Rovers Stop The Rot

Who loves ya, baby?

Melchester Rovers vs Fair Play.
Tuesday at Srbska - Kick Off 7pm

1830 - Injury ravaged Rovers arrive to take on 2nd placed Fair Play with just six players available - and to add to their woes, no keeper. Just one day before, keeperman Dave had decided to ignore the fact that he'd just been sacked by the team, deciding instead to announce his retirement from the team, thereby foregoing any compensation payments and demonstrating just the kind of timing and decision-making that had got him sacked in the first place.

Things were not looking promising for the Rovers - especially when erstwhile defender Paul Holland pulled on the Number 1 shirt and volunteered himself between the sticks. Could Melchester keep it down to single figures....?


1900 - Kick off time, yet both teams still wait on the sidelines, watching this:

This is what they call the Muppet Show

Following frantic calls to the league's bigwigs to find out where was a) the pitch b) our referee, kick off time was delayed by one hour.

This, however, created yet more problems for Rovers, as newly endaughtered Robin Smith was only on a one hour pass. It was a heart-wrenching decision, Rovers or baby, but in the end Smith made the right choice, packed his togs, and went back to baby.

Rovers down to 5 men.

The opposition "warming up"

19.15: Ralph Davies: "Iulen? Hi. When do you finish work? 8 o'clock? OK, can you get down here straight away? Nice one!"


Back up to 6.


19.30: Ralph: "Martin. Its Ralph. I want you to tell your class there's an emergency and you need to leave RIGHT NOW. We'll give them free lessons another time. We'll refund their money. We'll do anything they want...just GET HERE NOW!"

Rovers - full team, keeper and sub.

2000: Kick Off. By the time Rovers took to the field, any worries about the game had long been overtaken by relief that it was happening at all. And with the pressure off their shoulders, the reds enjoyed a lively start, culminating in Mestanek's long throw penetrating the Fair Play defence for Ali to head home his second goal in as many games in the hoops. For their part, Fair Play gave Rovers a fair amount of problems, soon equalising, but in the first half neither team managed to assert themselves.

The ref's a secret Rover

2nd Half: With Melchester playing their dream back four of Costea, Mestanek, Holland and Pagliaro, the team was able to push forward with confidence on the hunt for goals. And sure enough, midway through the half Rovers' 2nd came from an unlikely source, Colin Kimbrell. Having endured a barren spell in 2010, there was not a dry seat in the house as CK9 deftly rounded the keeper to stroke home into an empty net.

Kimbrell can't contain his excitement at returning to the scoresheet

Drama then followed as Fair Play's Stanislav Chytil was red-carded, and Rovers really took control of the game. However, what none of the reds realised was that the red was only temporary, and therefore failed to capitalise on their advantage before Fair Play were restored to 6 players.

Holland displays his usual grace and agility in defence

With everything to play for, the whites piled forward and in the 53rd minute were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Melchester box, which blasted through the wall and into Rovers' net. But where once they might have folded, tonight that equaliser galvanised Roy Race's men, ensuring that the final 15 minutes kept the crowd on the edge of their seats as both teams gave their all. But with neither defence giving anything away, there was to be no victory - on paper at least.

"We've only won a single point tonight," gushed Roy Race after the game, "but we're delighted nevertheless, as against top opposition we've re-found our Mojo. Morale is back, and we've a nice break now for our injuries to heal, so we can really look forward to the last few games and try to regain those positions."

Ralph Davies in post-match discussion with the ref and his assistant

Melchester Rovers 2-2 Fair Play (1-1 HT)

Holland Paul, Kimbrell Colin(1), Měšťánek Martin, Pagliaro James, Smith Matt, Costea Iulian, Kourkzi Ali(1)(YellowCard)