Fourth Team – Page 2 – Tuffley Rovers AFC

The Sunday Summary

It was a difficult week for Tuffley Rovers, but it ended on a high, as the Ladies’ team opened their Gloucestershire Women’s County League campaign with an emphatic 10-3 win at Southmead Community Sports on Sunday afternoon.

The first game of the week saw the First XI travel to play Brimscombe & Thrupp and a bad evening saw Rich Cox’s side slip to a 6-0 defeat, with the hosts scoring three times in each half without reply. Rovers’ day had started badly, with Luke Merchant ruled out and then a succession of goalkeepers unavailable, meaning outfield player Liam Wright ended up in goal.

After that difficult midweek game, it might be reasonable to assume our Hellenic League side would be looking forward to an FA Vase tie against lower division opposition, but another below par performance at Clanfield 85 FC saw the hosts record a 2-0 win that means Rovers have been dumped out of the FA Vase at the first hurdle for a second successive season.

We had another two games at Glevum Park over the weekend, with the Fourths and Fifths both hosting games, but both of those fixtures were to end in disappointment.

The Fourths conceded shortly before half-time against Stonehouse Town and as they started to chase for an equaliser, the visitors picked them off and eventually ran away with a 5-0 win, which was precisely the same scoreline in Gloster Rovers’ favour when the Fifths had entertained them in an earlier kick-off.

Thankfully, the third team did record a victory, with Alex Roder the star, as he recorded a hat-trick in his first senior performance, to take the man-of-the-match award for Dave Cornock and Luke Whittam’s side, who took all three points at Longford.

They say to save the best for last and that was the case for this week, as the Ladies’ result added some positivity amidst a difficult week! Goals from Ellie Windo, Holly Kay (2), Ellen Knight, Jess Dobbins (2), an OG, Robyn Lee, Danielle Prictor and Jayne Papps were just the fillip the club needed after a difficult few days and ahead of another important week of fixtures.

The Sunday Summary is back!

Our weekly review of the week’s action is back for the start of the 2020/21 playing season although it would be easy to hide it, given the results over the weekend!

The only midweek fixture was the highlight of the week, with the U18s recording a fantastic 6-3 FA Youth Cup win, away at Bitton AFC on Thursday evening. A high quality display of football from Mike Palmer’s side saw Rudi McKinnon net a hat-trick and James Sunley a brace, alongside a debut goal from Alex Roder, and although the sending-off of another debutant, goalkeeper Louis Evans, provided a disappointing end to the evening, there was nothing to take the shine off the evening’s entertainment.

Over the weekend there were games for all three Stroud League sides, with two of the games held at Glevum Park on Saturday afternoon, but defeats for the Thirds (4-1 against Upton St. Leonards Reserves), for whom Josh Webb scored the only goal, and Fourths (3-0 at Longlevens) followed and the only competitive point came for the Fifths, who drew 1-1 against Randwick Reserves. Another Josh (Pitt) had given Will Cronshaw’s side the lead, but Randwick found an equaliser to secure a point.

In the day’s Uhlsport Hellenic League fixture, the first team lost 1-0 at Virginia Water, with an 80th minute goal enough to beat Rich Cox’s side. A match report is available here.

This week will see the First XI making the short trip to face Brimscombe & Thrupp (7:45pm on Wednesday evening) ahead of scheduled games for all teams, save for the Development Squad, due at the weekend.

Here is hoping for better fortunes to report next Sunday….

Friday Night Football at Glevum Park….

…and a busy weekend ahead!

After the disappointment of exiting the Emirates FA Cup at the first hurdle on Tuesday evening, we have the joy of some Friday Night Football at Glevum Park, as the First XI host Hereford Pegasus in a pre-season game. Reduced admission prices will be in operation (£3 adults; £1 concessions; U16s free; Season Tickets valid) and gates will open from 6:15pm onwards.

On Saturday the ground will be open for the England match at 5pm, but prior to that our Fourth & Fifth teams will play a 12:30pm kick-off (free admission) to ensure that we don’t have another Saturday without some football at Glevum Park! The bar will be open throughout.

Then, on Sunday, our third team will be completing their charity walk, in aid of Heart Heroes, so we are opening up the Glevum Park bar from 12:30pm, to allow people to come along and cheer their return (approximately 3pm) whilst having a few drinks, as the forecast looks positive.

Fingers crossed for a great weekend. #uptherovers

New Football Chair appointed

Tuffley Rovers have a new Football Chair, with the appointment of Dan Boon, as Interim Chair, following the decision of the previous incumbent, Neil Spiller, to step down from the role two weeks ago.

Spiller, who will remain at the club, had been holding a dual responsibility as Chairman and Football Secretary, but decided to call time on one of those roles, which created a vacancy and this has been filled, at least in the short-term, by 36-year-old Boon, who has been involved with the club since 2011.

The new Chair will now work alongside his predecessor, as well as Ken Blackburn, the Head of Football Development, as they look to shape the future of the club, with any ambitions for success undented by the recent change in leadership.

“The club has been moving in the right direction for some time, and so I’d like to pick up where Neil has left off, but working with him and the rest of the committee to put Tuffley Rovers in a position where we can offer facilities and a club culture that we can be proud of”, confirmed Boon.

“We need to look at creating an environment where all of our teams, coaches, spectators and anyone connected to the club enjoy their football, whilst we also become as competitive as possible, challenging for silverware in as many competitions as possible”, he added. “However, we also need to focus on player development and retention, so individuals can see a pathway to whichever level they aspire to play at, as well as establishing a much stronger community presence, creating partnerships with the local community and then with more organisations across Gloucester.”

The outgoing Chair, Spiller, was quick to welcome the appointment.

“I am delighted Dan, who is someone who has become increasingly involved in the club, has stepped up to take on this role”, he said. “I think we’ve made great progress in recent years, but I felt that we need to spread the load by stepping back from some of the responsibilities that come with being the Chairman”, he confirmed. “With Ken Blackburn’s role now clearly established, I thought it was a good time to hand over the reins and Dan is, in my view, the right person to take this forward.”

With plans to start the 2020/21 season still very much up in the air, Boon might have to wait a while for his first competitive football as Chairman, with none of the nine sides he’ll now lead yet clear on when their respective campaigns will start.

Sunday Summary – 6th & 7th December 2019

Our five games over the weekend all offered an element of positivity, albeit with the weekend ending in disappointing fashion, with our Ladies’ team going down to their first defeat of the season, conceding an 85th minute goal as they lost their top of the table clash with Tytherington Rocks Ladies. That result aside, it was a weekend largely made up of success, with three wins and a draw.

The first games to kick-off on Saturday, at 2pm, brought wins for our two lowest ranked Saturday sides. The Fourths, who have been much improved this season, secured a solid 4-2 win over Frampton United, with Jake Anderson scoring twice, alongside goals from Brad Poole and a first Rovers goal for Tyerese Douglas. More notably, the Fifths recorded a first league win of their season, following promotion at the end of 2018/19, as their blend of over 40s and under 18s scored all their goals in the second half, as they beat Randwick Reserves 5-0. One of the elder statesmen, Andy Blackwell, scored alongside a brace for substitute Henry Jordan, as well as goals for Jack Webb and William Cronshaw (Jnr).

In the 3pm KO on Saturday, our Player/Manager Mark Pritchett was the hero for his side, as he scored twice – the second a contender for goal of the season – in a 2-2 draw away at Windsor. Rovers had trailed to a 7th minute goal from Billy Montague, before Pritchett fired home a free-kick, and then fell behind moments before the interval, when Danny Horscroft finished off an excellent Windsor move. Pritchett’s wonder strike, midway through the half, after good work from Liam Wright, levelled the scores and despite a late onslaught on the hosts’ goal, their keeper stood firm and a few chances went begging, meaning Rovers returned with a potentially valuable point.

Sunday started well, with the Vets Reserves recording a fantastic victory against top of the table and previously unbeaten Southside Star, with Dave Cornock scoring twice and Kevin Schmitz securing the three points with a late, late free-kick.

Then came the biggest game of the weekend, as the Ladies travelled to face fellow title challengers Tytherington Rocks, with both sides holding 100% records in the league. Chloe Taylor’s goal gave Rovers the lead, but the hosts levelled scores deep into first-half injury time. A tremendous battle ensued in the second period and it looked like the game might be heading for a draw, but The Rocks struck again, five minutes from full-time, and the game went their way.

Overall, a good weekend for The Rovers, albeit without a maximum haul of points that might have been possible with just a little more luck! #uptherovers

*Pictures courtesy of Brian Rossiter – full albums can be viewed at Brian Rossiter – Flickr

No football today! All games off…

There will be no football at Glevum Park or for any Tuffley Rovers team today, after all four scheduled games were postponed following the heavy rainfall experiences over the past few days.

The Hellenic League game against Burnham was postponed following a 10am inspection, before the Fourths’ away game at Stonehouse Town 3rds succumbed moments later.

The final two games looked to be going ahead, but a torrential downpour in the hour between 10-11am ended those hopes and the games were called off just after 11am.

So, no action today. Next up is the first team visit to Bishops Cleeve, in the Bluefin Sports Challenge Cup on Tuesday evening (7:45pm). Weather permitting….

Sunday Summary – 14th & 15th September….

Once again, this Sunday Summary is a look back at the past seven days and what a week it was….goals, goals, goals!!

The week started with a flurry of goals in a first team fixture, as Mark Pritchett’s side won their Banbury Litho Floodlit Cup tie 6-1 against Hellenic League, Division One (West) side Thornbury Town. Ross Langworthy and Jack Beardsell both had a brace within 24 minutes, before second half-goals from Pritchett and seventeen-year-old Niall Priday saw us to a comfortable win.

On Thursday, it felt a little like deja vu! Priday scored again (three times, in fact!) in a thumping 6-1 win for the U18s over Cinderford Town. The other goals came courtesy of Kai Jordan, Kyle Rogers and a sumptuous Charlie Holliday free-kick. A great start to the league season for our remodelled U18s squad.

The weekend’s action started with four games on Saturday and it was a generally disappointing day for the club. The Reserves’ good run came to an end, as Cam Bulldogs left Glevum Park with all three points, courtesy of a 3-2 win, after Mike Palmer’s squad had led 2-1 at the interval, thanks to goals from Priday (again!!) and a first Rovers goal for Xander Jones. That wasn’t the only disappointing result, as the Fourths lost 4-0, at home to North Nibley, and the Fifths succumbed to a 6-0 reverse at Chalford 3rds. The bright spot for Saturday came from the Thirds, who won 3-2 at home to Tibberton United – continuing their unbeaten start to the season – thanks to goals from Miracle Osabuohien, Alfie Fortey and Cory Anderson.

If Saturday was a little disappointing, Sunday was altogether different and full of goals!

The opening game on Sunday saw a first win for our new Veterans Reserves side, with Dave Cornock scoring four times in a 5-3 win over Grays Athletic. Debutant Chris Gooch got the other goal, as Rob Wordley’s side recovered from 3-1 down, with less than fifteen minutes remaining!

Our final game of the week/weekend saw a moment of history, with a first ever open-aged Women’s team playing under the Rovers banner…and what a way to start! The newest of all the Rovers teams travelled to Winchcombe Town and won 14-0 in a superb performance. Chloe Taylor and Holly Kay scored five apiece, whilst Jayne Papps got a brace, to go with goals from Jade Papps and Lizzie Barstow in a fantastic opening day victory. If that wasn’t a good way to end a goal-filled week, albeit one with mixed results, what more could you want? #uptherovers

Sunday Summary – 7th & 8th September 2019…or that was the week that was!

Various commitments have meant that we haven’t posted our usual summary over the past two weekends, so it seems right to spend a little time looking back at the last week, rather than simply confining this update to the weekend alone. Not a hugely successful week, but quite a few positives amidst all the positives!

A win, at last, for the first team on Tuesday evening, as a Ross Langworthy brace and a goal from Brett James proved enough to secure a 3-2 win over Shrivenham at Barrington Park. The game seemed to be going comfortably in Rovers’ favour, but a late Antonio Gerrish goal made it 3-2 and by the time the official’s whistle sounded, we were probably glad the game was over!

The Reserves then provided another positive on Wednesday evening, as the young squad held one of the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League title favourites, Chalford, to a 0-0 draw. Brad Newman made a couple of great saves, whilst debutant Xander Jones went close to scoring a winner.

Unfortunately, the U18s couldn’t keep the positive streak going and lost their FA Youth Cup tie 3-1. The hosts had led 2-0 but a late, late Niall Priday goal gave Rovers hope, before Cinderford Town scored in the dying seconds of the game.

When Saturday came, we had a real mixed bag of performances. The worst result of the day saw the Fifths thumped 5-0 by Minchinhampton Reserves, in Stroud League Division Five, although Will Cronshaw’s young team competed well after trailing 4-0 at half-time.

There were wins for the Fourths (Matt Stevens and Jake Anderson with the goals in a 2-1 victory at Alkerton Rangers) and the Reserves, with Ash Bird getting a GNSL hat-trick as Mike Palmer’s side triumphed 6-0 away at Taverners.

The other two Saturday games ended in a draw. Dan Boon’s third team led through Alfie Fortey’s first-half goal, before a late equaliser for hosts Wickwar Wanderers, but the real drama was at Glevum Park. The first team went 3-1 down after 81 minutes and their hopes of a result against Windsor looked dashed, until Tyreece Briscoe and Langworthy managed to conjure up goals in the 84th and 97th minute to make it 3-3.

With the Ladies’ game lost from Sunday’s schedule, after opponents Cribbs withdraw from the league, there was only one game on Sunday and it ended in a convincing win for Mark Patterson’s Veterans’ side, who beat Cheltenham Civil Service 4-1 at All Saints Academy.

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