A wet and windy Memorial Stadium welcomed travelling fans for a game that, in cricket speak, would be determined by the coin toss.
Contrary to convention Rovers attacked the away end in the first half playing with a significant gust behind them; the elevated pitch exposed to all conditions as the two teams fought to contend with the wrath of Deirdre.
It took just ten minutes for John Marquis to find the net with a superb right-footed shot from 30 yards out. Mallik Wilks then found himself in the right place at the right time shortly before the break, capitalising on a rebounded header from the aforementioned striker.
At half-time a disgruntled herd of home fans trudged off to find refuge in the bar offering little more than token insults from their lofty seated positions. “Go get yourself a pasty you fat c*nts” one said as he headed for a consolatory Thatchers Gold. Naturally, I obliged.
Few of them seemed to return for the second half which saw more dominance from the reds as they attacked into the wind. Tom Anderson netted a weak header and five minutes later Wilks bagged a second as he outpaced the home defence to complete an impressive counter attack.
It was goals galore for Grant McCann’s impressive-looking outfit who had clearly read my (shameless plug) upcoming fanzine feature ahead of time. The travelling faithful were left singing in the rain as the clouds parted once more as the game trudged to a close.
words and image by Jack Peat
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