Category: Reserve Team

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.

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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

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.

Whether the weather is affecting our games (2 February)

Shrivenham game OFF and other fixtures affected

Today’s scheduled Uhlsport Hellenic League fixture against Shrivenham FC was postponed yesterday afternoon, after the Hellenic League’s Executive Committee made a pragmatic decision to postpone all competition fixtures, in order to avoid any unnecessary travel in the poor weather conditions.

All three Stroud & District League games also fell foul of the weather too, meaning that only one game is currently scheduled to go ahead, with our Reserves visiting Longlevens’ reserve team, in a 3pm KO at Longford Lane. Keep an eye on our social media pages for any updates on that fixture.

Sunday Summary – 26 & 27 January 2019…albeit on a Tuesday!

Apologies for the delay in publishing this week’s update, but the euphoria of a first team win took hold and attention turned away from updating the website!

All four of this weekend’s games took place on Saturday and it was a largely disappointing afternoon, with only one draw to accompany three Uhlsport Hellenic League, Premier Division points.

Mark Pritchett’s squad travelled to play Reading City and returned with a vital 2-0 win, courtesy of two late first-half goals from Jake Rhodes and Brett James and a determined second-half performance that ensured a first league win for almost four months, extending the side’s unbeaten Premier Division run to four games in the process.

The Reserves hosted one of the favourites for the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League title and finished the day with a creditable draw, as young substitute Jack Ellis scored an equalising goal in the second period, after the visitors had led at half-time. The draw extended Dan Gillespie’s side’s unbeaten run to six games, as well as cementing sixth place in the league table. Sharpness remain top of the table.

Only two Stroud League fixtures took place at the weekend and both ended in 5-2 defeats! Our Division Three side were beaten by Wickwar Wanderers, although Dan Boon’s weakened squad put in a terrific effort, with an Andy Meek brace of goals keeping them in the game for a period.

The Fourths continued a miserable run of form, as their 5-2 defeat at home to Old Richians could have been worse without a MoM performance from keeper Brad Newman. Youngster Alex Whiffen scored his first ever goal for the club, to accompany a second goal of the season from Ben Wadsworth, as Stephen Patton’s squad tried to mount a second-half comeback after trailing 3-0 at the interval.