The Memorial Stadium                                   Saturday 30th July 2022

Bristol Rovers 1

Collins (71)

Forest Green Rovers 2

Moore-Taylor (55), Hendry (89)

Referee: Robert Lewis           

Attendance: 9,064

The earliest ever opening day league game against last season’s League Two Champions provided an opportunity for the Rovers of Bristol to take all three points.

The last time that happened was back in 2011 when, at Kingsmeadow, AFC Wimbledon were beaten 3-2. You have to go back even longer for an opening day win at home; 2001 to be precise, when a Steve Foster goal was enough to see off Torquay United.

This was the third league meeting between the sides; the Gloucestershire side came out on top in last season’s encounters, winning 2-0 at home and securing a goalless draw at The Mem.

Missing skipper Paul Coutts through suspension, Sam Finley through injury and Nick Anderton following a bone cancer diagnosis, manager Joe Barton fielded three players making their league debut for the club, namely summer signings James Gibbons, John Marquis and Jordan Rossiter.

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