Category: Club events

Match Report
Cinderford Town v Willand Rovers

Willand made the journey over the border and back over again as the latest test in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South scheduled in Cinderford Town as the next stop on the 24/25 tour with a 3 pm KO at The Causeway Ground

A perfect day for football, with the temperature reaching the late 10’s, the summertime is knocking on the door but the end of the season also winging its way closer with just 4 fixtures after this afternoon.

Rovers made a couple of changes going into this fixture with both the Weston boys back from their Somerset Cup success with Josh Searle dropping to the bench for this fixture and Harvey Dorothy also in the dugout with a slight knock.

The lads emerged onto the pitch and we got underway with the first 10 being a strong period of time for Rovers who had settled into the game the best several chances fell our way but the book was open within the first five with Ryan Guppy’s name being jotted down.

The hosts would battle back for the next portion of the game with a couple of chances created of their own with the main one coming from Ross Edwards’ clearance which resulted in a corner for Yakabu to powerfully header towards the goal but narrowly just missed his target and back out.

Jacob Wellington continued to test the Cinderford back line as he looked to find their vulnerabilities quickly to feed the ball in with the clock ticking down for the first half, but the barrage of black and white did not collapse quickly.

However, our chances would pay off with Fin Rooke one one-on-one with the keeper which he flicked it over with a supporting rebound the organisation at the back was nowhere to be seen rovers took the lead with Fin wheeling away in celebration and the travelling faithful in jubilation.

That was the last action of the half and Willand went into the break feeling the better side but still had work to do in the second half to let the efforts of the first slip with only a one-goal cushion.

The Foresters knew a response was needed and they piled on the pressure in the early stages in which a handful of chances didn’t really produce a massive threat but they kept kicking on.

The substitutions started with Jacob Wellington making way for Douglas Camilo to add to the up top threat with Dougie going close to goal several times in the second half but just narrowly missing the target.

Off came the first goal scorer Fin Rooke with Jack Kennell sitting back into the midfield looking to feed balls back up but also providing some defensive comfort. The final sub-substitution of the afternoon saw Ryan Guppy make way for Josh Searle in the gameplan now would be to just keep in control of the game.

And this is exactly what Willand would go on to do with an important corner going into the box and being recycled in wonderful fashion as a great ping to the back heel of Ross Edwards doubled the lead with the centre-back in absolute joy with his first goal of the season coming from such a technical bit of skill.

It could’ve even been three with Camilo once again stepping up to the plate as River played it for the Brazilian who with a bit more power would have sealed the deal even further on the afternoon.

Cinderford were still hunting for a potential consolation goal and their one chance would be a shout for a penalty which to the referee’s knowledge there was no infringement and the game once again got back underway.

In a game of corners and little successful ones, the end of the fixture mainly was trying to produce a third nail in the Cinderford coffin but the job was over the line and solidified with a sounding of the whistle and three points on the road for the first time since our trip to Exmouth back in the first half of the season.

The lads once again huddled up for a post-match chat and spirits were high with Rovers next playing on home soil with Thatcham Town making the journey to Mid Devon on Saturday.

Full-time at The Causeway Ground on Saturday 5th April, Cinderford Town 2-0 Willand Rovers.

#WeAreRovers

Cinderford Town v Willand Rovers

In the second of two away days this week, it is now a trip to the Forest of Dean for Rovers as we take on Cinderford Town at The Causeway Ground in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm KO!

Last time for Rovers, it was the rescheduled trip to Didcot in which a Tuesday night in Oxfordshire had been dotted in the schedule and another chance to continue the good run of form. Sure enough, the hosts didn’t get the better of Steele’s men and despite a stalemate of a scoreline, a point was still earned and one further up from safety in a crucial time.

Now it is the turn to take on the Foresters on their own soil they have not had an amazing time back in the Southern League but by no means haven’t had their time curtailed yet as the business end of the season approaches.

The hosts had a midweek derby to contend with Bishops Cleeve heading over from one side of the county to the other and Cinderford through a spanner in the works securing a vital 3-0 win in their campaign.

One to look out for in Matt Driscoll’s squad would have to be Ismail Yakabu who has had a decorated career in the higher steps of non-league with his time at Barnet elapsing 260 appearances for the Bees before spells at Wimbledon, Newport, Woking, and Hemel Hempstead, Kingstonian, Hayes & Yeading before making the switch to South Wales where he would play for Merthyr, Penybont and his final destination of Cinderford.

A rock at the back on his day, Yakabu despite being one of the more senior faces delivers a defensive threat on any who goes beyond the final third and will be looking to try and keep out Rovers on Saturday

The last time out between both sides was a 3-0 win for Rovers where Harvey Dorothy, Fin Rooke and Jacob Wellington all provided the goods to seal three points during the Christmas period when fixtures were getting quite congested.

There is a bus headed up to Cinderford this weekend departing Silver Street at 11 am, the fare is £15 and you can book with Mike Hawkins or message our social channels. Your support would be amazingly appreciated.

Though it might seem like a trip to Wales on a map, it still indeed is England where Cinderford is located but geography doesn’t matter, football is the name and game here. COME ON YOU ROVERS!

#WeAreRovers

Didcot Town v Willand Rovers

Rovers travelled to Oxfordshire on a spring’s evening for a rescheduled fixture with the Railwaymen as both sides entered this game in search of a vital three points at the business end of the season.

A couple of changes were made to the Willand lineup with Gene Price making his return to the side after a few weeks out of the squad and the bench included Alex Parsons who was selected as cover. Harvey Dorothy did not make the trip up due to an injury sustained on Saturday.

As the players emerged from the tunnel for another big battle, 146 were in attendance to witness a clash between two sides that are separated by a 280-mile round trip. Ref sounded up and underway at Loop Meadow.

The first passages of the first half were a mixed bag with the hosts breaking forward first with a heavy shot which Burton is forced into a big save for. However, it would be in the 5th minute when the Railwaymen’s star striker Dan Warre was brought off as he had become unable to continue in the game.

Time elapsed, and both sides looked to suss each other out with various opportunities. The hosts looked the stronger, but the rovers were by no means dominated so far.

A handful of free kicks and corners were to come up next for Willand which didn’t materialiser into anything but did add a threat to Didcot’s back line who had been shaken up from the early switch.

In a heartwarming moment, the 37th minute saw the entirety of Loop Meadow light up in remembrance of the Didcot Town supporter Bob Worth who passed away in the first fixture on the 1st March.

Half-time and no goals to separate the sides going into the team talks at the break. A big second half is required to get something out of this fixture for either side.

Out of the block, Gene Price produced a fantastic strike at goal in which it could’ve easily been 1-0 but Bedwell stood his ground and didn’t let Price find his footing in time and prevented the deadlock being broken.

A shake-up of the team was decided as we went into the final 30 with Price now making way for Douglas Camilo who slotted into the frontline and would attempt to aid our attacking threat in the vital stages of this competition.

Then came a set of corners for Rovers which after a handful of attempts did not quite come to much but Willand continued to knock on the door and refused to go silent and empty-handed.

Didcot would up their own game too with a few subs and nearly found themselves in front with a scramble to push it in where George was required to step up once again and deny the hosts.

Fin Rooke would try to add to his goal tally from the previous weeks as he relentlessly challenged Bedwell between the sticks with a couple of difficult chances of his own but it just wasn’t to be on the evening.

However, a lifeline sprung up for Willand, from confusion with the foul in the box and an initial verdict of a free kick. The ref went to consult the lino who awarded Rovers a big penalty.

Up stood Fin Rooke with 5 minutes to go on the clock. From the spot he walked up, and took his shot but once again Bedwell read the mind of Rooke who went towards the middle and denied past.

Into added time it would be the hosts who piled on an incredible amount of pressure in which a handful of chances fell their way which George had to parry and get away before a late winner could be achieved.

However, that would be the last key event of this clash as the man in the middle blew up for Full Time and the points settled in Oxfordshire on April Fools Day. Though take it as no joke, an important point on the road with another huge away trip at the weekend as we take on Cinderford Town!

#WeAreRovers

Willand vs Mousehole

A famous music producer from London moved to the Devon/Cornwall border. After a storm that damaged the local crossing and after spending some time in pubs in towns on both sides of the Tamar, he decided to instigate a music festival to help build both figurative and literal bridges.

He sourced a site, booked artists, and launched the ticket sale. During the process, he ensured the committee included representatives from both counties, a move that ultimately led to his downfall.

Meetings went long into the night, but eventually he had no choice but to cancel the festival. His issue? He’d booked two headline bands: The Jam and Cream.

And neither county could agree on who went on last.

It’s a joke, of course, but it reflects real life on the peninsula more than it appears healthy (at least healthier than a gluttony of the cream teas to which it refers).

I don’t really have a dog in this fight; regular readers will be aware that I was raised on the mean streets of South Warwickshire, where cream teas were an exotic treat saved for idyllic summer holidays served by caravan parks.

That genuine tension should arise from the placement of jam or cream seems absurd to outsiders, but in Devon and Cornwall, it’s no laughing matter. What seems like a minor culinary difference has come to symbolise centuries of friendly rivalry — and sometimes not-so-friendly division — between the two counties.

The Great Cream Tea Debate has its roots in regional identity. In Devon, it’s cream first, then jam. In Cornwall, it’s jam first, then cream. Both sides have historic “evidence” to back it up. Devon points to Tavistock Abbey in the 11th century, where monks were said to have served cream and jam on bread to travellers. Cornwall, meanwhile, argues that their method is the only one that makes visual sense — after all, who puts cream on top of jam? (Devonians, apparently.)

The cream tea debate is really shorthand for a much broader set of cultural and territorial disputes that define the Devon-Cornwall border.

Take the Tamar Bridge, for example. Locals on both sides of the river have long argued about the fairness of tolls — specifically, the fact that you only paid to leave Cornwall into Devon, not the other way around, and the implication, at least on one side of the river, that payment equals importance.

Then there’s the quiet resentment over Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. It’s the main hospital for a huge swathe of East Cornwall, which means that many Cornish babies are, technically, born in Devon. It’s led to more than a few jokes about whether someone born in Derriford can ever truly call themselves Cornish — particularly among the more hardline nationalists.

Even place names are a source of tension. While some Cornish speakers have successfully advocated for dual-language road signs, others have faced defacement or removal. Language, heritage, and identity all get wrapped up in these debates — far beyond a simple cream tea.

Our Cornish counterparts for today’s game at Silver Street came from Mousehole (and you’ll need to seek out last year’s match report for more enlightenment on how to pronounce the idyllic Cornish village).

In their second season in the Southern League, the Seagulls arrived on an excellent run of form that had seen them unbeaten in the league since late January, their only loss this year, and looking to cement their place in the playoffs.

David Steele made one change from the team that beat Shaftsbury midweek; Brandon Bak was recalled to the starting lineup to replace James Watts-Barciela, whose loan spell has expired.

It was the visitors who started the game stronger and, for the first 15 minutes, put Willand on the back foot, creating a number of chances, the best being a well-struck free kick that saw the ball strike the Willand crossbar before dropping into the hands of a grateful Burton.

As the game progressed, the home team settled into a rhythm, and their patience was repaid in the 33rd minute. Kempster made a decisive run in from the left before he found an inch-perfect pass to Bak, who made no mistake from 12 yards.

As the last of the winter sun dissipated, both teams continued to push, but without creating any significant chances.

HT – Willand 1 – Mousehole 0

The home team extended its lead early in the second half, cutting apart the Mousehole defence with two passes. The first, an Allen pass inside the fullback, set Kempster free, his first-time pass weighted perfectly for the unmarked Rooke to place past Chenoweth.

Rooke nearly added to his tally minutes later, with another well-worked move between Kemster and the Willand forward culminating in a good save from the Mousehole keeper.

The third goal finally came in the 73rd minute; a direct ball from Man-of-the-Match Edwards was taken out of the air by Rooke under pressure from the Mousehole centre-half and placed under Chenoweth in what may be one of the most underrated goals you’ll see at Silver Street this season.

To Mousehole’s credit, they kept pushing, while Willand could have extended the lead further, but at the full-time whistle, it was the home bench that were celebrating both an excellent performance and, for the second time in a week, 3 points.

In the end, whether you put jam first or cream, it all comes down to identity. And while the cream tea war may never end, those inside Silver Street this week can all agree on one thing: victory tastes just as good as any scone.

Also, it’s Jam first. I make no apologies.

FT – Willand 3 – Mousehole 0

Didcot Town v Willand Rovers

Willand makes the long journey south and across to Oxfordshire for the latest test in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South, as we take on Didcot Town with a 7:45 pm KO!

Last time out for Rovers, it was a visit from the club closest to Lands End. Mousehole’s unbeaten run was at a cliff edge, helmed by goals from Brandon Bak and a brace from Fin Rooke, who secured all three points for Rovers on the occasion.

The attention now turns to Tuesday where it’s a 280-mile round trip but 3 points are the exchange rate. The Railwaymen dropped down from the Southern Premier League last season and are looking to get themselves back to where they belong but the fixtures are closing in with the calendar ripping March off to brandish April.

One to look out for Jamie Heapy’s men would have to be Dan Warre who since joining the hosts has been pivotal to their recent run of good form and has an attacking threat to be reckoned with. For Basingstoke, he netted 8 times in 17 earlier in the season.

The last time out between both sides was a point a piece for Rovers and Didcot with Douglas Camilo hitting one in for Rovers which earned a point on home soil for us.

A long way from home but at the business end of the season, another battle in the Division One South to contend. Safe travels to all making the mammoth journey, your support is always appreciated by the lads!

#WeAreRovers

Willand Rovers v Mousehole

The second of our week back at the street sees our opponents travel from “way out west” to Willand for our fourth fixture with the Seagulls in the 24/25 campaign this Saturday at Silver Street in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm KO!

Last time out for Rovers it was a successful Willand Wednesday and a vital one with Shaftesbury winging their way from the Golden Hills to the Mid Devon plains for a night under the lights where both sides needed a result in a crucial fixture for both.

All the goals were in the first half as Rovers found the lead from a corner where Jamie Richards nestled a header from a difficult angle into the back of the net in the Silver end to put us up in front.

The visitors would equalise before the board went up for additional time with Jack Hoey nestling it into the net to unsettle the rover’s back line. However, loanee Bailey Kempster secured the three for Willand as he outran a diverting midfielder on his way to clear it, all he needed was a light ball on it and nestled into the back for a Rovers victory.

This weekend it is Mousehole who travels up and now it is the fourth match-up between both sides in the season. Jake Ash’s Cornish seagulls are striving for success once again this season with them going toe to toe with the favourites.

Their last game was a visit from our visitors from Wednesday with the Rockies losing heavily on the afternoon at Trungle Parc as Mousehole put 5 past the Dorset outfit on the cold Saturday afternoon.

One to look out for in the green and white would have to be Oscar Massey who has managed to bag 15 goals so far this season despite not starting the campaign with Mousehole with him finding his way from Cornish rivals Falmouth Town in the late stages of 2024. A future star, Massey is one on a lot of clubs radars up the pyramid.

The last time out between both sides was a pre-Christmas grinch of a game with Willand falling to defeat at Trungle as the hosts found four past Burton in the afternoon. One to forget for Steele’s men.

There is only a handful of home fixtures left now at The Stan Robinson Stadium with the season drawing to a close, don’t miss your chance to get behind the lads this weekend with your support being more needed than ever. COME ON YOU ROVERS!

#WeAreRovers