The excellent Something by Simon ‘Sprout` Phillips
Hi and Welcome to this weeks edition of something for the weekend. This weeks is one of those where I have sat down and it`s pretty hard to know what I want to write without repeating the sort of things I have said in the past couple of weeks. Anyway here goes, lets see what I`ve got.
The Aldershot game again was an improvement in team performance and with the help of a questionable referee it was good to hear The Mem getting behind the guys on the pitch and rying to spur the team on. We started brightly and just after the ten minute mark David Clarkson opened his Rovers goal account with a great strike and that seemed to be the confidence boost the team and crowd needed to kick on and take a win. However not long after Aldershot were level from a good finish from a move that should never have happened. Standing around the half-way line on the Centenary Terrace the incident was right in front of me and of course Mark Mcghee and there was a clear push on Jim Patterson which should have been a foul. Mr McGhee was certainly unhappy and let his feelings know to the fourth official who looked embarrassed that it wasn`t given himself.
After that we did lose our way slightly and obviously ended up going 2-1 down and at that point you were starting to see another defeat on the cards, but said referee and a good spirit on the pitch drove the team on and we certainly deserved our equaliser. Prior to that we had some good chances and another incident; this time on Matt Harrold in the box, earned the fourth officialMr McGhee`s ire again. He wasn`t best pleased, and to hear his dulcet Scottish tones say (practices Scottish accent before typing) “Din ye see that?” , “youu tellin me ye can de that?” was quite a moment.
We worked hard and got the least we deserved when Fabian Broghammer slotted home as The Mem errupted in releif, and then what seemed like an age amongst the emotion and comotion I was horrified to hear someone play “Hammer Time”. Hopefully that is a one off, (and I don`t mean Broghammer scoring) because I hate any type of goal music, musical instruments (The England band are so annoying) at football full stop. If we can`t create an atmosphere when we score then to me that is a sad day for Bristol Rovers. Other clubs may do it, but we don`t need it. We should be cheering the goal and belting out “Irene” soon after. That is the Gashead way that i know.
Anyway mini rant over, and there was another more significatnt negative to come out of the Aldershot game and that was the injury to Cian Bolger who now looks like he will be out for 3 months after having a very solid game up to that point. Cian now in his 786th loan spell with us has not had a smooth ride here, be it chucked into an awful relegation bound team, own goals and a couple of reds and this is his latest blow. I like Cian, he can obviously improve on some of the performances he has had in the quarters, but i think he is a decent stopper if a little rough round the edges. Again this leaves us a little short at the back, but it sounds as if Gary Kenneth will be back in the next couple of weeks. This is good news, but also a bit of a worry for me as he will obviously not be match fit and I am a little worried he will get chucked in and not be ready, leaving himself open to another injury and if he does not get of to a decent start no doubt a fair amount of criticism for his fitness levels from the crowd.
Anyway time to look forward to Saturday`s trip to Gillingham. Not always the best of places for Rovers on our travels, but hopefully we are growing in confidence and can take the three points which we could really do with to get our season really going. It won`t be easy as Gillingham have had a great start to the season sitting top with 13 points from the 5 games so far, but then these are the sort of games that are ripe for an away win.
If you are going to the game I hope you have a safe journey and that the weather holds out for you and you see a performance worthy of three points. Me I get to go to the bank and open up a new account with my girlfriend and do some planning for our Rome holiday. A trip I am certainly looking forward to now. ,Whatever you are up to have a good weekend and hopefully we will all be celebrating a win at 5pm on Saturday. Up the Gas!
Simon ‘Sprout` Phillips
