Willand Rovers FC
The Toolstation League
WILLAND ROVERS FOOTBALL CLUB
"very much a family club"
Welcome to the Rovers website - KINDLY SPONSORED BY THE WILLAND ROVERS YOUTH - The latest from Silver Street......
Early week bulletin : Monday February 8th - 12noon
Rovers and Barwell learn Vase fate - who ever wins on Saturday has Quarter Final HOME tie against Norton & Stockton Ancients / Dawlish on Wednesday night / Boss speaks on Barwell draw and looks ahead to Dawlish on Wedesday night / Rovers players head for Guernsey / Midweek Bowl game to possibly set up dream tie / Rovers and Barwell await FA Vase draw / Coach filling up for Saturday's trip to Barwell / Toolstation League latest - BIDEFORD lose only 4th League game - only two of the morning's top six in the Toolstation League win! / FA Vase 5th Round - Three ties need replays /
THE DRAW FOR THE FA VASE has given the winners of Saturday's replay at Barwell a HOME tie against Norton & Stockton Ancients in the last eight on Saturday, February 27th. The Northern League Division One side won 2-0 at North West Counties outfit, New Mills, on Saturday and currently sit 16th in their League, four points off the drop zone. The full draw is: Shildon versus Chertsey Town or Whitley Bay, Needham Market versus Royston Town or Wroxham, ROVERS or BARWELL versus Norton & Stockton Ancients and Gresley versus Whitehawk or Marske United.!
ROVERS boss Clive Jones said of his sides efforts against Barwell: “The boys could have given me no more, I thought we were magnificent, but I temper that with the feeling that I wonder if we have missed a real trick. We are still very much I the competition and, to see Willand Rovers featuring in an FA Competition draw at the quarter final stage, is something to marvel at in itself. Have we got more to offer in Leicestershire on Saturday? Yes, I think we have and it remains to be seen if Barwell do to. I think they will have gone away accepting that we are a decent side and will be no pushovers at their place on Saturday afternoon. If anything w e are a better side on the road, as our results this season suggest.”
Were there elements of the game that you were disappointed with: “Yes there were areas of the game in which I felt we were not as good as we can be, but those thoughts must remain private – the lads know my feelings on the two hours we gave. Perhaps one or two can (and will) do a lot better – but the collective effort was magnificent. Typified on no greater scale than with the man mountain efforts of Rob (skipper Rob Norrish ) and James (James Ansell). And as to my central defenders – what more can I say – the superlatives have been handed down on young Ben (Ben Mammola) and Crofty (Sam Croft) by many people this term and, against an undeniably potent strike force, I though the pair did exceptionally well.”
Did the visitors surprise you yesterday? “If I am honest then yes they did in a as much as I had, pre-match, felt we would be right up against it and face a massive test of our ability and resolve. So, to have heard the final whistle at 120 minutes and be still level with them is something else to ponder? Their lead at the top of the Midland Football Alliance suggests they are a fabulous, and powerful team – and, rather like our superb away results this season – you cannot argue against the statistics. We are a decent side too and what you had on Saturday was a classic cup tie played on a heavy pitch between two confident side’s who will both feel there is still more in the respective lockers – the tie is well balanced and we’ll just have to see what prevails at Barwell on Saturday. We can travel without fear BUT fully in the knowledge that there’s work to be done against an accomplished outfit.”
And what about the whole day – the FA Vase factor – how was it for you?: “Wonderful, I was chuffed to see so many people at Silver Street that we would normally fine there – the cheers that greeted the goals by James and David were thunderous and heart warming and I know the Chairman was more than happy with the continually ringing of the bar till post match! It was a very special day and I would like to think it won’t be the last such fabulous day at HQ for us.”
So what about the Toolstation League results that saw only two of the morning’s top six win their February 6th matches: “The results elsewhere certainly gave us a boost but, if I am honest – I fear the games will catch up with us. Only Corsham have played 19 like us and that means that with six and half months gone when we next play in the Toolstation League – we have played just half the games and so, in the remaining two and a half months we are faced with completing the second half of the games and that’s a huge ask on the squad – especially as we are still in three cup competitions as well!”
Next up Dawlish in the Devon Bowl on Wednesday night – what are your thoughts on this one?: “It’s a game that I have no doubt both sides will be keen to win. The prize is a game at home to Tiverton Town and in all my years of being in the game I have yet to lead a side into a competitive game against Tivvy and that would be something so special. I know that particular fixture would be as big as an FA Vase – it would mean an awful lot to everybody connected with Willand Rovers and so we must go to Sandy Lane and look to set up that game with the Ambers. That said they (Dawlish Town) will be more than keen to stage a meeting with Tivvy themselves and they will no doubt see the game with us as an ideal opportunity to get their season back on track for, I see, that since their own FA Vase win in early December, they have had a miserable time of it and we will need to guard against any question of complacency thinking that they are a wounded team for they will be up for Wednesday night – make no mistake about that.”
SIX ROVERS PLAYERS are in the Devon County side flying to Guernesy on Monday to play for the Devon County Senior side to play the hosts in a Brunel Cup tie (7.30pm). The players are James Ansell, Carl Cliff-Brown, Sam Croft, Ben Mammola, Joel Hawes and George Rogers - we'll bring you news of how the side did here on Monday night.
IT IS A MIDWEEK TRIP TO DAWLISH TOWN for the Rovers with the reward for the victors in midweek a home tie against Tiverton Town in the Devon Bowl. We'll have an 'in match score update' sevice working here on the Rovers website on Wednesday night.
THERE'S A BUSY MIDWEEK SCHEDULE FOR TOOLSTATION LEAGUE sides with games on both Tuesday and Wednesday night - check out who is playing who on our Western League Round-up pages.
WE HAVE UPLOADED A NUMBER of pictures fro the caemra of Rob Mitchell - check out the action phootos page now to see plenty of action from the Vase tie on Saturday.
THE WEATHER MAY YET INTERVENE IN TERMS OF THE FA VASE REPLAY - we have looked at www.netweather.tv and their ten day forecast suggests, for the LE9 8FQ area a 95% risk of SNOW on both Friday (13th Feb) and matchday (Sat 14th). It also suggests SUB ZERO temperatures over night EVERY night from Tuesday of this coming week! The Met Offcie weather forecast also sugests freezing conditions - stay tuned to the Rovers website for all your weather info prior to the big Vase replay!
ROVERS produced a monumental performance to take all conquering Midland Football Alliance leaders Barwell to the brink of an FA Vase exit before the side’s ended 2-2 and will, have to try all over again next weekend in Leicestershire. The tie, watched by 368 was a thriller with four goals, seven yellow cards and a sending-off. Rovers should have gone ahead in the 4th minute but Barwell keeper Liam Castle produced a stunning save to keep out Carl Cliff-Brown’s shot. In the 26th minute home defender Sam Croft was deemed to have pulled back Adam Cunnington and Kevin Charley fired the visitors ahead from the penalty spot but three minutes before the break the home side were deservedly level when Cliff-Brown threaded a pass to James Ansell and he drove the ball across Castle and into the net. In the 72nd minute Brian Cann made a wonderful save to deny Barwell a second but, when the resultant corner came over Jamie Towers thumped the loose ball home. Dean Stamp was then summoned from the home bench and, within a minute had created space for himself down the right. His cross saw both Cliff-Brown and Joel Hawes step over then ball to leave David Steele clear on goal and he levelled things up. The home side were the denied a late winner when the crossbar came to Barwell’s rescue as Danny Jee saw his shot cannon back off the upright with castle beaten. In the final minute of normal time, the visitors were reduced to ten men when Cunnington spoke out of turn and picked up a second yellow card but neither side could find the killer punch in the extra half hour and so the two sides will both go into Monday’s quarter final, draw.
IT PROVED TO BE a wonderful afternoon for Rovers in terms of the Toolstation League season as only two of the SIX sides who started the day above Rovers in the table managed to win! Leaders BIDEFORD lost for only the 4th time this term, beaten 2-1 at LONGWELL GREEN, and that result knocks the Robins off the top spot. ILFRACOMBE are the new leaders after a 3-1 home win over RADSTOCK. WELTON ROVERS dropped points for the second game running when held 2-2 by BRISLINGTON and defeat too for LARKHALL, who went down 3-2 at STREET. MELKSHAM TOWN drew 1-1 with BARNSTAPLE TOWN and it was a 2-2 draw between WELLINGTON and BITTON. BISHOP SUTTON won 3-1 at HALLEN whilst DAWLISH TOWN were beaten again – losing 3-2 at BRISTOL MANOR FARM and the game between SHERBORNE and CALNE TOWN ended 1-1.
THERE WILL BE THREE FA Vase 5th Round replays next weekend and one 5th Roun doriginal tie. WROXHAM won the outstanding 4th Round tie, beating Armthorpe Welfare 3-00 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. In tghe 5th Round GRESLEY won 4-3 at Long Buckby, SHILDON won 3-1 at St Ives, NORTON & STOCKTON ANCIENTS won 2-0 at New Mills and NEEDHAM MARKET beat Daventry Town 2-0. The draws were 1-1 at CHERTSEY TOEN against WHITLEY BAY and also 1-1 at WHITEHAWK against MARSKE UNITED.
ROVERS RESERVES went out of the East Devon Senior Cup, beaten 4-2 at St Martins - report and more news to follow.
THERE IS A COACH running to the the FA Vase replay at Barwell with an 08:30am departure time next Saturday morning - seats must be booked through TONY BAKER (phone no - 07887587811) - and done so BEFORE Thursday (February 11) 6pm.
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