Category: First team

Match Preview: Mousehole AFC v Willand Rovers

Mr Blue Sky might tell us why we’ve got a game on this Saturday as the forecast remains clear ahead of our trip to West Cornwall to take on Mousehole AFC in the Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm KO.

Hopes are high that Rovers will be in action after a couple of weeks away from the action with the end of the storms in sight. However, one thing we didn’t expect this season was to visit Mousehole before they came to our place. The reverse fixture has now been postponed three times from its original date in October but the Seagulls will finally get to take on Willand this weekend.

The hosts this weekend have had a stop-start campaign with the weather having its say but currently sit in the middle of the pack in a relatively stable position, seagulls boss Jake Ash will be hoping that once the action gets back underway, they can aspire to get back into the top half of the table.

Mousehole’s in a fairly similar boat to Rovers, their last game was on the 17th January where they made the mammoth trip to Sporting Club Inkberrow where the hosts narrowly grabbed all three points whilst the visiting Cornishmen’s 514-mile round trip saw them go home empty-handed.

One to watch for the Trungle boys this weekend would have to be Hayden Turner who has been vital for Mousehole this season, providing 7 in the Division One South and will certainly put the all-whites backline under pressure on Saturday.

The last outing between the two sides sees us cast back to March last year where points were crucial at the tail end of the season with a pileup outside the relegation zone. Rovers made sure in their fourth meeting between Mousehole of the campaign to grab all three with goals from Brandon Bak & Fin Rooke on the afternoon.

Fancy a trip way out west? The fun bus is in operation for this fixture with the fare standing at £15 and departure from Silver Street being 10:30 am. Do contact Mike Hawkins or the club’s socials to book your place on the bus.

It’s been a tough few months for the blades of grass across the south west, but it’s a testament to an army of volunteers through all of this to get these games on. As the fixtures come in their hundreds (feels like it, probably is about 10) keep getting behind the lads and we’ll be back home soon!

Match Preview: Willand Rovers v Larkhall Athletic

Rovers will be hoping that the rain doesn’t decide Saturday’s result with the bluebirds from Larkhall flocking in for our latest clash in the Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm KO!

Last time out for Rovers, it was a visit to Badgers Hill where the pitch was rather muddy but both sides were eager to get a game in as they battled it out in the bog. Only one goal splitter on both sides with Albie Hopkins curling it past Ashby-Hammond to secure all three points for the hosts on a cold, miserable afternoon in Somerset.

This time round though, it’s a crucial game for Rovers as they have once again the opportunity to leap out of the relegation zone whilst our visitors Larkhall can build on their promotion bid as the league tightens up. Though to be honest both sides will be glad to be in action as one again, as the weather warnings threaten the hallowed turf.

John Durbin’s men have been busy this season, cementing themselves in and around the playoffs and looking to really push on from their recent investment and renovation of their home and a general change in luck for the Bath-based side. The last time both sides met was back in Mid October where Bailey Kempster & Finn Herbert had Rovers two in front with only five on the clock. However, the hosts through Bowman & Horrocks made the rovers settle for a point at Plain Ham.

Larkhall’s last game was also at the weekend where they received a visit from Didcot who currently cruise around mid-table. Freddie King scored within the first quarter of an hour for the hosts with Tyger James-Hall levelling it up with five to go, for it to be a point a piece.

One to watch for this weekend’s visitors would have to be Dawid Regula who is well known within the fourth tier as he’s plied his trade at Hungerford Town, Melksham Town & Swindon Supermarine where he’s replicated his form into this season by being the division’s top scorer on 11 for the 25/26 campaign.

For this weekend’s fixture, we are offering our season ticket at a concession rate promotion. Suppose you’re not planning to make the trip to Mansfield with City or the journey to Uxbridge with Tivvy. Even if Torquay & Taunton don’t go ahead, we have you covered. Show your season ticket at the gate and gain concession entry!

The bar will be open from 12:30, when Manchester United take on Tottenham Hotspur on our screens. Grab a pint and watch the undercard before the main event. The official turnstiles open at half 1 with refreshments available as usual from the tea hut.

We look forward to welcoming you this weekend for another enthralling Southern Football League fixture. Plenty at stake, pack the gate, get behind the rovers.

Match Preview: Frome Town v Willand Rovers

After half of Mid Devon had been washed away by storms and flooding, the Rovers squad are still intact and will travel to league leaders Frome Town this weekend in the Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm KO!

It’s been a little while since rovers were last in action as the weather has hindered progress temporarily with our last outing being on the 12th January against Melksham Town. Two postponed fixtures against Shaftesbury and Mousehole will now be rearranged in due course.

Back to the game at hand, Willand head to Badgers Hill looking to end the month positively but the hosts on Saturday have ambitions to bounce right back into the Premier Division with the Robins sitting on 70 points after 28 games.

As Frome’s one-year stay in the top (southern) flight came to an end, boss Danny Greaves has ensured that it’ll only be a cameo back in the Division One with some of the best players in the region flocking to the Robins nest.

One of those is Archie Ferris who’s known for his goal-scoring ability in the division in previous seasons and the 25/26 campaign is no different. Only recently he scored a hat trick away from home against fellow automatic promotion battling side Winchester City, an important cog in the Frome machine.

Our last outing against Frome was Ben Watson’s first game in charge at the helm of Rovers, a new era begun with all three points with River Allen’s quick thinking saw it slide into the bottom left and all three points recovered in a rare defeat for the visitors. However, our last visit to Badgers Hill was unique with Westbury United using it as a temporary base whilst their ground was undergoing a few safety checks.

The Fun Bus is in operation for this fixture with the departure time from Silver Street being 11:30 am, and the fare sitting at £15, do let Mike Hawkins or the club’s socials know if you’d like to book a seat on board.

Match Preview: Willand Rovers v Shaftesbury

Rovers will be hoping to take the momentum from last week to this weekend provided the rain doesn’t get there first as we take on Shaftesbury in the Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm KO!

Last time out for Rovers, it was a rare Monday outing as we made the trip over to Wiltshire to take on Melksham Town where both sides needed all three on the board to push out of the clutch of the relegation zone and Willand had found the winning formula in the first ten with Charlie Bateson’s brace putting Rovers in touching distance of climbing out the drop.

This time round, it is the Rockies who will be looking to build on their promotion bid, with the side sitting inside the playoff spots, 2 points off Bishops Cleeve. Their last outing was also a trip to Melksham, where the goals were flowing, and it was the visiting side who prevailed in the 9-goal thriller, with Holmes, Burden, Morgan, Hoey & Brown sending it in to secure a vital three on the road.

One to watch for the visitors this weekend would be Harvey Bradbury who had come through the youth ranks at Portsmouth before moving on to Watford where he would have a couple of non-league loan spells before heading over to Oxford United. From the Kassam, he’d head over to the Den before settling down at Oxford City.

Numerous spells at Welling, Gosport, Dorchester, Dartford, Farnborough, Chatham and Havant & Waterlooville lead to today’s side in Shaftesbury where he looks to help the Dorset-based side jump into the Southern Premier League for the first time in their history with his experience as explained proving important in their bid.

Both sides met earlier on in the season with Rovers ahead at the break with a brace from Bailey Kempster but the hosts grouped to cause a reaction with Holmes & Hoey combining their efforts to ultimately keep the points in Dorset that evening.

For City fans not making the trip to Port Vale, Torquay fans not making the trip to Enfield & Tiverton fans not making the journey to Gloucester, show your season ticket on the turnstile and get concession entry for our game against Shaftesbury.

Saturday’s game is subject to a pitch inspection following substantial rain within the Mid Devon area but we do hope to welcome you this weekend and an important weekend it will be for both sides at the contrasting ends of the table.