Category: Team news

Willand Rovers chairman Mike Mitchell praises departing Scott Rogers and new manager Russell Jee

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Willand Rovers chairman Mike Mitchell was full of praise for both outgoing player-manager Scott Rogers and incoming boss Russell Jee.

Rogers is leaving the club to join Tiverton Town as a player-coach with his assistant Jee being named as the replacement.

After Rogers said goodbye to the club by winning the Les Phillips Cup final on Sunday, Mitchell had nothing but good words to say about a person who he feels could comfortably manage at a higher level one day.

Mitchell said: “It was the perfect way to end Scott’s reign. We decided two years ago that Scott would become manager and I thought he’d only be here two seasons as he’s good enough to move on.

“He’s going to Tiverton as a player-coach, though, and I had visions of him going to a higher level as a manager. He’s good enough to manage in the Conference and he’s going to make a good manager. I can’t match what he’s been offered at Tiverton, so it’s something he couldn’t refuse.

“I’ve known Scott all of his life, more or less, and he’s a fantastic guy. He’s a breath of fresh air for some places and he gets things going.

“He followed on from Clive Jones, who bought us up to a good standard and help us kick on again – we’ve had a fantastic season.”
Mitchell also revealed he is confident that Jee can continue the good work that the management team carried out over the past season.

He revealed: “Russell Jee was assistant to Scott and, about a week ago, I sat down with him and we agreed he’d take us on again. David Steele will be his assistant, with the same backroom staff. I

“’m very pleased with Russell’s appointment and one day he’ll make a good manager – this is the way we work at Willand. Everyone at the club is pleased Russell is staying, it’s a nice appointment to make.

“I told the committee last Saturday that we were employing Russell as manager and everyone agreed it was a good move.

“The first year that Scott was here, both Russell and Scott played, but they decided last year that Russell would give up playing to coach from the side and I think he’s done an excellent job. A lot of the players like him and he’s got some contacts. He’ll do his best, I know he will.

“His dad and his brother were both Willand players. He’s like a Blackpool rock, he’s got Willand running through his veins.”

Scott Rogers says winning the Les Phillips Cup would be a perfect end to a successful Willand Rovers season

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Scott Rogers says that winning the Les Phillips Cup would be the perfect way to cap off a good season for Willand Rovers.

Rovers have had multiple cup runs this season, reaching the semi-final of the Devon St Luke’s Bowl and the FA Cup fourth qualifying round to go alongside Sunday’s Les Phillips Cup final against Barnstaple.

While this success caused a big fixture pile-up that ultimately put paid to their league ambitions and caused them to finish sixth in the Western League Premier Division, player-manager Rogers feels it has been a successful season for his side and now he wants something to show for it.

The Silver Street boss said: “A win will top off what’s been a successful season.

“All the lads have been brilliant all season and I’m not going to criticise any of them – they’ve been superb, so I’m hoping we can get the result on Sunday.

“To pick up a trophy would be great. We’ve done brilliantly in the cups this year so to be able to take one back to Silver Street will give us something to show for it.

“Whilst we’ve gone far in competitions and won prize money, we’ve not won any silverware yet, so that’s what we’ll be aiming for.

“We know a fair bit about Barnstaple as they’ve got a lot of players that have played locally for a long period of time. They’ve got some experienced players and we know it’s going to be a tough game but we’re just going to treat it as a normal game against a team that are near the top of our league, as they’ve been promoted from the first division and they’ll do well next year.”
Rogers now has the luxury of a full squad to choose from after missing numerous players through injuries in recent weeks.

“It’s obviously a cup final so league position goes completely out of the window and it all comes down to who plays better on the day,” Rogers said.

“I don’t think there are favourites in a game like this, at all.
“It’s all about what happens on the day and who turns up.

“They’ve got as much chance of winning the game as us and it’s all about whichever team goes out there and does their best to win the game. Look at the FA Cup semi-final the other week – Aston Villa turned up, totally outplayed Liverpool and deserved to win, so it’s just about what happens on the day.

“Our squad is not looking too bad. Funnily enough, everyone seems to manage to make themselves available and fully fit for a cup final!

“So we’ve got a full squad to choose from and there’ll be some disappointed lads come Sunday, but I need to pick a team that’s going to win a game.”

Despite this, Willand go into the game on the back of two defeats, having lost 2-1 to league champions Melksham Town and 5-0 to Slimbridge over the bank holiday weekend.

Rogers is not too concerned with the two losses that ended their league season as he feels the side can put things right on Sunday.

He said: “We’ve had two disappointments at the weekend, losing to Melksham on Saturday and Slimbridge on Monday.

“On Monday, in the first half, there wasn’t much in it to be honest.

“We were a bit unlucky as we had two or three great chances and didn’t take them and then they scored a great goal.
“We were full of confidence going into the second half and were ready to give them a game but the decisive goal came when the assistant referee gave a goal that he said went over the line, when we felt it wasn’t.

“That knocked the stuffing out of us and, to be honest, from then the writing was on the wall as we were penned in a little.

“It’s disappointing but, like I’ve said, the lads have given it their all this season, so I’m not going to criticise them too much.”

u18s – Treble Is On!

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Devon County Youth League

Subsidiary Cup

May 3rd 2015

Clyst Valley Rovers 2 Willand Rovers 3 (HT 2-2) Tillett, Gibbins 2

A couple of sharp showers improved the surface ahead of todays game at Clyst Valley’s neat ground at Winslade Park. The league fixture here in the autumn was close and it was as close today.

Willand Rovers had a bare 12 to choose from. After their winning County Cup Final performance on Tuesday, players were unavailable due to exams, work and injury, while another somehow found himself broken down in Torquay.

Before the kick-off, the Willand players were a little spirited in the warm-up but with only 1 substitute to call upon, they were told not to waste to much energy. Clyst Valley proved difficult to break down when the sides last met at Speeds Meadow for the title clincher 3 weeks ago, so strong legs might well be needed until the end.

The game kicked off and Willand started very brightly but found themselves a goal down after 2 minutes when a simple in-swinging  free-kick from the right bounced once in the 6 yard area ghosting past defenders and goalkeeper Jez Cross into the far corner. 0-1.

Willand came close twice to unlocking the Valley defence (including a disallowed goal from Sam Johnson when it seemed the “foul” was by a home defender on a team-mate) before Jordan Major swung a terrific curling cross over the home defence for Jake Tillett running-in to deftly volley home the equaliser on 26 minutes. Tillett’s first touch has been noted on many occasions this season as a reason why he should push on to a good standard of senior football.

Willand were coming forward at every opportunity but couldn’t quite unlock the Clyst Valley defence. On 34 minutes, right back Alex Wright broke into the opposite third, and glided past 3 players before firing a wickedly dipping shot which cannoned off the cross bar to safety.

Shortly afterwards, Valley were fortuitously ahead again. A deep, looping cross from the right deceived everyone including the despairing dive from Cross and went in off the far post. 1-2. This goal was probably a little flukey but yet again, the home team led. Cross did reprieve himself with safe gloves from a couple of distance drives from freekicks though and he played well, with safe hands and generally good distribution.

Willand just couldn’t quite get the equaliser. Tillett missed a great chance to square things up (his shot went just wide) but just as the half was petering out, Alex Gibbins collected a ball centrally 25 yards out, turned and drilled it powerfully low past the keeper’s right hand right on 45′. As soon as the game restarted, the referee blew his whistle to end the half.

The second half was largely one-way traffic and while Jordan Major (especially) and Ash Matthews held the defence firm, the forwards did their utmost to bring the best out of the Clyst ‘keeper. His saves especially from Gibbins and a brilliant block with a defender to deny Tillet a tap-in, as well as tipping shots over and round the post from Jordan Armstrong and Johnson were incredible, really……

But Willand would not be denied a winner and with 8 minutes to go, Jordan Bastin, Man of the Match, again tricked his way to the goal line and again drilled over a low cross which Gibbins met on the run at the far post. 3-2 – phew!

It was no more than the team deserved but after Tuesday nights wasted chances, the team left it very late again.

Reeces Browning and Kingdom played very well today too in a true all-round team performance.

 

 

 

Melksham Town win the league

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https://plus.google.com/photos/106481448529677945455/albums/6144369852157229905
Scott Rogers praised his players’ second-half performance as they pushed league champions Melksham Town all the way before falling to a 2-1 defeat.

Knowing that a win would secure the title, Melksham went into half-time 2-0 ahead thanks to goals from Shaun Benison and Gary Higdon.

Yet Willand improved in the second half and grabbed a goal back on 65 minutes when Tom Bath finished from close range after Dean Stamp’s 20-yard drive was parried. Rogers’ side were unable to force an equaliser but the player-manager was still pleased with what he saw.

The Silver Street chief said: “In the second half, we were very good to a man.

“We could have got something out of it but, to be fair, Melksham threw their bodies on the line and got themselves the result they needed, although they didn’t need it in the end due to the fact Buckland lost.
We had a right good go in the second half but just couldn’t get there.

“In the first half, we were a little off the pace and they punished us, but in the second half we did the same to them as they did to us but, unfortunately, two goals were a little too much to claw back.”

Willand now host Slimbridge in their final league game of the season on Monday and Rogers feels a win is vital ahead of this weekend’s Les Phillips Cup final against Barnstaple Town.

He revealed: “Slimbridge is a massive game, it’s the biggest game of the season for us before the final because we want to finish in the top three. If we beat Slimbridge, we can do that, which will be great.

“I’m pleased for Darren Perrin, the Melksham manager, as he’s a really good friend of mine and I told him to have a good night celebrating.

“We’ve now got to make sure we can do the business on Monday.”

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