The match ball was waiting on a plinth. Shit had gotten serious at the Keepmoat. “It’s all a bonus,” said Mike as I passed him pre-match. And he wasn’t wrong. Blue sky, relatively full house, big noise, genuinely affable Rovers side. Nowt to lose and all to love.
Especially in a first half hour where Rovers matched their undeniably stronger opponents. James Coppinger almost upped the feel-good factor, his shot from distance denied only by a brilliant one-handed save. Danny Andrew thwacked the bar with a free-kick.
But on half hour Rovers were undone by a set-piece. Andy Butler’s flick on from a cross inadvertently playing Josh Cullen onside, and his cut-back was eventually bundled in by Lyle Taylor.
Within a couple of minutes Charlton had doubled their lead. Breaking to capitalise on unconvincing defending and squeeze a low shot beneath Marko Marosi. Just three poor minutes in 90 all it took to steepen the gradient of an already uphill task.
A change was undoubtedly needed, though Tommy Rowe for Coppinger was still a surprise. A flat second half ensued, Rovers just about held the visitors at arm’s length but never quite found a route in behind.
Only in the final minutes, when Mallik Wilks switched wings and his deflected cross was nodded in by Matty Blair, did hope and promise emerge. Cue a gung-ho five minutes of vociferous forward thrust, but sadly it came to nothing.
It’s not over yet, but we go to The Valley in hope rather than belief.
by Glen Wilson
popular STAND fanzine 