Fifth Team – Page 3 – Tuffley Rovers AFC

Third team result the rose amongst some thorns!

A weekend that saw Tuffley Rovers’ sides playing four games ended with just one victory, with the third team’s convincing win in Stroud League, Division Three the highlight of a difficult day.

Dan Boon’s squad recorded a fine 5-1 win at Beaufort Playing fields – a result that secured third place in their division – courtesy of goals from Martin Kent, Iain Buckingham, Lee Brinkworth and a brace from Chris Giddy, with their second half performance decisive, after they held a slim 1-0 advantage at the break.

The First XI came back from their final Hellenic League away game of the season without any points, having lost 2-1 at Flackwell Heath, despite a decent performance. Flackwell Heath opened the scoring through Simeon Weekes, before Aaron Layne scored their second, eleven minutes after the interval. When Dominik Kent pulled a goal back 23 minutes from time, his eighth of the season, there were hopes of a comeback but a late Tyreece Briscoe free-kick which hit the post was the closest they came. The second half saw a debut for Jack Ellis, after a good season in the U18s and Reserves squads.

In Dan Gillespie’s final home game as reserve team manager, following his recent decision to stand-down at the end of the season, his side went down by the same 2-1 scoreline, despite leading early on. A much-changed side included several U18s players, with Kane Hyett and Ethan Ravenhill making full-debuts, had led through Ryan Dobbins’ goal but the opposition, Berkeley Town, scored twice in the second period to take the three points away from Glevum Park.

The other game of the day saw a 10-goal thriller, as the Fifths went down 6-4 away at Minchinhampton Reserves, with the hosts winning both halves 3-2! Will Cronshaw’s charges worked hard in their penultimate game of a solid season, but despite goals from Rudran Rutnanandan, James Hawley, Alfie Fortey and Jake Anderson, weren’t enough to secure any points, leaving the Thirds as the club’s most (and only) successful side on Saturday!

Win one, draw one, lose two…

Looking back at the weekend, a little later than planned, and although the results weren’t great, there were a few positives. Now, if we start with the negatives, it will probably feel less painful!

A thumping 3-0 defeat, in a fairly drab affair, saw the first team fail to achieve mathematical certainty of their place in the 2019/20 Hellenic League Premier Division. Antonio Gerrish scored twice for the visitors – who extended their unbeaten league run to 17 games – and Nathan Blackford got the other, in front of a crowd of 79 at Glevum Park.

The Veterans were the victims of an even heavier defeat, going down 5-0 against Shurdington Rovers on Sunday, with that victory putting Shurdy in pole position to secure the Gloucestershire FA Veterans League, Division One (North) title.

It does start to get a little more positive from here….

First, we had the Fifths securing an excellent 0-0 draw at home to Cashes Green, which keeps them up and around the top teams in Stroud League Division Six. Youngsters Alex Whiffen and William Cronshaw Jnr continue to impress for the side, with the blend of youth and veteran players proving a real success.

The result of the weekend went to the Thirds, who defeated their Quedgeley Wanderers counterparts 2-0, thanks to goals from Josh Webb and Niall Priday making the difference. One notable event was the selection of Ethan Ravenhill as captain for the game; the seventeen year old surely becoming one of the youngest ever players to captain a senior side.

Ethan was congratulated on this achievement by third team manager, Dan Boon.

The other highlight of the weekend was the Tuffley Rovers U8s visit to our first team fixture. What a great bunch of youngsters and thanks to Jason Merrett for helping to organise their attendance at the game. Hopefully one or two of them will be playing at Glevum Park in ten years’ time!

Versatility the key, as Rovers prepare for in-form visitors

Tuffley Rovers are within touching distance of securing their place in the 2019/20 Hellenic League Premier Division, with only a disastrous series of results in the closing weeks of the season capable of pushing them back into the relegation places, as they welcome the division’s form team, Shrivenham, to Glevum Park tomorrow.

When Mark Pritchett’s side travelled to tomorrow’s visitors in late-October, the two sides looked set for a tough season, with Gareth Davies’ side bottom of the table and Rovers two points ahead of them. By the end of that game, a late Sean McKeon winner, gave ten-man Shrivenham the three points, pushing them above Rovers and they’ve moved steadily up the table ever since. Both sides now have three games to play and a remarkable run of form – fourteen wins from their last sixteen games and no defeats – has propelled Shrivenham to fifth place, 27 points clear of Rovers, who lie in 16^th place.

That gap will tell Pritchett that his side, who need a point to achieve mathematical certainty that they are safe from the drop, are in for a tough challenge, but Pritchett still believes his charges can gain revenge for that earlier defeat and achieve safety at the same time.

“Shrivenham have been on a brilliant run, going sixteen unbeaten, having been bottom when we played them last”, he confirmed. “Despite that, I believe we are in good form ourselves and are capable of putting an end to their long unbeaten run. As we aren’t 100% safe, we know we need the points, so there is a real incentive to perform and get a result.”

Injuries and non-availability have forced Pritchett to regularly change his line-up during the season but they have collected fifteen points from their last seven home games, an unbeaten run dating back to the start of the New Year, and the Rovers boss owes much of that excellent form to an increasing level of versatility in his squad.

Luke Payne, Rhys Davies and Luke Troke have all joined the squad since the October defeat against Shrivenham and all three have shown a capability to play in numerous positions, giving Pritchett plenty of options when selecting his squad.

Payne should be back in the squad for Saturday’s game, after missing the win against Binfield last time out, although another player who has filled a number of positions, Sam Hill, is unavailable. Brad Loveridge is also absent, whilst Dominik Kent is back in the frame, after a couple of outings for the Reserves since he too missed that win against Binfield.

With the opportunity to shape their own destiny – as well as the potential to finish as high as 12^th still a possibility – Rovers have plenty to play for and when the game kicks off at Glevum Park (3pm), Pritchett will almost certainly field a squad versatile and capable enough to leave him confident that they’ll rise to meet the challenge posed by Davies’ visiting team.

Other games on Saturday, 13 April:

Thirds v Quedgeley Wanderers 3rds, Beaufort, 2:30pm

Fifths v Cashes Green, Winget, 2:30pm

Sunday, 14 April:

Shurdington Rovers v Veterans, 10am, All Saints Academy

NB: Photographs courtesy of Brian Rossiter

A look back: No first team game & no fifth team final, but otherwise…

…it was a good weekend!

Although the first team weren’t in action, they edged closer to Hellenic League Premier Division safety (courtesy of Reading City’s defeat at Bishops Cleeve) and barring a disaster over the last three games, they should have done enough to retain their place in the division for 2019/20.

On the field, the Reserves recorded an emphatic win over FC Barometrics, although the game was marred by an incident late on, which resulted in a melee and the dismissal of a Barometrics player. That aside, the performance was very positive and Dan Gillespie’s side recorded another victory that puts them within touching distance of a top four finish in the league. A late first half goal from Will Emery gave the second team a half-time advantage, after Barometrics had equalised Dom Kent’s early goal, but second half strikes from Luke Troke and a penalty from Ryan Dobbins made sure the three points stayed at Glevum Park.

Earlier in the afternoon, the fifth team lost in a cup semi-final for the second time in recent weeks, as they succumbed to a 3-0 defeat against Cotswold Rangers in a fixture played at Quedgeley Wanderers’ home, Waterwells.

There was better news from the day’s early kick-off (11am), with a solitary Andy Meek goal proving sufficient to see off the persistence of Thornbury Town Reserves.

So, the first team almost safe; the Reserves continuing their good run of results; and the Thirds getting three points and a clean sheet. Not too bad a weekend.

A good weekend. A very good weekend…

Although our Hellenic League, Premier Division status for 2019/20 isn’t yet mathematically certain, a 2-1 win against Binfield on Saturday has taken Tuffley Rovers to the brink of safety.

When a Mark Pritchett foul, moments before the end of the first half, allowed Josh Howell to give Binfield a 1-0 lead from the penalty spot, things weren’t looking too good for Rovers, but Warren Mann’s goal, after his initial penalty had been saved, and a first Rovers goal for Will Dawes, proved enough to secure three points to take the first team to within touching distance of safety, after a campaign that started so badly.

Alongside the Hellenic League result, the Reserves made it 11 games unbeaten, as they saw off Upton St. Leonards 3-1. The game was made all the more memorable because there were first ever Gloucestershire Northern Senior League goals for Under 18s players Niall Priday and Ryley Mace, with those goals added to a Will Emery effort. That result took Rovers’ reserves fourth in the Division One table, with the next game against title challengers Chalford, who sit one place higher.

Unfortunately, the worst result of the weekend came in the form of the Thirds’ 6-0 defeat at the hands of Kingsway Rovers, but the other Stroud League results were much better! First, the Fifths ran out comprehensive winners against Sharpness 3rds, with a brace apiece from Charlie Agg and Paul Bayliss taking Will Cronshaw’s side to a 4-0 win. In the other game, the Fourths came back from 3-1 down to salvage a point from their final game of the season; Scott Morgan netting a hat-trick in the 3-3 draw.

So, three wins, a draw and one defeat make for a pretty good weekend. A damn good weekend, as they go.

Home form key to Rovers’ safety hopes

After taking one point from their first six league games, then thirteen points from nineteen, Tuffley Rovers could complete a remarkable turnaround in their 2018/19 season, if they can continue an excellent run of home form when Binfield visit Glevum Park tomorrow.

Since losing at home to Royal Wootton Bassett Town on 15 December, Rovers have gone on a run of three wins and three draws in their past six home league games, which has helped salvage their Hellenic League Premier Division season, so manager Mark Pritchett will be hoping that the excellent run of form continues tomorrow and his side secure a win that might prove enough to save their season.

Whilst their performances across the seven away games – played over the same period – have been positive, the results have been less impressive and have yielded only five points. So, when Binfield visit tomorrow, the hosts will be looking to build on their home form.

The 12 points from the undefeated home sequence, coupled with a more meagre return of 5 points from the away games during that spell, have made up over half of Rovers’ 31 league points, as they have slowly climbed the table, with three sides now beneath them in the battle to avoid relegation.

With two of those sides – Abingdon United and Longlevens – playing each other, Saturday’s game against Binfield offers The Rovers the chance to take a huge step towards safety. However, it will be a tough test given that Roger Herridge’s costing side beat Rover 4-2 just two weeks ago.

That game saw Rovers put in what Pritchett described as their worst performance of 2019 and although they reached the interval with scores level at 2-2, a poor second half ultimately led to them returning home empty handed.

However, after a depleted squad secured another valuable point against Flackwell Heath last week, the return of Adam Bloomfield, Brad Loveridge, Will Dawes, Tyreece Briscoe and potentially Paul Carter, who has been out with injury, should mean Rovers have plenty of options in their quest to beat one of the division’s form teams.

Saturday’s game at Glevum Park will kick-off at 3pm. Around 4:45pm, Rovers should have a better idea of the challenge they face for the remainder of the season.

Saturday fixtures:

First XI v Binfield, 3pm @ Glevum Park

Upton St. Leonards v Reserves, 3pm

Thirds v Kingsway Rovers, 2:30pm @ Beaufort

Old Richians Reserves v Fourths, 1:30pm

Fifths v Sharpness 3rds, 12:30pm @ Winget

A look back at the weekend…

Another mixed weekend for The Rovers

It was another mixed weekend for Tuffley Rovers’ side’s, with positive results for the Reserves and Thirds, alongside defeats for the other three sides.

After victory over the league leaders, Brimscombe & Thrupp, the previous weekend, the First XI travelled to Binfield full of optimism and went into the interval at 2-2, with goals from Kieran Alder and Warren Mann. However, the hosts were the better side in the second period and two goals in the last twenty minutes saw them win 4-2.

Our Reserves made it ten games unbeaten, as goals from Keiron Mace, Will Emery and Luke Troke were enough to see of FC Barometrics, 3-0, in the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League.

The Fourths crashed to a dispiriting 8-0 defeat at Avonvale United, whilst the Fifths succumbed to a late, solitary Cam Bulldogs 3rds’ goal, but the Thirds did bring some Stroud League cheer, as Kyle Kennedy’s first half goal proved enough to separate them from Tetbury Town Reserves.

Overall a fair enough weekend. One heavy defeat, so defeats after good contests and two good wins! #uptherovers

Sunday Summary (9/10 March). Monday edition!

A great weekend, despite some mixed results!

Our senior teams had a mixed weekend, with two wins and two defeats, but a win by the first team was a genuine highlight of the season, not just the weekend!

The Hellenic League Premier Division leaders, Brimscombe & Thrupp, arrived at Glevum Park on Sunday, less than three weeks after a 2-1 triumph over Rovers in the reverse fixture, top of the table. They left with without any points, as an inspired display from Rovers took Mark Pritchett’s side to a 1-0 victory, courtesy of Jake Rhodes’ 19th minute goal.

Highlights are available via Gloucestershire Grassroots Sport, courtesy of Mike Watkins. Photographs from the game can be accessed via Brian Rossiter’s Flikr page.

The Fifths continued their good form, too, with a thumping 4-0 win over Cotswold Rangers Reserves. Sixteen year-old Alex Whiffen scored again, taking his total to seven goals in eleven games, to add to a brace from another young player, Charlie Agg, and a first of the season for veteran, Iain Buckingham.

Buckingham was then part of the Sunday Veterans’ side who went down 5-1 against Shurdington Rovers, at All Saints Academy in one of two defeats over the weekend. The other game saw the Fourths succumb to a 1-0 defeat against Cotswold Rangers’ first team.

Despite the two defeats suffered by the club’s sides, it was a good weekend given the excellent win against Brimscombe.

NB: Images courtesy of Brian Rossiter

Sunday Summary – 3 March 2019

All games should end after 88 minutes…

…well, that is how it feels after the two results on Saturday, 2 March!

Our first team were seconds away from holding out for a memorable victory over Bishops Cleeve, only for a late, late (93rd minute) goal from Kevin Slack to earn the visitors a 1-1 draw at Glevum Park. Rovers had led through a bizarre own-goal from Cleeve keeper Lewis Clayton, who punched the ball up into the air and into the goal behind him following a Luke Payne free-kick, on 73 minutes, but Cleeve piled on the pressure late in the game to earn a deserved point.

It was another tale of what might have been for the Fifths, who played their GFA Primary Cup (North) semi-final tie against Cirencester League leaders, Chesterton, at Beaufort. Two Alex Whiffen goals made it 2-2 and with two minutes remaining the tie looked to be heading for penalties, only for a heavily deflected effort to spin into the goal and deny Sean Roberts’ side the opportunity to make it through to a first cup final.

That defeat doesn’t end the Fifths’ quest for a trophy, though, as they have a Stroud League Section D Plate competition against Cotswold Rangers Reserves on 6 April and currently sit third in the Division Six table.

So, not the worst weekend; it just could have been a lot better!

NB: Images courtesy of Brian Rossiter.

A good weekend for The Rovers overall

Despite a first team defeat, away at Hellenic League title challengers Wantage Town, it was a good weekend for the club’s adult sides, with five wins from six games played.

Kieran Alder’s free-kick had given Rovers hope of leaving Wantage’s Alfredian Park with a point but Ben Cook’s 71st minute goal was enough for the hosts to record a 2-1 win.

The Reserves were in action at Glevum Park and extended their unbeaten run to nine games, as two Luke Troke goals were enough to secure a 2-0 victory over Upton St Leonards.

In the Stroud League there were victories for all three teams, as Josh Webb netted twice for the Thirds in a 4-1 win over Tredworth Tigers Reserves; Aiyenyo Patrick Uyi scores his first goal for the club, with almost the last kick of the game, to secure three vital points for the Fourths, as they beat Alkerton Rangers 2-1; and the Fifths warmed up for their County Cup semi-final tie with a 6-0 win over Randwick 3rds, Alex Whiffen scoring twice in the process.

On Sunday the Vets retained their place at the top of the Gloucestershire FA Veterans League, with a 2-0 triumph over Shipton Oliffe. Dave Cornock scoring both goals.