Category: Team news

Willand made the journey through the middle of the Southwest as we filtered up to the Roman town of Melksham, which would set the scene for our latest Southern League clash.

Going into the game, David Steele had to make a few alterations to the starting XI as a result of skipper Jamie Richards still being out with his suspension and Ryan Guppy sidelined with an injury that he had suffered whilst playing in our last match against Bishops Cleeve. This saw Bailey Kempster in the defence with Harvey Dorothy moving into midfield.

Our opponents in Melksham Town have a chance at sneaking into the playoffs, and a win here would put them six points behind Exmouth Town, who currently occupy the last playoff spot.

Rovers started strongly as we kept possession and kept firing shots for the first twenty minutes. Both sides created chances in which the deadlock could have been breached but nothing concrete in the early stages.

Despite our early dominance, it would be the hosts who took the lead first with a goal from Henry Sady in the 20th minute as he nestled it into the bottom right. Just a minute later Melksham would have another; this time it came from Elliot Haffenden, in a similar fashion to the previous one but from the other side of the final third.

On the stroke of half-time Melksham would get a third with a throw-in coming from the left-hand side, a mixup at the back left Ross Edwards vulnerable to heading it past Burton to give the yellow and black army a cushioned lead.

Before the start of the second half, Steele brought his reinforcements directly with a triple substitution where Fin Rooke, Harvey Dorothy and Jack Kennell were subbed off to be replaced by Brandon Bak, Douglas Camilo and Jacob Wellington.

The second half gave a slightly improved performance for rovers with the team in good stead as we piled the pressure on again early on
As in the first half, Melksham found their form again, and they started controlling the game, keeping possession and creating chances.

A few more chances swung our way but the final touches were just missing to get back into the game. Watts-Barciela was the closest to finding the back of the net as he found himself through on goal, but the Melksham defence held firm and they kept a clean sheet as the game ended.

Full time at the Oakfield Stadium in Wiltshire, Melksham Town 3-0 Willand Rovers. A tough one to take but the hosts had their game plan set from Kick Off with all their goals and pressure coming in the first 45.

A draw for Helston means we go into Wednesday against fellow relegation-fighting team Shaftesbury with one point above the relegation zone.

#WeAreRovers

Magic Numbers for 22.3.25 were 3,4,8 & 13. There was no winner, so next week’s jackpot will be £500.

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Melksham Town v Willand Rovers

It’s time for another away day for Rovers as we travel to Wiltshire to take on Melksham Town in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm KO at the Oakfield Stadium!

Last week for Willand it was Bishops Cleeve who made the journey down the M5 to Silver Street with a tasty fixture on the cards for both sides. Steele’s men got ahead with Ryan Guppy netting a lovely volley which was well drilled into the middle of the box as Stan Robinson erupted.

One became two with Harvey Dorothy managing to dink the Cleeve keeper just before the break with him wheeling away in celebration with the All-whites in the lead going into the break. The visitors did get themselves back in the fixture with a free kick going through most of the rovers’ backline and past Burton but a point couldn’t be salvaged for the Mitres as Willand stood mighty with three points for their efforts in an important win.

This time it’s the reverse fixture of Melksham in which Mark Colier’s men have probably got fed up with playing sides from Devon after a double fixture with Tavistock which ended with Tavvy winning both games and their last fixture denied the league leaders Yate the chance to build on their cushion on top as it ended 1-1.

One to look out for the hosts on Saturday would have to be Henry Sady who is a fan favourite in yellow and black and on his day can be a handful up top with an attacking threat not to be reckoned with. Clubs up the leagues have tried bringing in the striker but he sticks with Town for the time being.

Earlier on in the season, it was a bit of a bitter night in terms of the weather but Josh Baker ensured that another vital three was added to the board in the late stages of another southern league battle, in other words, a famous Willand Wednesday.

The fun bus is once again back in operation with departure time from Silver Street being half 11 with the usual £15 fare to secure your seat, do let Mike Hawkins know or message us on our social media channels to book.

It is Squeaky bum time for all teams across the country, with March turning into April very soon. However, before we can wheel off for the summer, Saturday is a very important day for non-league teams.

Non-League Day is an annual festival of non-league football which is celebrated across the country with fans encouraged for one weekend during the international break to go and support their local and give back to grassroots. Our hosts on Saturday are offering all U16’s tickets free so take advantage of this fantastic offer and join us this weekend!

#WeAreRovers

Willand vs Bishops Cleeve

 

Manchester United rose to the peak of global football in 1999, carving their place in history with an achievement that few teams have ever accomplished: the treble. Under the lights of the Camp Nou on May 26th, they were on the precipice of defeat, trailing Bayern Munich as the seconds ticked away. But in those fateful final moments, they delivered one of the most dramatic turnarounds in sports history. Teddy Sheringham’s equaliser in the 91st minute ignited belief, only for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to score the winning goal in the 93rd minute, securing Champions League success and immortalising Sir Alex Ferguson’s team.

 

United had achieved their historic treble: the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. It was the night they conquered Europe—the night they ruled the football world.

 

Since the treble, United has won 7 more league titles, 1 more Champions League, plus a plethora of other trophies, but despite this still impressive record, there has been an undeniable decline since Ferguson’s departure in 2013.

 

In March 2025 they sit 13th in the Premier League, having not won a league game since late January and counting Everton and Crystal Palace among their peers. A club that once ruled England and Europe now fights for scraps while rivals take their place at the summit

 

The fall from grace has been steep.

 

The demises of the Red Devils isn’t an isolated incident in the sport, of course, and there are plenty of further examples of both teams and individuals falling from their highest pinnacle: Mirroring the fall of Manchester United, AC Milan once ruled European football, lifting the Champions League in 2007 with a squad of legends. But financial chaos and poor ownership sent them spiralling into years of mediocrity. Their decline, however, is not an isolated case. The phenomenon of failure isn’t constricted to football, with the West Indies cricket team serving as a stark example. The Windies, once the most dominant force in the sport and feared worldwide for their ruthless fast bowling and explosive batting, has since faded into irrelevance and now struggles even to qualify for major tournaments. And even US dynasty teams such as the Detroit Red Wings—once the NHL’s gold standard with 25 consecutive playoff appearances—have spent years struggling at the bottom.

 

However, Manchester United’s shortcomings are insignificant compared to those of their nearby rivals, Oldham Athletic. The Latics, a team that once shared the Old Trafford pitch with Manchester United, has experienced a catastrophic decline. A founding member of the Premier League in 1992, Oldham competed alongside England’s elite before suffering relegation in 1994. Years of financial turmoil, mismanagement, and decline saw them tumble down the leagues until, in 2022, they became the first former Premier League club to drop into non-league football. Now battling in the fifth tier, the story of Oldham serves as a chilling reminder that no club, no matter how grand its past, is immune to football’s brutal realities.

 

——

 

David Steele was forced to change his starting line up due to a suspension for captain Jamie Richards, which saw the ever-versatile Ryan Guppy fill in at centre-half in an 11 that also saw a return to the midfield for River Allen.

 

The opponents for the day came in the guise of Bishops Cleeve, who arrived at Silver Street looking to cement a place in the play-offs and repeat their early-season FA Trophy victory against the hosts.

 

It was the visitors who started the game strongly, creating several opportunities, and Burton was forced into action in the fifth minute, making a good stop from a Langsworthy shot to deny the visitors the lead.

 

Despite early pressure from the Mitres, it was Willand who scored the opener in the 13th minute. River Allen delivered a corner into the box, and after good contact from Edwards, the ball dropped to Ryan Guppy, who fired his shot beyond Clayton to put the home side into the lead.

 

Bishops Cleeve reacted positively to going behind and continued to push against a resolute Willand defence, the visitors best chance of the afternoon coming in the 36th minute, when Nelmes got on to the end of a corner, only to see his header well saved by Burton.

 

Willand extended their lead in first-half injury time, a direct pass setting Dorothy free, his well-placed lob over the Cleeve keeper leaving the visitors with work to do in the second half.

 

Half Time: Willand 2 – Bishops Cleeve 0

 

I’m obviously not privy to half-time team talks, but I would wager my entry fee that David Steele asked his team to be strong for the first 15 minutes, a resolution that lasted about as long as Sam Allardyce as England manager (another example of a heroic fall from grace).

 

Cleeves goal came in slightly fortuitous circumstance, McLean’s well-placed free-kick in the 47th minute floated all the way past the Willand defence and into the net, with Burton left flat-footed as he anticipated a touch.

 

McLean went close again in the 68th minute, his free kick just missing the top corner, but the home team also had chances in the second half, with Clayton making a crucial save from Bak in the 80th minute. In the end though it was Burton who took the plaudits, pulling off an incredible stop 3 minutes into injury time to deny Harding from close range.

 

From Manchester United’s treble to Oldham Athletic’s demise, from AC Milan’s fall to the West Indies’ decline, sport is a ruthless cycle of highs and lows. Whether it’s Champions League nights in Barcelona or relegation battles at Silver Street, the game is defined by moments of glory and despair.

 

Some clubs rise again; others fade into irrelevance—but triumph at home is the foundation of every revival.

 

Full Time: Willand 2 – Bishops Cleeve 1

 

Willand Rovers v Bishops Cleeve

In what feels like an eternity (a fortnight) we are back home this weekend in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South where our opponents will be Bishops Cleeve with a 3 pm KO at the Stan Robinson Stadium.

Last week for Rovers it was a trip to neutral territory where Westbury was taking temporary residence at Badgers Hill. Only one goal could separate both sides and that would come in the second half with the “hosts” given a free kick just shortly after play resumed with Charlie Wooding firing into the bottom right past Burton’s dive down to try and divert it.

The Mitres make the mighty journey down to Mid Devon on Saturday with Paul Collicutt’s men working towards their goals come April 26th with the season closing in and in single digits. Their last game was a home clash to Bashley in which they sealed all three with 3 goals on the afternoon from Bower’s brace and Evans-Hariott’s sealer.

It is not the first time the Green Army has made the trip down south as in the FA Trophy we were tied with them as our campaign in the competition was halted at the first hurdle as they advanced through to the next stages.

The actual last time out between both sides was at Kayte Lane in early December in which a 0-0 draw was hard worked by Rovers to deny a top-scoring side the chance for three points on the cold afternoon in Gloucestershire with Burton keeping a clean sheet in the process.

Since our last game, one to look out for in the visitors’ camp would have to be Jay Malshankskyj. For a number of years, he has been one of the top strikers in the division. He got a chance to play up a league during his time with Taunton Town, but he returned to Cleeve looking to prove that he was one of the best around.

As the league closes in, every game is a cup final. This is why we need the cup final atmosphere down at Silver Street so pack the gate by bringing your mates and make some noise for the Village boys. Time to go into battle again.

#WeAreRovers

Match Report
Westbury United v Willand Rovers

Rovers made the journey up towards North Somerset for a game against a Wiltshire opposition as Westbury United temporarily called Frome Town’s Badgers Hill home for the time being as another vital fixture for both sides was on the calendar on Saturday.

Going into the game both sides had played a midweek fixture with the hosts winning at Cinderford whilst Willand etched a late draw against Yate Town.

A win for Westbury would see them become more comfortable towards the playoff zone whilst Rovers needed to climb away from the perilous drop which had been lingering the last couple of weeks

Only one change was made before the game with the injured Bailey Kempster missing out on this fixture with youngster James Watts-Barciela being called upon for his starting debut for the Rovers.

The game got underway with a bit of battling for the ball as possession would remain an important factor in trying to fight in this fixture on neutral soil as both sides went in being the away side.

James Watts-Barciela’s call-up to the starting XI was a big sign of things to come with the loanee having the first big chance of the game as he approached the box from the right-hand side in which he could have repeated his goal from Tuesday but the angle just didn’t sharpen enough to roll past Brown as it went past the post.

Rovers continued to knock on the door with Brandon Bak aiming to get himself his second of his spell at the club but just as he wanted to get a shot at goal, the linesmen raised for offside. Ryan Guppy was up next to have a crack at goal which he sent well but just lacked the angle on it to nestle into the goal.

Westbury had a little bit of a series of opportunities of their own for around 5 minutes as rovers felt under pressure from the white horsemen’s attacking presence, a solid effort to deny them any of their advances.

The final stages of the first half were very quiet and with nothing to split either side, the break was well welcomed for both sides to regroup and think of the solution to goals.

With the second half up and going the hosts started strong getting a few shots off in the first 5 of the half, but that would be soon capitalised on as the hosts went up 1-0 from a free kick from Charlie Wooding which was driven low to the keeper’s side as Burton couldn’t quite get enough on the ball to keep it out.

Westbury had another free kick around the 65th minute as a cross came into the box which was cleared away by the Rovers backline and Westbury got the ball back to try to recycle the chance but was unsuccessful.

Chance after chance for the hosts and no more than one went for them, a then promising position for Willand as a River Allen free-kick found the head of Ross Edwards whose header was not quite powerful enough and a goal line scramble was not enough for the ball to go over the line.

Harvey Dorothy eagerly looked to try and whittle a chance out for rovers and with a heavy volley flying towards the top right it just didn’t land on time and went over and out for a goal kick.

A last-ditch corner saw George Burton up inside the opposition box and as River Allen went up for the header a foul was called on the Westbury goalkeeper.

Full-time in Frome and a disappointing but narrow defeat signalling the end of 3 away fixtures in a row seeing rovers travel all over the south, it’ll be back to the training ground on Tuesday with Bishops Cleeve making the journey to The Stan Robinson Stadium on Saturday.