the o'toole chance was harder to miss than score and he missed as cleared off the line by blooming danny coles. full time. lost 2-1. when we get full team back we may do something but we need help until then. just not experience enough and didnt do enough today on the pitch.
Typical of that ****head **** fanny Coles to **** it up for us. ****ed up for us when playing for us, and now against us
May as well play the youth team vs Watford rest up the starting 11 as they pick themselves and will be playing every game unless they get injured we are defo up the creak with all the injuries. Look at the experience on the bench 20 Gough 34 Keary 35 Southway 00 Lockyer 31 Hunter 33 Santos This season is going to be a tough one COR
Evil Post Match Report Eliot Richards scored at St James Park for a second successive season – but it was not enough to prevent Bristol Rovers opening their League Two campaign with a defeat at Exeter City this afternoon. Richards came off the bench to score a goal at the same ground last year to help Rovers secure their first victory of that campaign after a six-week wait and looked to have rescued a point in the latest meeting between the two sides when converting an Ellis Harrison cross in the 63rd minute. That goal had cancelled out a Danny Coles header that had broken the deadlock after 58 minutes of a keenly-contested game – but veteran striker Sam Parkin marked his debut for Exeter with a diving header to score what turned out to be the winning goal ten minutes from time. Rovers fought gamely in an attempt to compensate for the injury-induced requirement to field an understrength team, but, aside from Richards’ goal, a second-half shot from Tom Parkes that went inches wide of the post and a John-Joe O’Toole attempt from close-range that was cleared off the line in the dying stages, chances were few and far between. Ward started the day by handing a full debut to striker Mitch Harding after finding out that Matt Harrold’s groin injury was worse than initially feared to leave him without nine first-team regulars ahead of the new season. Harding found life difficult early on as, without the ball for much of the first-half, Rovers preferred method of attack appeared to be to aim balls in the young striker’s direction. That attempted aerial assault proved food and drink for Exeter City central defenders Danny Coles and Pat Baldwin. Ward’s men, in fact, looked better at times where they got the ball down and broke quickly; David Clarkson often acting as the instigator of such slick passing moves. As eye-pleasing as they were, however, Rovers were still unable to fashion an opportunity of note on target, although Oliver Norburn went close with a swerving free-kick from all of 20 yards on the stroke of half-time. At the other end, Exeter had gone close off the head of veteran striker Sam Parkin following an Aaron Davies corner in the 12th minute. That attempt cleared the crossbar by a matter of inches, as did John O’Flynn’s shot from just outside the edge of the penalty area in the 30th minute. Parkin was then out of luck again when he was only able to divert David Wheeler’s low shot the wrong side of the post when instinctively poking out a leg in the 38th minute. Rovers returned with vigour at the start of the second-half, but it was Exeter who managed to finally end the stale-mate when former Rovers man Coles rose unmarked to power home an Arron Davies corner just shy of the hour mark. Ward moved to shake things up by introducing Alefe Santos for Harding in the 63rd minute in a move that saw Richards, who had started on the right of midfield, take up a preferred role in attack. The change seemed to pay off four minutes later when Richards, possibly Rovers’ most-naturally instinctive goal poacher, was on hand to convert Harrison’s cross from inside the six-yard box before Parkin was on hand to ensure his side victory ten minutes from time. Rovers (4-4-2): Mildenhall; Smith, Parkes, McChrystal, Brown; Richards, O’Toole, Norburn, Harrison; Clarkson, Harding. Subs: Gough, Southway, Hunter, Santos, Keary, Lockyer. Exeter City: (4-4-2): Krysiak; Moore-Taylor, Coles, Baldwin, Woodman; Davies, Bennett, Sercombe, Wheeler; Parkin, O’Flynn. Subs: Pym, Gow, Dawson, Doherty, Reid, Gosling, Keohane.
A really disappointing performance. The better team on the afternoon won, and could have been a couple of goals up by half-time. No obvious MoM for us from the starting XI...the most impressive was Santos, who came on as a second half sub. You wonder if anyone told the other ten that Harrold wasn't playing, as they continually kicked high balls up for Titch Harding. Exeter were hungrier than we were for the ball....last season's story. With Harrold possibly having a hernia problem we really are down to the bare bones. We need to find a striker from somewhere!
ward said in his post match interview that we are to the limit under the wage cap rules. cant bring anyone in. unless its a loan where we dont have to pay any of the wages. therefore we are left with what you seen today. i thought ward was bluffing the other day to push the o'toole deal through but obviously its no bluff. were in a mess until players start returning.
Sounds a little bitter towards us here [video=youtube;AVezGFgEVR4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVezGFgEVR4&feature=player_embedded[/video]