Rovers
Lincoln Ladies v Arsenal
Birmingham City v Liverpool
Manchester City v Everton
Chelsea v Brighton & Hove Albion
Keynsham Town v Sunderland

Defences hold firm in trapdoor tussle

This was a result that neither side wanted, but both would take. Defeat for either Plymouth Argyle or Dagenham and Redbridge would have put a sizable dent into their quest to avoid the fall off the Football League precipice, but nobody was about to relinquish any ground at Home Park.

It was a frustrating afternoon for everyone involved, the players who had been training in the hope of grasping a season changing win, and the fans, for whom the match had been billed as the biggest of the season. In hindsight, after Saturday's dour displays, it should simply have been the biggest of the season yet.

It was the home side, unbeaten in three and coming off the back of a morale boosting 4-0 win at Accrington, who edged an even first half, before running much of the second, striking the left-hand upright twice within a minute.

The game was low on quality and high on ball trajectory, containing all the hallmarks of a match between two teams fighting for their lives, a scenario that Pilgrims boss Carl Fletcher had predicted in the build up:

"We knew it was going to be scrappy," said the rookie manager. "We spoke all week that we were going to have to earn the right to play and scrap away, and that it was going to be an ugly game.

"We were well aware what was coming and that we had to be patient and, to be fair, the lads have done everything but score a goal. We had three great chances in the first half, hit the post in the twice in the second half and the keeper has pulled off a couple of saves."

But, above all, Fletcher defined the synopsis for his battling squad: "It was vital that we didn't lose; that was a big one for us."

Trepidation was the word of the day and fractured nerves were on show, Maxime Blanchard gave away an early free kick after fouling Jon Nurse 25 yards out; Matt Saunders shot from the resultant dead ball too weak to really trouble Argyle custodian Jake Cole

Nick Chadwick had the first notable effort from open play, blazing over with a sweeping shot following a low cross from the right, owing to a frustrating opening period for the bullish striker who, along with partner Alex MacDonald, found the assistant referee's flag the most challenging opponent.

The advertising hoardings behind either goal were seeing more of the ball than the keepers gloves, Greens captain Paul Wotton dragging a long range drive off target, Nurse failing to get enough purchase on his header, glancing Damien McCrory's left-wing cross wide of the goal for the Daggers.

With the break swiftly approaching, Conor Hourihane wasted the best opportunity of the lot for the Pilgrims. In a situation similar to Chadwick's early profligate strike, the Irish midfielder produced the same end result, skying the ball into the swathes of empty seats between the home and away fans, all the while under little defensive pressure.

When referee Dean Whitestone blew to resume the game, Argyle began to take the initiative. Within seconds of the restart Hourihane had another chance to put the Devon club into the lead, though his final shot was hit straight at debutant Jonathan Bond.

Brian Woodall's effort soared into his own fans at the other end, but it proved only seconds of respite as Ashley Hemmings and Robbie Williams both tried their luck for Plymouth, though their gambles did not pay off.

Each side made only two of their allotted substitutions, but it was Argyle's Luke Daley who had the biggest impact. He and Marcus Bignot attempted to work a move on the right-hand side of the penalty area, and though Dagenham broke it up, the ball squirmed into Daley's path, catching the visiting defence on the back foot and almost resulting in the lead, the wingers prod cannoning off the post.

Not 50 seconds had passed before the woodwork was rattling again. Williams, running on to a half cleared corner, could not have caught his left foot drive any sweeter, though neither could it have hit the post more emphatically.

Bond still had to be on hand to tip two further long range strikes round the post - MacDonald and Williams the players once again denied - the game finally petering out with a host of free kicks during the four minutes of stoppage time, leaving both teams frustrated, but Dagenham feeling slightly better of the two, even though they remain the team propping up the Football League.

John Still underlined Plymouth's recent results, while also sticking to his philosophy on playing the game.

"They've been on a decent run of form and they're a big club, regardless of their league position," said Still, "but we stuck at it and worked hard."

"They had two good efforts in the second half that hit the post without putting us under any sustained pressure. We never try to draw, the changes we made were to bring on attacking players. We want to remain positive."

Bristol Academy Confirm Fixtures

Bristol Academy have all but finalised their fixture list for the upcoming Women's Super League season, starting and finishing their campaign on Merseyside.

The Vixens begin with a trip to face Liverpool on Sunday, April 8th and will hope to set a precedent to the rest of the league against the side that finished bottom of the inaugural WSL season in 2011, claiming just a single victory in the process.

Stoke Gifford Stadium's opening league fixture will see Academy square off with Lincoln Ladies on April 21st, a 6PM kick to avoid a clash with Bristol City's final home game of the season against Barnsley.

Chelsea will be the final visitors to the Filton College's WISE campus in the penultimate league fixture on September 22nd before the season finishes away to Everton, kicking off at 2PM on October 7th. The only match yet to be arranged is the visit to Lincoln.

Monday also saw the draw for the second edition of the Continental Cup, which will feature all eight of the Super League clubs. Academy were drawn into group one of the new look format, converting from the straight knockout tournament played following the completion of the 2011 season.

Doncaster Rovers Belles will host the Vixens, who fell at the first hurdle to Lincoln last term, three weeks before the league matches begin. Birmingham will visit Bristol while a trip to Everton is also on the cards; the top two sides in each group moving into September's semi-finals.

Following the FA's announcement that this year's Women's FA Cup final will be held at Ashton Gate, Mark Sampson's team will also harbour ambitions of reaching a second consecutive final in their home city, having lost the 2011 showpiece 2-0 to Arsenal at Coventry's Ricoh Arena.

The club will enter at the fifth round stage, where they will hope to avoid their top flight rivals, most likely playing on March 11th.

Pre-season training continues for the squad, who followed up their opening win over Tottenham with a ruthless 10-0 thrashing of Plymouth Argyle on Sunday.

The full fixture list can be seen below, with home games shown in bold:

11.03.12 - Women's FA Cup 5th Round (TBA)
17/18.03.12 - Doncaster Rovers Belles - Continental Cup Round 1
08.04.12 - Liverpool - 2PM
21.04.12 - Lincoln - 6PM
29.04.12 - Birmingham City - 2PM
06.05.12 - Chelsea - 2PM
12/13.05.12 - Birmingham City - Contiental Cup Round 2
19.05.12 - Doncaster Rovers Belles - 6PM
26.05.12 - Women's FA Cup Final (Ashton Gate)
30.05.12 - Arsenal - 7.15PM
9/10.06.12 - Everton - Contiental Cup Round 3
23.06.12 - Everton - 6PM
07.07.12 - Birmingham City - 6PM
18.08.12 - Liverpool - 6PM
30.08.12 - Arsenal - 7.45PM
09.09.12 - Doncaster Rovers Belles - 2PM
22.09.12 - Chelsea - 6PM
07.10.12 - Everton - 2PM
TBA - Lincoln

Second half double seals Rovers win

Just as the Bristol Rovers squad deserve praise for their 2-1 victory over Morecambe on Saturday, the Memorial Stadium ground staff deserve their own acclaim for beating the freezing West Country temperatures and making sure the match went ahead.

Head groundsman Richard Allsworth and his team worked throughout the nights building up to the game to keep an eye on the playing surface. Both frost and rain covers protected the turf, while hot air blowing heaters aided the efforts to keep the pitch supple for the Lancastrians visit.

Their labours were duly rewarded as the Pirates pushed on from a dour first half performance to send Jim Bentley's charges on the four hour return journey with nothing to bare.

The game finally opened up in the 57th minute, Lee Brown tapping in from close range; Scott McGleish making it two with a penalty. Substitute Kevin Ellison thrashed in a late goal which, despite continuous late pressure from the visitors, ended as nothing more than a consolation.

It could have been a very different game had Morecambe made their first half forays into the Rovers penalty area count, journeyman forward Jason Price scuffing a shot after just 30 seconds following a defensive lapse.

Phil Jevons, the subject of derisive howls from the home support due to his association with their cross-city rivals, was the next to threaten the hosts' goal. Cian Bolger mistimed a header, allowing Jevons to rush in and clip an effort over the indecisive Michael Poke, though he was left in visible anguish as his shot struck the right hand upright.

Pirates skipper Matt Gill blazed a thumping volley over the top as his side attempted to gain a foothold in the match.

McGleish forced Chris Kettings into a full stretch save, pushing the ball onto the post, before Gill wasted another opportunity, hitting wide after the visiting custodian fumbled when challenged by the boisterous McGleish.

There was an increase in quality from the off in the second half, most notably from the home side who switched from 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 formation, bringing the desired effect soon enough.

Eliot Richards, a first half replacement for Joe Anyinsah, went on a marauding run down the right flank, cutting inside and beating three defenders in one move. The 20 year old proceeded to send a teasing low cross goalwards, Matt Harrold flicking the ball towards the back post where Brown was on hand to emphatically hammer into the roof of the net from a yard out.

Fifteen minutes from time the lead went from one to two via the penalty spot. Rovers broke and former Shrimper Craig Stanley played debutant substitute Matthew Lund into the penalty area, the Stoke loanee turning back on Danny Carlton, only to be dragged down by the arm.

Despite missing his previous spot kick in an FA Cup tie with Aston Villa, McGleish kept his cool to slam home his ninth goal of the season, his first as a starting player since November.

Looking to see out the match, the home side were playing five in midfield, but none of the quartered quintet were at fault for the Morecambe goal. Cian Bolger swiped at fresh air, allowing Jordan Burrow to sprint towards Poke who saved his initial drive, but could do no more than parry it into the path of Ellison to ruthlessly thunder a goal back.

It was Ellison who came closest to claiming an undeserved point for the travellers, unleashing a stinging volley that Poke had to be one hand to tip over the bar, sending the ground staff away with an unseasonably warm feeling inside.

Sessegnon settles north-east derby

THE only true blip on Martin O'Neill's start to life in charge of Sunderland was the failure to finish of local rivals Middlesbrough in the FA Cup barely two weeks ago, especially as the original fourth round tie was played at the home that could easily be redubbed 'The Fortress of Light'. The rectification at the Riverside on Wednesday night in a Tees-Wear derby that huffed and puffed but failed to provide any true quality will be satisfactory for the Northern Irishman.

The fact that the first game finished 1-1 was a disappointment among a set of supporters that have been on an almost opiate high, more pertinently because of the denial of a perfectly good goal by a poor piece of judgement from a linesman.

This replay, settled by Stephane Sessegnon's strike in the 23rd minute of extra time, puts Sunderland into a last-16 tie with Arsenal in just a couple of weekends time. The Beninese attacker's goal was required to finish of a plucky Boro, who had drawn level through Lucas Jutkiewicz in the second half, following Jack Colback's stunning opener.

With the in-form Black Cats desperately chasing the unlikely top six finish that would grant a Europa League spot, a run to a Wembley final could provide O'Neill's charges with a berth in continental competition come next term.

Middlesbrough started the game compact and fluent, looking to work Sunderland out of the tie, but remaining wary of their opponents' Premiership quality, though neither side's final product was worthy of creating a derby hero. Julio Arca, an adopted son of north-east football, wastefully shot at Simon Mignolet from a perplexing angle for Boro; January loan signing Jutkiewicz's effort flying closer to the South Stand roof than it did towards the Belgian's goal in the opening exchanges.

The home team continued to push and a fairly innocuous free kick almost produced the opener. A woefully timed defensive header allowed Seb Hines to stretch for a volley, forcing the Sunderland custodian into an impressive reaction stop.

That's not to write O'Neill's on-song team out of the script, it's just that they weren't producing any drama. When the Black Cats did possess a momentary threat, it was soon wiped out by effortful defending; Sessegnon flicking the ball into Michael Turner's path, only for the London-born defender to dawdle, allowing Matthew Bates to fly in with a block to maintain the parity.

And yet, despite their lacking edge, Middlesbrough were right to remain cagey of the Premier League class. John O'Shea sent a high ball onto Fraizer Campbell's head, the 24 year-old nodding the ball down for Colback to control and hit a magnificent swerving volley onto the angle of post and crossbar and into the net.

It wasn't a lead that Sunderland truly deserved, though neither were Boro worthy of an advantage themselves. Still, it proved the spark for an entertaining finish to first half proceedings, the Championship side refusing to take their bow without a fight. Phil Bardsley was forced to throw himself feet first at a sweetly struck Tony McMahon drive, while Mignolet was similarly required to leave the ground, pushing Curtis Main's stinging effort wide of his right-hand post.

Where the first half had given the visitors a goal against the run of play, the second spun 180 degrees; the hosts finding a reply with just over 30 minutes to go as Jutkiewicz volleyed into the bottom corner after Main's flying header dropped invitingly for the ex-Everton youngster. The gleeful look on Jutkiewicz's face as he celebrated in front of the home end was not only down to the equaliser itself, but for the release of tension that came with his first goal since signing on loan from Coventry, after four goalless appearances in a red shirt.

Sunderland slowly worked their way back into the half, almost snatching the lead back through Phil Bardsley, only to see the right back's shot cannon off the post with Jason Steele in the Middlesbrough goal flying despairingly for the unreachable ball.

Three second half substitutes did not provide Boro with the impetus to take the game in normal time, the seats at either end receiving a peppering from the frustratingly inaccurate forward lines. The moronic pair of pitch invaders, one of whom seemingly attempted to slide tackle Justin Hoyte, proving the only vaguely newsworthy point as the game limped into extra time.

It was one of those subs, namely Marvin Emnes, who could and, certainly in the eyes of the home support, probably should have given Middlesbrough the lead, but his shot from fourteen yards was charged down after Hoyte had burst past Kieran Richardson to lay the ball into his path.

The Dutchman's dallying proved costly as, with just seven minutes remaining, Sessegnon provided the decisive blow, sweeping a finish past Steele to secure the home tie with Arsenal on February 18th, with the added bonus of a fourth live game on ITV in as many matches in this season's FA Cup.

Bleazard and Sherwood depart Academy

In the build-up to the 2012 FAWSL season, Bristol Academy have suffered two further losses to their playing squad; midfielders Helen Bleazard and Katie Sherwood leaving the West Country to join rivals Chelsea.

The departures compound a frustrating close-season that has also seen Dutch international star Anouk Hoogendijk return home to former club FC Utrecht, following just a single season in England's top flight.

The trio's migration will leave a gaping hole across the Academy midfield - winger Bleazard was an ever-present in the 2011 Super League campaign while Hoogendijk missed just a single game. Coupled with the international experience all three possess, the Vixens have lost a major part of the successful midfield that helped the club into their debut FA Cup final and European adventure in 2011.

Villa see off Rovers in dour tie

Given the tumultuous nature of the past week and their disastrous season thus far, Bristol Rovers could be forgiven for a lack of emotion at being knocked out of the FA Cup, not least with their Football League status on the line. What will not improve the mood around the north of the City was the way the club slinked out at the third round stage - without a whimper.

Manager Paul Buckle was turfed out of the Memorial Stadium club on Tuesday, having barely been in charge for seven months, leaving the Pirates 19th in League 1. The job for his replacement will be staving off a second consecutive relegation, this time to the oblivion of the Conference, though if they were watching this match, the realisation of the task lying in their wait will have hit them.

At least Alex McLeish was still in the dugout for the travelling Midlanders, despite his less than smooth ride since crossing the second city to Villa Park; he will be thankful that this potential banana skin didn't provide any further bumps, despite the bobbly turf his side had to acclimatise to. Such was the will the Scot put into claiming victory here, a near full strength Villa eleven waded out into the Rovers' bog.

The hosts bright start belied the negative display that followed, Chris Zebroski lacking power with an effort that Brad Guzan collected at his feet in the opening exchanges.

Emile Heskey's fitness had been in question leading up to the match, but he nevertheless took up the familiar number 18 shirt, and would have put the Villains ahead after connecting with a corner were it not for Michael Poke's fingertips. Before long, however, the visitors began to take a stranglehold on the game, eventually taking the lead through Marc Albrighton.

Stiliyan Petrov provided a through ball of Premier League quality, Albrighton running in behind off-guard Rovers captain Gary Sawyer and striking the ball between the legs of Poke for the lead.

With one man up top, the Pirates rarely looked like threatening an equaliser, Zebroski producing the best attempt at levelling the scores, though Guzan made the relatively straightforward catch look a tad dramatic.

The seven time cup winners had opportunities to double their advantage, Stephen Warnock shanking a forceful drive with acres of marshland in space, much to the glee of the Gasheads in the home end.

Rovers started the second half with a similar verve to the first, Joe Anyinsah forcing his way to the dead-ball line and pulling back for veteran forward Scott McGleish, his swipe at the ball finding nothing but the chilly West Country air.

Soon enough the visitors settled back into a rhythm, clocking up a fair wedge of the possession along the way, though this was mainly due to the home teams lack of pressure and seeming fear to challenge the ball carrier.

With Rovers gradually being forced back towards their own penalty area the second goal became an inevitability for Villa, substitute Gabriel Agbonlahor eventually breaking their resolve, shrugging off Cian Bolger in midfield and placing his final effort into the bottom corner from outside the box.

If the game wasn't already over, Ciaran Clark made sure of a safe passage through to the fourth round, driving towards the penalty area unchallenged before bamboozling two defending Rovers with a series of stepovers and beating Poke with another sublimely simple finish.

Only then did the Pirates break free of their shackles, thanks in part to a helping hand from Richard Dunne. The Irishman, totally unsighted, looped a backpass towards Guzan, turning round in surprise to find McGleish lurking on the edge of the area. The 37 year old proceeded to lob the Villa custodian in two touches for a thoroughly undeserved consolation.

Spurred on by their lucky break, it was only then that the hosts began to attack in numbers, Warnock conceding a penalty for handball, allowing McGleish, scorer of 246 career goals to add further respectability to the scoreline. Guzan, who was in no way at fault for the first, refused to be beaten a second time, rounding off his night with a satisfying save from the weak spot kick, seeing Villa through to the last 32 with only five minutes of fuss.

It's okay, Gasheads, you can open your eyes now

Few Rovers fans could hide the grin that spread from ear to ear once they had read the latest update from the club's official Twitter feed on Tuesday evening.

"BREAKING NEWS: Paul Buckle has been relieved of his duties," there may be some hope for the club yet.

For the majority of Gasheads, it had been a long time coming. The clubs slump from the safety of League 1 towards the foot of the basement division over the past season and a half has made for horrific viewing, but what made it all the more cringeworthy was the sideshow that had developed around Buckle.

Upon his appointment, there was a new life breathed into a club that had gasping for air like a drowning rat. The pre-season campaign was comprised of exhilarating attacking football, not seen at Rovers for many years, I even wrote a number of articles praising his approach and the tactics he employed. How wrong it proved to be.

All the furore that surrounded those results seems a long, long time ago, as things went wrong within a few of weeks of the league season kicking off.

It wasn't just the fact that the team was being beaten, it was the manner of the defeats. Rovers have conceded three or more goals on seven occasions in League 2 thus far, including home games against Cheltenham and Port Vale.

Team selection is an area where every armchair fan believes they can outdo their manager, that is so often true at any club, but with Buckle, the mistakes seemed fairly obvious to the thousands of unqualified Mourinho's within the Memorial Stadium. Chris Zebroski is the case in point for this; the man is a striker, yet he was continually played out on the wing.

He has the pace to be a wideman; it's his skill, or lack of, that lets him down when played on the flanks. His one and only method of beating his man comes straight out of the David Pipe handbook: push it ten yards down the line and use your outright speed to get there before the fullback. Unfortunately, his crossing ability is also reminiscent to that of the Welshman, while I won't go so far as to compare his temperament and distinct lack of hair.

That's not to spread a dislike for Zebroski, his physicality and pace offer a threat to centre backs and he can be a key player for the season to come, though only if he starts up front. Similarly notable incidents include playing Scott McGleish out wide, Gary Sawyer in the centre of defence for a sustained period and, in his last game and a half, Eliot Richards in the centre of midfield.

It's as though Buckle was using Scrabble tiles to play Connect 4. 'Quiz' may score you 22 points on a Scrabble board, but it will earn you nothing on the league table.

It was the game against the Valiants that proved the turning point for many supporters, the players and staff left the field to a chorus of boos after a listless performance that culminated in a 3-0 defeat. What occurred afterwards, however, made up the majority's minds.

Rumours abounded amongst internet forums that, once back in the dressing room, Buckle had slammed Bristolians as '****s'. This was leaked out from within the club and, while never confirmed until a Bristol Evening Post article the day after the 41 year old's sacking, set fans against the manager for good, as well as getting the board of directors' backs up.

There is a line of argument that what is said in the heat of the moment within the sanctity of the changing rooms should be taken with a pinch of salt, but to come out with such a comment when you are already under an inordinate amount of pressure was moronic to say the least.

It was not the first time Buckle's attitude had come up against him; throughout his post-match interviews he appeared overtly arrogant. Very rarely did he admit to his own mistakes, often creating a raft of excuses as to why his side had failed, and generally coming across as smug to the point he believed the sun shone from within one of his own orifices. No-one is quite sure which, but it certainly helped to keep his tan topped up.

This egotistical persona created ruptures within the dressing room; Jo Kuffour left on loan to Gillingham after being left out of the squad for a Carling Cup game, a decision Buckle claimed to make after the striker told him his head wasn't in the right place. The ex-Bournemouth striker's parting shot countered this version of events, though that was only given minor coverage compared to the high profile fall out with fans favourite Stuart Campbell.

The pair played out a war of words through the local media, eventually, chairman Nick Higgs was forced to come in and settle the matter like the proverbial weary parent driving the car. Campbell never made another appearance in a quartered shirt before being released, meaning that Gasheads never got the chance to say goodbye to their former captain, manager and club stalwart for seven-and-a-half years, the anti-Buckle sentiment growing inextricably.

He remained at the club over the festive season, however, despite a 4-1 mauling at Gillingham, where he had claimed his charges had been on top for periods of the game, not that any of the travelling fans had seen domination of any form.

At 2-0 up come the half time whistle on Boxing day against Plymouth, one of the few sides left beneath Rovers, it looked as though Santa had brought Buckle some salvation for Christmas, only for the manager to throw it away the very next day. Argyle mounted an epic fightback, snatching an injury time winner to leave the gaffers position almost untenable, though the final step was taken soon enough.

The 5-2 humbling at the Mem by an average Crewe side made up the board's mind, even though he was left in charge for the Bank Holiday loss at Barnet. It was against the Alex that the manager appeared to finally lose his marbles, using all three substitutions at half time, including the goalkeeper and centre back Byron Anthony, with the Pirates 4-1 down.

But it's all over now, there finally seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. When that light steps out onto the Memorial Stadium turf remains to be seen, but Toni Watola, the club's financial director, announced to Points West that it would be 'seven to ten days'.

Gary Johnson's name has been banded about, after he refused to deny that he would apply for the job when asked on live TV, around an hour after the sacking was confirmed, though the smirk on his face gave away his vulture-like intentions to jump straight onto Buckle's still warm corpse.

The former Bristol City boss would be a brave choice for the board, given the 56 year old's history with Rovers. After his last two managerial appointments, any attempt by Higgs to make a move so gallant, will most likely rear calls for him to ride his white horse into the sunset if it all goes belly up.

Whoever takes the spot in the dugout deserves a medal for grasping the seemingly poisoned chalice, there is a huge task ahead of them, not just in terms of sustaining Football League status, but also in repairing the fractious state the club finds itself in.

Buckle Relieved Of Rovers Role

Bristol Rovers have confirmed that manager Paul Buckle has been relieved of his duties at the Memorial Stadium.

After suffering relegation from League 1 last season, fans and the media alike had high expectations that Rovers could get automatic promotion back to the third tier at the first attempt.

After an excellent pre-season that saw the first-team squad lose only to Championship side Reading, the future was looking bright, but 24 games into the season, the club find themselves 19th in League 2, just five points away from the relegation zone.

The club's chairman, Nick Higgs, released a statement with the announcement on the official Rovers website, saying:

"We are all very disappointed that this appointment has not worked out.

"Although we are aware that we need to find stability at the club, we felt we could not go any further with the current situation as the threat of relegation was becoming too real.

"We started the season with a great deal of hope for a successful campaign, but this has not been the case so far, despite promising early form.

"Our aim this season was to strive for promotion, and that has obviously not happened, so we felt we needed to make a change.

"As many of you are aware, I am currently out of the country, but I am in constant contact with the club and will strive to make an appointment as soon as possible."

Rovers opened the season live on Sky Sports, beating newly promoted AFC Wimbledon 3-2, but the situation has since gone downhill.

Following a 2-1 defeat to Buckle's former club Torquay after the first home game, the team were booed from the pitch, and this continued for the majority of games until his departure.

The 21 new signings made since his appointment failed to gel as the Pirates inconsistent form turned into a debacle - there were heavy defeats away to Crawley and Oxford, as well as home losses to Cheltenham and Port Vale.

The last League game Rovers won came at the end of October against Dagenham, they have taken just two points from a possible 24 in the eight games that have followed.

Consecutive 1-1 draws against promotion hopefuls Southend and Swindon leant false hope to supporters, but four defeats since, have seen the club slump further.

By this time the fans were already growing tired of the lacklustre football on display and predictable excuses from the manager, who refused to accept any blame for the situation his side find themselves in, but the string of results over the holiday period was the final straw for the disgruntled support.

Rovers threw away a 2-0 lead against 23rd placed Plymouth to lose 3-2 at the Memorial Stadium on Boxing Day and the 5-2 thrashing dished out by Crewe at the same venue on New Year's Eve left the manager's job hanging by a thread.

A third defeat in a week, away at Barnet, proved one step too far for the board, who sacked the 41 year old on Tuesday.

It wasn't only the on-pitch performances that drew grief from supporters, a high profile fall-out with former captain Stuart Campbell resulted in the fans favourite being released after seven and a half years at the club. That was the pinnacle of a number of clashes between manager and players, which also saw Jo Kuffour leave on loan for Gillingham, where he proceeded to score seven goals in 13 appearances.

Assistant manager Shaun North will take charge of the FA Cup third round tie against Premier League Aston Villa on Saturday, which will be shown live on ESPN.

Careless Mistakes Costly For Luckless Rovers

Rovers hapless holiday period was compounded with a 2-0 defeat away to relegation rivals Barnet in North London.

The Pirates wasted numerous chances at the end of the first period before capitulating at the end of the second; Izale McLeod's 15th of the season and Clovis Kamdjo bagging the points that bring the Bees level on points with Rovers.

Sunday's loan signings, goalkeeper Michael Poke and central defender Aaron Downes both took up immediate places in the starting 11 while Eliot Richards replaced Joe Anyinsah, playing in a central midfield role alongside Andy Dorman in Paul Buckle's 4-1-4-1 formation.

The manager's situation continues to look extremely precarious, with just two points taken from the last possible 24. The only two victories since October have come against non-league opposition in the FA Cup, but with Premier League Aston Villa coming up on Saturday, the cup run appears odds on to end.

Once the Gas fell behind on 69 minutes, the calls for the Buckle's head began ringing out from the travelling fans yet again, the mood amongst supporters leaving Buckle's position increasingly untenable.

The home side created the bulk of the first halves chances, though their profligate shooting prevented any breakthrough - Mark Marshall's swinging left foot sending the ball over the roof of Underhill's South Stand.

Poke, playing his first competitive game since August 2010, looked confident throughout the game, adeptly dealing with numerous crosses into his penalty area while also smothering the ball at the onrushing feet of McLeod.

Even though they had been under the cosh for much of the game, it was Rovers who ended the first period on top; captain-for-the-day Gary Sawyer testing Dean Brill's reactions with a forceful drive, which was only kept out by the former Luton keeper's fingertips.

Downes was then inches wide from a Mustapha Carayol corner; the winger's centre flew towards the far post, but the grey-haired centre back was unable to divert the ball past Brill.

When the players re-emerged from the tunnel for the second half, Matt Harrold was not among them, Scott McGleish, who spent over three years at Barnet earlier in his career, the replacement. The under-fire Buckle, however, retained the tactics from the first half.

Richards twice burst from midfield, but failed to net a fifth goal of the season with either attempt.

Minutes later the young Welshman was floored after Danny Senda attempted to kick clear a head high ball, catching Richards in the process. Unfortunately, referee Lee Collins waved away calls for a penalty before stopping play just seconds afterwards for Richards to receive treatment.

The Gas, now attacking down the infamous Underhill slope, then had the opportunity they had been waiting for, Chris Zebroski's pace allowing him to run free of a clutch of orange shirts. Left one-on-one with Brill, the 25 year old was unable to hit the back of the net, Brill falling to his left and clutching the striker's shot.

Soon enough the home side broke the deadlock, League 2 top scorer McLeod the inevitable source. Poke played a high ball upfield which was sent back by a Barnet touch towards Downes and Cian Bolger. Neither player took control of the situation, allowing the ball to bounce between them, where McLeod's fleet feet left them for dead.

The ball was still bouncing and the on-loan stopper darted off his line to lessen the angle, only to see McLeod dink the final shot over his head for the opener, meaning the forward is now three clear at the top of the fourth tier scoring charts.

The arrival of Joe Anyinsah, in place of Craig Stanley, made no impact on the game and, with ten minutes still to run, Barnet put the game beyond Rovers.

The Bees won a corner, which was taken short to Ricky Holmes. With the visiting defence caught off guard, the frontman advanced down the byline and laid the ball off for Kamdjo to thump over the line and add to Gashead's world of misery.

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.