Category: Team news

Match Preview

Match Preview: Mousehole AFC V Willand Rovers Jingle Bells all the way! Oh, what fun it is to see Rovers play away, and it is a trip on the road this weekend to the bottom of Cornwall to take on Mousehole in the Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm kick-off at Trungle Parc.

We have had a week off from action as the storms brewed over Silver Street with Darragh sending gusts across the West Country and Wales and in that time the lads have had a bit of time to recuperate after a busy few months of action with the focus now being shifted onto this weekend’s fixture which takes us into the Christmas period.

It is not the first time, nor the second time, we have played our opponents with the FA Cup, sending us down to the village of Paul already this season with a 2-2 draw at their place, setting up a replay at Silver Street in which Ashton Hewitt’s strike was the difference to book us a place in the next round of the Cup.

One to watch for the hosts is Mark Goldsworthy, who has managed to bag 8 for the Seagulls this season with an eye for goal and is a player who can change a game when needed, as he has done throughout the season so far.

Their last game was a visit from Westbury, who managed to secure a 2-0 victory at Trungle Parc on Tuesday night as both battled the conditions, which could be considered idyllic for a Southern League clash with the White Horse Men coming out on top.

As well as the fixture, we are running our Christmas fun bus down to the edge of the world (England), which will be departing Silver Street at half 10 with the fare of £15 per person. So come along for the festivities and the joys of a Rovers awayday!

#WeAreRovers

Tomorrows games against Melksham Town has been called off due to safety reasons

 

however we will still be open from 12pm for the Everton Vs Liverpool game so please join us if you can

Willand Rovers v Melksham Town

Rovers are back in action at The Stan Robinson Stadium this weekend as we take on Wiltshire-based Melksham Town in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm KO.

Last time out for Rovers it was a trip up to Bishops Cleeve in which it was our second joust with the Mitres with it being our first league outing. The fixture ended 0-0 but a great effort from the lads made sure not to let Cleeve, who had an eye for goal this season, break the deadlock on the occasion and take a well-earnt point back down the M5 to set up this fixture.

Meanwhile for our visitors this afternoon it was a long trip for Helston on a bitter Monday night in which Town were able to make the difference in a good fixture and seal all three points thanks to a goal from Josh Bennett. A long trip home for the visitors on the night.

Melksham Boss Mark Collier has helped his side to a good start this season in the Div One South with several key players within his side including former Torquay man Jake Andrews who was a pivotal player in their National League South title win back in the 2018/19 season during his loan from Bristol City and one to look out for in the future in Theo Lynden who came through at Bristol Rovers and can bring a controlling force from the middle of the pack.

The last time out between both sides was a 0-0 draw at Oakfield Stadium back in late February of this year, hopefully, there are goals to be had this time at Silver Street on Saturday Afternoon.

The festive period is closing in and the fixtures keep ramping up, the penultimate home game before the big day. Your support would be massively appreciated, bring a mate and double the gate!

#WeAreRovers

Willand travelled to Gloucestershire to play Bishops Cleeve for another away game on Saturday in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South. With a few players out due to suspension, it meant that we had to have a young and inexperienced front line today with Jacob Wellington taking the striker role.

A first attempt from Ross Edwards as a free kick was taken by River Allen and Ross headed the ball towards goal but the keeper saved it. The corner to come then got sent towards Harley Sneap who pivots but his shot goes over the crossbar.

A wave of Bishops Cleeve attacks came through as one shot from frontman Ethan Dunbar hit the upright and another shot from long range cleared the crossbar. The Mitres felt mighty in the first half with another attack as a simultaneous sigh is heard from all around the ground as Ross Langworthy’s shot drags wide.

On loan Plymouth Argyle youngster Harley Sneap wanted to prove his ability and an opportunity arose with him being put in the starting XI in he took a brilliant strike on from outside the box as it flew like an arrow towards the bottom left-hand corner but the shot was just wide and it was a goal kick to the hosts.

Rovers were reduced to 10 on the stroke of halftime as Ashton Hewitt gets sent for an early shower by the man in the middle. The pressure was on for the next 45. Half-time at Kayte Lane with a massive second half to come up.

A clear chance for the hosts went to waste as the attacker was 5 yards out and shot straight towards George Burton who caught the ball. A lovely cross from a free kick went into the box by Allen and Harley Sneap gets the last touch which goes just wide.

An open header for Cleeve as their giant Left-Back goes for it but the shot is too high and goes out for a corner. Shot for Jamie Richards as River puts in yet another lovely free kick which Jamie can get onto the end of but not enough power and direction as it was into the keeper’s grasp.

Off the line from Ross Edwards as Bishops Cleeve have an opportunity to pull the ball back from the bi-line and tap it in for 1-0 but is unsuccessful on this occasion. Rovers would try to break the deadlock again with a chance for Willand as Douglas Camilo played a ball through to Tom Chastey he shot and dragged it well wide.

With ten to go the score remained at 0-0 and a goal either way would put the game to bed. Huge double save from both bottom corners as the first came off his strong foot and the second he tipped out for a corner denying an acrobatic attempt.

George Burton holds onto the ball for too long and the ref calls it for an indirect free-kick, it’s blocked well by the Willand wall and a sigh of relief can be heard from the M5

Full-time on a rainy afternoon in the Gloucestershire countryside and all even and points were shared after being down to ten in the first half.

The next game for Rovers will be a visit from Melksham Town on the 7th December, your support is massively appreciated as we go into the Christmas period 👏

#WeAreRovers

Magic Numbers for 30 November were 7, 10, 13 & 24. No winners so the jackpot next week is £3675.

 

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Match Preview
Bishops Cleeve v Willand Rovers

After a week without a midweek fixture in the way, our latest trip is to Bishops Cleeve in Gloucestershire on Saturday with a 3pm KO in the Southern Football League Division One South.

In a week of storms and snow, it was rather a surprise to see Rovers in action last week with Westbury United visiting Silver Street but the focus now shifts to a clash with a Cleeve side who sit in eighth in the league

Bishop Cleeve’s last game was a big win at Bristol Manor Farm last midweek with the Mitres claiming all three at The Creek as they didn’t have a chance to build on their win at the weekend due to a waterlogged pitch.

Paul Collicutt has his work cut out this season for this week’s hosts with it being their third season in the eighth tier and the Mitres having several key players at their disposal this season including striker duo Ross Langworthy and Ethan Dunbar who are known for their goalscoring genius for Cleeve.

We’ve already played our opponents this season with the FA Trophy coming to Town back in September as the visitors on the afternoon booking their place in the next round of the cup with a 2-0 win with now departed Jay Malshanskyj bagging a brace.

Our last trip to Kayte Lane however was slightly more positive in March of this year with a 0-0 draw and a point secured with at the time a playoff pushing Bishops Cleeve.

We’ve had a week to prepare and rest up for this fixture and for the first time in over a month we are leaving the home county for a game, we go into battle again. Three vital points up for grabs.

#WeAreRovers

Willand vs Westbury United

“Change is the only constant in life.”
– Heraclitus

Heraclitus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher from Ephesus who lived around 535–475 BCE, and while I’m not entirely sure what his now-synonymous phrase relates to, it came to the forefront of my mind this week as I took my season’s first delve through the cesspit that has become Twitter, looking for the magic words ‘Game On.’

For the uninitiated, Game On was a 1990s British sitcom that followed three housemates navigating the chaos of life in their twenties. It mixed a sharp humour with a relatable awkwardness, its appeal lying in its pitch-perfect blend of personalities: Mandy, the ambitious romantic; Martin, the endearingly neurotic virgin; and Matt, the agoraphobic alpha male whose larger-than-life persona masked deep insecurities.

However, as many fans of the show will attest, much like many promoted Championship teams, it all went downhill after the first season.

Ben Chaplin, who played Matt, was replaced by Neil Stuke when Chaplin left to pursue Hollywood opportunities, and while Stuke’s take on Matt retained the bravado, it suddenly felt exaggerated, lacking the subtle vulnerability that made Chaplin’s portrayal so compelling. The change was jarring, and while the show soldiered on for two more series, it never fully recovered its early charm.

The change quickly became synonymous with the Britpop generation for how replacing a character—or an actor—can shift the dynamic so dramatically that they feel like they’re watching something entirely different.

Sometimes, these replacements work. Take MASH, for instance. When Radar O’Reilly, the lovable company clerk, left, Max Klinger stepped into his role. Initially a comic relief character known for his elaborate schemes to get discharged, usually encompassing a dress of some description, Klinger evolved into a more responsible figure, and the transition felt natural. Similarly, when Coach from Cheers was replaced by Woody Boyd after the death of actor Nicholas Colasanto, the show managed to maintain its rhythm, with Woody Harrelson bringing a youthful energy that reinvigorated the series.

On the other hand, some replacements struggle to land. Can you recall the moment when John Doggett (Robert Patrick) replaced Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) in the X-Files? Despite Patrick’s solid performance, the unique chemistry between Mulder and Scully was irreplaceable, and fans felt the loss keenly.

So what makes one replacement succeed while another fails? Timing, chemistry, and creative vision all play a part. A well-handled transition embraces change while respecting what came before. When writers let new characters grow organically or allow the audience to process the departure of an old favourite, replacements can work brilliantly. However, when the alteration comes across as forced, the flaws start to surface, and the allure of the original often becomes unreplicable.

In football, as in television, replacements are a gamble. You can swap one player for another, but will the chemistry click? Will the crowd embrace the new addition, or will they spend the rest of the season lamenting what’s been lost? Sometimes these changes are expected and the blow can be tempered, but on other occasions they are sudden and jarring, and both teams and fans can take time to adjust to new characters.

Change is inevitable, but how we handle it determines our success. As Game On demonstrated, even the most well-laid plans can fail, yet chaos can also spark the creation of new forms of magic.

——-

David Steele had the luxury of picking the same starting eleven that had fared so well against high-flying Exmouth, as he looked to beat a Westbury United side that was also coming into the game following a midweek victory, and despite near-apocalyptic conditions, the Silver Street faithful watched the clock tick past 3 pm with vibrant, if damp, enthusiasm.

Unfortunately, the optimism was swept away with storm Bert as the visitors made a perfect start, opening the scoring with their first attack. Beardwell flicked the ball on, and Walton fired it into the bottom corner beyond a scrambling Button before many of the crowd had lowered their umbrellas and donned their gloves.

Willand tried to play themselves back into the game but never really allowed themselves to get out of first gear with some poor decisions and a lack of quality in the driving wind. Despite an opportunity when an Allen free kick evaded the far post, the home team’s situation was compounded in the 15th minute when Walton scored his second following a slip-up, leading to a mix-up in the Willand defense, leaving the Westbury striker to place the ball into an empty net.

The visitors extended their lead further in the 32nd minute, with little resistance from the home defence, as Cross seemingly juggled the ball through a series of phantom tackles before placing it into an empty net.

Half time Willand 0 – Westbury 3

David Steele rang the changes at halftime with Sneap and Searle replacing Whitfield and Mendonca, but as the wind and rain picked up, the quality from both teams dropped off.

The best chance for the home team came in the 68th minute, when a rare attempt on target was acrobatically cleared from under the bar by a Westbury defender before it could cross the line. Minutes later, the visitors hit the bar themselves, with the shot evading a statuesque Burton before rebounding to safety.

As the rain and wind intensified, and fans from both sides began contemplating the arduous journeys to their cars and homes, Bearwell successfully completed the rout with a well-executed goal that saw him cut inside the final defender and place the ball beyond Burton for the visitors’ fourth goal.

In the end, it was a poor game, and Willand were well beaten in conditions that Noah himself might have thought twice about braving. But as Heraclitus so wisely put it, “Change is the only constant,” and with the next match comes a chance for redemption. Today’s storm may have swept away our optimism (and half of my back fence), but storms have a way of clearing the decks for brighter days. Who knows? Next week, the sun might shine, the passes might actually find their man, and the ball might finally decide to go in off the right side of the post.

In which case, Game on.

Full Time – Willand 0 – Westbury 4