Seems like Palermo got sick of getting beat. As the league's resident "plucky losers", Palermo were the team everyone loved to play: some good players, but never enough for a full team, which usually made for a competitive first half, followed by a second half collapse as fatigue set in. But now it seems those days are over. The worm has turned, and although he's still very pink, he's also grown a pair.
Early on, the signs were good for Rovers, as after three minutes a Nordheim shot hit both posts before falling for Pagliaro to blast into the roof of the net. Another three minutes and Palermo had equalised, with a deflection off a Palermo face that was so flukey that Rovers merely shrugged it off. However, as the half wore on and the tackles became more crunching, it became clear that the Palermo of old was no more, and battle had commenced. A Cyrillo goal after 23 minutes briefly gave Rovers some breathing space, but within 5 minutes they had conceded another equaliser, and at half time the scores stood at 2-2.
Palermo's new forwards celebrate their lucky equaliser
The second half started just as the first, with an early Melchester goal after a sweeping passing move that allowed Kimbrell to slot home, and it seemed that if Rovers could find one more goal, the game would be secure. However, Palermo eventually broke through to equalise and then almost immediately grab a fourth and the lead, and suddenly Melchester had a mountain to climb.
Matt Smith is keen to shake off his "bad-boy" image
Attack after attack led to nothing, with the pink's keeper playing a blinder, until with just 2 minutes on the clock, a clearance fell to Matt Smith on the halfway line, whose scuffed shot somehow meandered past the Palermo defence and under the keeper, entering the goal on the fourth bounce.
James Pagliaro is even keener to shake off his "limp-wristed" image
There was little more to be done, and the final whistle was greeted with relief from Rovers and anger from Palermo at one point apiece.
It never lies
That draw means Melchester drop a place to 5th, yet still with those crucial games in hand that keep them in contention for 2nd. But with current 2nd placers MOP Brno coming up this weekend, Rovers need to shake off the doziness that always seems to plague them in their first games after a break, and maybe hope MOP will be more hungover than them. It is a 10am kick off, after all.
