It certainly wasn’t pretty at times, but Bristol Rovers progressed to the FA Cup second round with a 3-1 win over National League South side Weston-super-Mare in extra-time, having drawn 1-1 in regular time.
Jamie Lindsay handed the hosts the lead late in the first half, turning home a cross from Isaac Hutchinson, but the Seagulls had had opportunities of their own. They eventually found themselves level midway through the second half as Jordan Bastin fired a composed finish past Josh Griffiths to send the 1,800-plus travelling fans berzerk.
Both sides pushed for a winner with excellent chances at both ends, but neither could put the ball into the back of the net and extra-time therefore commenced.
Naturally, it was always going to benefit Rovers more with their League One fitness levels (more on this later) but Weston still battled valiantly and deserve heaps of credit for their overall display.
Boos and chants directed at Matt Taylor resurfaced at the full-time whistle with the scoreline 1-1 (again, also more on this later) which reflected the view towards being taken to extra-time by a non-league side at home. However, they ultimately got themselves over the line and, cliche as it may be, that’s the most important thing in cup competitions.
There’s plenty to dissect, both positive and negative, but some talking points stand out clearer than others. Here are the stand out points after Rovers progressed to the next round of the FA Cup.
Isaac Hutchinson and Connor Taylor turn a corner
We’re more familiar about how good the latter can be having been at the football club for a longer period of time but particularly with Hutchinson, he certainly seems to have turned a corner in blue-and-white quarters.
Deployed out on the left, the 24-year-old was Rovers’ most influential player in the final third and seemed to be involved in every flurry forward, be that putting in deliveries, playing a forward pass or even getting on the end of an opportunity himself.
Unlucky not to score, Hutchinson did pick up an assist for Lindsay’s opener but after being the Gas’ best player against Exeter City on Tuesday, the attacking midfielder was named man of the match on Saturday too. After a difficult start to life in a Rovers shirt, it now certainly looks as though we’re starting to see the player we expected to get who bagged himself 27 goal contributions for Walsall last term.
As for Taylor, it’s no secret that the centre-back has produced some underwhelming performances this season and has been guilty for mistakes leading to goal. However, he had his best game of the season after being largely outstanding in his last two games against Reading and Exeter. The only issue with the more recent display was his slip that allowed the Grecians to score their second goal.
It has to be remembered that he’s only just turned 23 and thus he has a heap of development still to endure but he’s another who looks to have turned a corner and the two goals in two games will certainly help too.
Scrapping of 150 years of tradition benefits Gas
If the best part of 150 years of tradition had been respected, then Rovers would now be facing the prospect of a midweek trip to Weston-super-Mare in an FA Cup replay, something only the Seagulls supporters would have been pleased about. In the end, the decision to scrap replays and send level ties straight to extra-time benefitted the League One outfit.
After a pretty tight affair in normal time, this was always going to be where the Gas really flexed their third tier muscles having made five substitutions from the 65th minute onwards. If they hadn’t, there would have been serious issues.
Again, the way Weston fought was admirable but Rovers had the legs and managed to restore their lead early into extra-time and manage the remainder of the game. It was certainly helpful to see Grant Ward blast home a cracker with virtually the final kick of the tie to secure the victory but there were a number of chances to get that third goal earlier.
It will very much be down to personal opinion in regards to the general verdict on whether scrapping replays was the right thing to do or not but in games like Saturday’s, there is only going to be one party happier with the decision and it’s the league side.
Cracking cup tie for the neutral
Sometimes after these sorts of games, you just have to step back, take a breath and just appreciate that these sorts of games are what makes this competition the best of its kind.
Going into the tie, naturally Rovers were firm favourites with there being 55 places in the pyramid between the two times but further context has to be addressed. Weston came into the tie unbeaten in 16 games and top of their division; they were always going to be confident of causing an upset.
The way they played has to be admired and evidently rocked the Gas who were sub par for large spells of the contest.
We can appreciate that statistics aren’t for everybody but the numbers prove that this was a belter of a match for the neutral. 25 shots to 15 with eight and seven on target respectively as well as a total of 22 corners (12 for Rovers and 10 for Weston). The possession tally was very close too with the hosts having a slight majority in 52 per cent.
Both teams went for it, which is a credit to Weston, and for large spells you couldn’t predict who was going to get the next goal. At times it had a real basketball feel to it.
The current context of the Gas’ season and the pressure on Taylor may prevent a number of supporters from seeing that and appreciating just how good a game it was for entertainment, not necessarily quality. However, hopefully some will note that it was the FA Cup at it’s best.
Furthermore, Rovers progressed which is more than what some of their fellow League One sides can say this weekend. Northampton Town were victims of a colossal upset to Northamptonshire rivals Kettering Town while Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town, Rotherham United and Shrewsbury Town were also beaten by lower level opposition.
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Boos towards Matt Taylor resurface – but do fans have a point?
As the scoreline remained 1-1 and the game crept closer and closer to full-time, you could sense what was going to come from the terraces once the full-time whistle blew. A few shouts directed at the manager were audible from the press box at certain points in the latter stages of the second half before boos and chants of “we want Taylor out” came from the Thatcher’s End. Admittedly, it felt based on the decibel levels that fewer were partaking than in previous incidents but it still couldn’t be ignored.
Admittedly, some may not have been familiar with the decision to scrap replays and thought that they were headed for an awkward midweek trip to the seaside, hence voicing their discontent. However, the reality was that there was another half an hour of football left to be played and, as Taylor himself said, the players hear it even if it’s directed towards the dugout.
Over the course of 90 minutes, the fact that Rovers couldn’t beat a side three divisions below them at home with a full-strength side is poor, there’s no hiding from that. However, we all knew that Weston would rock up to the Mem with confidence and full intention to go and win the cup tie.
These sorts of games are always awkward for the league teams because the expectation is that they will just roll over their opponents but it’s rarely that straightforward – as Gasheads will know with some of their defeats to non-league sides in recent years.
Without trying to use, or repeat, too many cliches, it was all about progressing. Was it pretty? No. Were there enough chances to win the game comfortably in normal time? Yes.
Had the Gas lost, boos and chants would have been completely justifiable and you wonder whether that might have been a result that forced a decision. However, the fact that there was still football to be played does make it feel slightly premature and the fact that Rovers went on to win with a largely comfortable performance in extra-time makes it feel slightly unnecessary.
As we’ve written before, it now feels as though Taylor has to orchestrate an outstanding run of form to completely quieten his doubters. Additionally, it does feel as though even that wouldn’t be enough for some who have turned beyond a point of return.
It is worth noting that, while there are supporters expressing desire for a change in the dugout, there are also others who believe the Rovers boss deserves more time with these players having effectively built a brand new team in the summer. The fanbase is certainly split.
It wasn’t a classic performance and neither was the win over Shrewsbury Town whereas the display at Reading was arguably the best of the campaign despite defeat. However, after four losses in a row, results have started to pick up. Slowly, but they are picking up.
Displays will have to follow that notion with consistency still the major trait evading this group but another two home matches in League One against Lincoln City and Crawley Town will surely offer an indication of whether progress is being made or not.