2022/23 Match Report vs Burton Albion
The Pirelli Stadium Saturday 6 August 2022
Burton Albion 0
Bristol Rovers 4
Evans (4), Connolly (12), Collins (40 & 44)
Referee: Ross Joyce Attendance: 3,363
Inside the Pirelli Stadium
The build up to this game saw manager Joe Barton dispense with the services of three senior players, namely Trevor Clarke, Zain Westbrooke and Alex Rodman. While the decisions on Westbrooke and Rodman came as little surprise, the release of Clarke caused a few raised eyebrows amongst supporters as the defender had only recently been handed a new two year deal.
New signing Lewis Gordon was announced at 1.45pm and the former Watford and Brentford youngster had his customary photo with a Rovers shirt taken on the pitch just prior to that, before taking his place in the starting XI.
New signing Lewis Gordon before the game
Referee Ross Joyce, who took charge of the 2015 Conference Final between Rovers and Grimsby Town and who sent off Paul Coutts in last season’s game at Rochdale, provided an early talking point in this game when he sent off Conor Shaughnessy inside the first minute for denying Aaron Collins a clear cut goalscoring opportunity.
The incident, just outside the area, saw Collins fall inside the box and, indeed, had the whole incident occurred the other side of the line, then Rovers would have had a penalty and Shaughnessy a yellow card.
As it was Rovers were awarded a free kick and three minutes after the red card had been brandished Antony Evans opened his account for the season when he drilled the ball into the bottom corner of the net past a poorly organised Burton defensive wall.
Evans turned provider on 12 minutes when his high, curling cross to the back post gave James Connolly the opportunity to score his first Rovers goal since joining the club on a permanent basis.
The home side looked well beaten even at that point in proceedings and were fortunate not to fall further behind as Harry Anderson, Sam Finley, Evans, Ryan Loft and John Marquis all went close to adding to Rovers’ goal tally.
As it was, it was left to Aaron Collins to cause further damage. In the 40th minute he wrongfooted the Burton defence as he feigned to go right but went left instead and beat goalkeeper Ben Garratt with a left foot shot high into the roof of the net.
Aaron Collins goes for goal
Four minutes later he was played in by John Marquis down the left and beat Garret with a right foot shot inside his near post to make it eight goals in his last four league games.
It had been a devastating show of strength from Barton’s side, who had controlled things from the off and although they were four goals to the good they maintained their concentration levels after the break and managed the game so well, which hasn’t always been the case when playing against ten men!
Marquis hit the bar in the second half but there were no further goals, in spite of attempts from Evans, Collins, Harvey Saunders and James Gibbons Burton registered their first on target effort in the 68th minute but Davis Keillor-Dunn was denied by the brilliance of James Belshaw.
Second Year scholar Jerry Lawrence was handed his Rovers league debut two minutes from time with Rovers in cruise control.
Burton Albion: Garratt, Brayford, Hughes, Shaughnessy, Hamer, Oshilaja, Onyango (Ahadme, 62), Smith (Castro, 62), Keillor-Dunn, Borthwick-Jackson (Butcher, 46), Adeboyejo (Powell, 62).
Substitutes: Sinisalo, Gilligan, Moult.
Bristol Rovers: Belshaw, Gibbons. Hoole, Connolly, Gordon (Saunders, 73), Finley (Whelan, 66), Evans (Lawrence, 88), Anderson, Collins, Loft (Kilgour, 88), Marquis.
Substitutes: Ward, Jones, Greenslade.
ALSO
Former Rovers loanee Victor Adeboyejo was in the Burton Albion starting XI while another former Gas loanee, Chris Beardsley, was a member of the Burton management team.
Glenn Whelan collected Rovers only yellow card of the afternoon
Sam Finley began the game as skipper and the armband passed to Antony Evans when he was substituted
Debuts for Lewis Gordon and Jerry Lawrence
In addition, there was a rare first team appearance for Zain Westbrooke, who spent part of last season on loan at Stevenage.
Barton’s side dominated possession for the opening 25 minutes but the visitors sat back and comfortably soaked up the pressure and, in the process, denied Rovers any clearcut goalscoring opportunities.
As they grew in confidence Forest Green began to assert themselves on the game and carved out a number of openings which should have seen them comfortably ahead at the half time whistle.
That they weren’t was down to goalkeeper James Belshaw and the woodwork. The overworked Rovers keeper’s two best saves came from efforts by Reece Brown and Jamille Matt, while it was an effort from Matt that hit the post with Belshaw making a despairing dive to his right.
Ten minutes into the second half the visitors went ahead and, given the way they had taken control of proceedings, it came as little surprise. The scorer was Jordan Moore-Taylor who headed past Belshaw after being the first to react to Regan Hendry’s corner from the left.
Barton changed things around 13 minutes later, sending on Harvey Saunders and Ryan Loft to add more bite to his side’s attack and it was Saunders who set up the equaliser for Aaron Collins in the 71st minute. It was his persistence on the ball that allowed him to set up last season’s top scorer for his first of the new campaign and at that point it looked as though the spoils would be shared.
Hendry, though, had other ideas, and with a minute of normal time remaining he hit a stunning left foot curling shot past Belshaw from the edge of the area and it was game over.
And so the win so desperately craved by supporters and players alike, particularly for defender Anderton, never materialised. There were, however, heartwarming tributes to the defender. Both sides warmed up in tops with his image on the front and squad number (16) on the reverse and there was a minute’s applause for him in the 16th minute. Collins’ first action after scoring was to hold Anderton’s shirt aloft to show the defender he is in everyone’s thoughts.
Bristol Rovers: Belshaw, Gibbons, Hoole, Connolly, Clarke (Saunders, 68), Rossiter, Westbrooke (Loft, 68), Anderson, Evans, Collins, Marquis.
Substitutes: Jaakkola, Kilgour, Whelan, Lawrence, Jones.
Forest Green Rovers: McGee, Godwin-Malife, Moore-Taylor, Cargill, O’Keefe (Casey, 86), Davis, Stevenson, Hendry, McAllister (Bernard (90 + 5), Brown (March. 82), Matt.
Substitutes: Little, Jones, Thomas, Bunker
ALSO
There were no former Rovers players in the Forest Green Rovers side
Yellow cards were issued to Antony Evans and coach Andy Mangan
Evans was skipper
Debuts for James Gibbons, John Marquis and Jordan Rossiter
Seven added minutes
Match report courtesy of Keith Brookman Photos courtesy of JMP