Yate Town v Willand Rovers
Rovers travelled to the top of the league Yate on Tuesday night in a crucial match for both sides as the hosts looked to continue their title charge while Willand was looking to recover some points to climb up the table away from the drop.
The first half had several chances going at both ends with the hosts dominating within the first five of the game. Brandon Bak went closest in the opening stages with a solid strike when Yate lost their footing at the back but it landed with the keeper on the line.
Bailey’s evening was cut short just 8 minutes in as James Watts-Barciela came on for his rovers debut following his loan move from Plymouth Parkway. The hosts would however break the deadlock in the 21st minute with Ollie Tomlinson firing past Burton to take the lead with the Yate ultras in their numbers in pandemonium at the sight of the lead.
Both Rovers and Yate battled constantly from the restart to either get 2 ahead or level the game up, the luck landed with Rovers on this occasion. Up steps the debutant Watts-Barciela who nestles a wonderful side foot into the bottom right to deny the hosts the runaway in the fixture.
Towards the end of the first half the momentum ramped up as the Bluebells felt under pressure from a Willand resurgence and several chances followed for Steele’s men to get ahead.
Half time at Lodge Road, 1-1 and the cold was starting to set but the fire was just igniting on the pitch to what would be on the horizon for both sides.
The second half got underway fantastically for Rovers as a greatly placed corner swung in for Fin Rooke to take advantage and header Rovers in front for the first time in this fixture. The hosts were shouting for a foul but Rovers got their deserved goal.
A series of free kicks followed for the hosts with none coming to much other than the shouts for a penalty from each opportunity but the ref saw no infringement of play and action continued.
The second sub of the evening came with Weston loanee Brandon Bak making way for Harvey Dorothy. This would prove to be an important sub in the long run. Going into the late stages of the game the determination to keep the lead was high.
Yate did open their account again with a well-worked ball just firing to the side of George Burton and again the home support roared in jubilation. The last 10 would be fight or flight for both sides.
However, the hosts did find their all-important goal to take the lead once again on the evening in added time with King Baidoo scoring from a corner awarded. Heads were in the hands of the players in green and black but there was still time on the watch to make something of it.
And that is exactly what came about with a one-in-a-million odds in the 103rd minute of play with Harvey Dorothy rolling past Thomas who was stunned a bit like the Rovers fans who couldn’t believe in the twilight stages of the game that a draw was maintained.
Full-time at Lodge Road, Yate Town 3-3 Willand Rovers. The lads are back in action at the weekend when we travel to Frome to play Westbury United in the Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm KO!
#WeAreRovers
