A report from Bristol Rovers

This a very slightly edited report of this afternoon's friendly from the Bristol Rovers Official Website.

Rovers triumphed by the odd goal in five in an entertaining pre-season friendly match against Hereford United at Edgar Street this afternoon.

Goals from Steve Elliott, Jefferson Louis and trialist and former Blackburn Rovers trainee Marc Richards won the match for the visitors, in a game that saw both teams hold and chase the lead.

Rovers made a bright start to the game, and created four decent chances within the opening ten minutes. Good play from Ryan Williams found Jamie Forrester in space only for the ball to get stuck under the striker's feet, and then the duo combined again moments later with Williams firing high after a Forrester pass. Richard Walker picked out Forrester on another Rovers attack forward, but this time the former Hull City front man could only hit a tame effort towards goal from around ten yards out.

Matt Somner headed over from a Chris Carruthers cross, before the home side came forward for their first attack of the game with Graham Evans shooting straight down the throat of Shaun Marshall. Stuart Campbell went close to giving Rovers the lead as he slid in at the back post in an attempt to make contact with a low Forrester cross, and then Hereford broke at the other end with former Yeovil Town man Adam Stansfield latching onto a long ball forward before volleying wide of the target.

As the first half progressed Hereford came more into the game, with Evans only denied by the quick thinking of Marshall as the goalkeeper came out to push the ball away from the feet of the home striker. John Brady blazed over from the edge of the penalty area as Hereford searched for way through the Rovers defence, before at the other end it was the visitors that took the lead with just three minutes of the first half remaining.

Williams swung a trademark dangerous corner right into the middle of the Hereford box, and a rising Elliott was there to meet the ball with a powerful header from just inside the six-yard box.

The second half started off sluggishly for both teams, before seemingly exploding into life as the hour-mark approached. Good play from Stansfield led to Rob Purdie being picked out on the edge of the 18-yard box, and a superbly struck curling shot from the Hereford man left Marshall with no chance to save as the ball flew into the top corner of the Rovers goal.

Rovers could have restored their lead just moments later after Forrester found Walker who in turn managed to round the goalkeeper, but after being forced out wide by the shot-stopper he could only cross the ball back into his strike partner, and Forrester would have been disappointed to have fired over from just eight yards.

Hereford took the lead for the first time on 62 minutes with another sweetly struck shot. Stansfield was picked out on the edge of the box and his powerful effort left Marshall with absolutely no chance as the ball hammered its way into the back of the net.

Robbie Ryan tried his luck with an ambitious right-footed shot that was comfortably saved by the Hereford goalkeeper, and Steve Elliott was denied not long after with a rasping free-kick that struck the Hereford defensive wall. Marshall fumbled a shot from Craig Stanley before redeeming himself to concede a corner under pressure from Guy Ipoua, before Rovers twice went close at the other end with Lewis Haldane and Louis both failing to find the target from inside the Hereford box.

With the game entering its closing stages, Rovers managed to get the equaliser they'd been pressing for through much of the second period. Good play from Matt Somner and Richards saw Louis picked out just inside the area, and the striker made no mistake as he rifled a low drive home into the corner of the goal.

Rovers pressed hard for the win in the closing stages as Richards fired a shot against the woodwork, Somner went close from around the penalty spot, before eventually the dominance told with Louis winning an aerial challenge to find Richards, and with his back to goal from eight yards out, he turned and volleyed the ball home.

It was another encouraging display from Rovers who scored three decent team goals against a very good Conference side, and had it not been for some blistering clinical finishes from two Hereford players it could very easily have been a far more comprehensive outcome.

---