Month: March 2023

With Non-League Day arriving, Tuffley Rovers will host Hereford Lads Club in a 3pm kick-off this Saturday, knowing that they need to find a first home league win since 20 December if they are to increase their chances of avoiding relegation from the Hellenic League Premier Division.

Rovers’ recent away form has been much improved, with wins away at Westfields and Bradford Town in the last six league games supplemented by a draw against Lydney Town, but there home form has been less spectacular with two points from three games, as they drew against Wantage Town and Thornbury Town, whilst losing their last home outing when they hosted Mangotsfield United.

A midweek defeat at Lydney Town ended Rovers’ hopes of silverware this season, as they exited the GFA Challenge Trophy at the semi-final stage, courtesy of a 2-1 loss. However, Rovers go into the weekend looking to continue a good run of league form, albeit at a home venue that has proved a difficult place for them to gather points during the current season, meaning they have slipped to the bottom of the Premier Division table.

If they can find that elusive win, and other results go their way, it is possible that Neil Mustoe’s side could end the day outside the relegation places, which would be a great way to end Non-League Day.

The official match-day programme is now available online.

At this stage of any season, with momentum on their side – with just one defeat in the last seven league games – most teams might be disappointed to have a blank weekend as we move into the business end of the season. Not, Rovers’ first team Manager, Neil Mustoe, who faced a weekend with a mass of absentees, with a host of injuries affecting the availability of his squad.

Tuesday evening’s hard fought draw with fellow Gloucestershire side Lydney Town was enough to take Rovers to nine points from their last seven games, and although that is hardly outstanding, it is a timely run of improved form, at a time when Mustoe’s side are trying to claw their way away from the bottom of the table and to a place of  safety, at a time when the first team boss is missing huge numbers of players due to injury.

At Lydney Mustoe himself made his debut for the club, nearly ten years after his last competitive appearance for Gloucester City, coming on as a second half substitute, such is the paucity of numbers available at the present time.

Kieran Alder has been out since December, save for a fleeting appearance at Bradford Town on 18 February, and in recent weeks he has been joined on the sidelines by Shayne Bradley, Ashley Davies and Macaulay Herbert. Liam Smith had been struggling for fitness since the end of February and on Tuesday evening he pulled up during the warm-up and remains a doubt for the coming weeks.

Dan Beasley and Yeshaya Lomotey both started the game at Lydney but picked up injuries and had to be withdrawn from the action, whilst Henry Birkett was unavailable due to illness. With Paul Azubilla having relocated away from the area due to work commitments, and a handful of others having called time on their spell at the club, Mustoe has been left with very few options to call upon, meaning he was glad to have a weekend without a game.

Rovers are back in action, with an immediate return to Lydney Town on Wednesday evening, when they play for a place in the GFA Challenge Trophy final. The Rovers boss will be hoping a weekend off for his players might be the break needed before they resume their league campaign.

Neil Mustoe’s Tuffley Rovers squad will host Mangotsfield United on Tuesday evening, as they continue a run of home league fixtures and also look to secure a fifth game unbeaten in all competitions.

When Rovers visited United in early November, they took an early lead through Shayne Bradley before a second half collapse saw them defeated 4-2, with Dan Beasley the other Rovers scorer on that occasion.

Mustoe’s side are on an improved run of form, despite sitting bottom of the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division table, and have gone three league games unbeaten, with a win in their last away game, at Bradford Town, followed by two home draws with Wantage Town and Thornbury Town. In-between they secured a place in the GF Challenge Trophy semi-final after defeating Cribbs 7-6 on penalties, after the game finished 0-0 after 90 minutes.

Injuries are likely to rule Kieran Alder, Ashley Davies, Sammie Hicks, Shayne Bradley and Liam Smith out of contention against The Mangos, but Ryley Mace will return, whilst Joel White and Jamie Martin – joint managers at Brockworth Albion – have been added to the squad.

Kick-off is 7:45pm at Glevum Park on Tuesday, 7 March 2023.

Tuffley Rovers will welcome Thornbury Town to Glevum Park on Friday evening, knowing that they must look to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions if they are to begin the process of climbing away from the relegation places in the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division.

Their visitors arrive at Glevum Park on an excellent run of form that has seen them surge away from the two relegation places and give hope that Thornbury will continue to compete at Step 5 in the 2023/24 season.

If Rovers are to match the efforts of their visitors this evening, they will need to continue a run that has seen them unbeaten in three games, safe in the knowledge that they’ll probably need to sustain that for as long as possible if they are to escape the threat of relegation to Step 6.

The official match-day programme is now available online.