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GAME DETAILS
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LDV Vans Trophy
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Attendance: 8,145
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2-2
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Gray 30, Eastwood 61
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Walker 44, Agogo 73
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| Managers |
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DT92 Members at this game: (you can click here to load your profile picture) |
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gashead eric
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SOUTHEND UNITED
Gray 30
Eastwood 61 2-2 BRISTOL ROVERS
Walker 44
Agogo 73
ATTENDANCE: 8,145
SOUTHEND UNITED: Darryl Flahavan, Duncan Japp, Spencer Prior, Adam Barrett, Che Wilson, Carl Pettefer, Mark Bentley, Kevin Maher, Mark Gower (Nicky Nicolau 90), Wayne Gray (Lawrie Dudfield 84), Freddy Eastwood
Unused Substitutes: Craig Holloway, Michael Kightly, Tesfaye Bramble
BRISTOL ROVERS: Kevin Miller, Craig Hinton, Christian Edwards (Ricky Shakes 64), Steve Elliott, John Anderson, Robbie Ryan, Aaron Lescott, James Hunt, Paul Trollope (Ryan Williams 40), Richard Walker, Junior Agogo
Unused Substitutes: Lewis Haldane, Jamie Forrester, Ryan Clarke
REFEREE: Phil Crossley
Goals from Richard Walker and Junior Agogo weren't enough to help Rovers into the final of the LDV Vans Trophy this evening, as the Pirates drew 2-2 against Southend United to crash out of the competition 4-3 on aggregate.
It was a game played in good spirits by both sides, with plenty of attacking adventure shown by both teams, as the respective sets of players gave their all for the cause.
Southend made the brighter start to the game, and it needed a smart save from Kevin Miller in the opening five minutes to deny Wayne Gray, before the Rovers goalkeeper was left rooted to the ground moments later as Freddy Eastwood blasted a shot over the crossbar.
James Hunt was the first Rovers player to test Southend goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan, when a powerful dipping volley from all of 30 yards rattled the top of the Shrimpers crossbar, and Aaron Lescott tried his luck from a similar distance five minutes later, only to be thwarted by a decent save.
Eastwood planted a chance inches wide of the upright as some slack Rovers marking allowed two Southend players to rise unchallenged in the penalty box, before a sparkling run from Agogo saw him beat two players only for the third to get the better of him when he should perhaps instead have passed to an unmarked Walker.
Mark Gower tried a right-footed shot after moving in from the flank only to see it fly just a yard too high, and then Mark Bentley was unlucky as his effort from a corner was cleared amongst a scramble of players inside the six-yard box.
Eastwood should have done better after firing wide form six yards after a delightful cross from Gray, and then just moments later the duo reversed roles as an Eastwood shot from 25 yards was only parried by Miller, with Gray able to steal in and prod the rebound home from six yards out.
Agogo went wide with a header at the other end as Rovers looked to hit back immediately, before midfielder Paul Trollope was forced to limp off injured with Ryan Williams coming on in his place. And although his introduction to the game came about inadvertently, Williams' impact on proceedings was almost instant, with the former Hull City man playing a key role in Rovers' first equaliser of the evening.
He harried Spencer Prior well before dispossessing the Southend defender to deliver a great ball into the box, and as Agogo appeared to be steering a shot goalwards, Walker was alert at the back post to poke the ball home.
It could have been 2-1 to Rovers seconds later as Agogo fired over from six yards out after more terrific work from Williams, but the striker wasn't able to keep his shot down and the half-time whistle that blew moments later meant both teams went in at the interval all-square.
The second half continued to see the game played openly, with Steve Elliott and Williams combining well to play in Agogo only for the striker to see his shot from the edge of the penalty area blocked, and then it was Southend's turn to strike the Rovers woodwork as an Eastwood effort hit the crossbar with Miller beaten.
Prior headed over from a Southend corner, and then as the home side continued to exert some sustained pressure, Eastwood saw a deflected drive well saved by Miller.
Southend edged into a 2-1 lead just after the hour mark after some disappointing Rovers defending virtually handed Eastwood a goal on a plate.
Christian Edwards came out second best in a tackle with Gray, and as the Shrimpers man got to his feet, he composed himself well to find Eastwood, who after dummying Miller and sending him to the floor, fired into an empty net from the edge of the six-yard box.
Rovers came back with an Agogo cut-back that Flahavan did well to clutch as the ball whizzed into the six-yard box, before substitute Ricky Shakes was denied by a Southend defender as his shot was blocked from inside the home penalty area.
Aaron Lescott nearly made it 2-2 after rifling a terrific shot into the side-netting from a tight angle, before Agogo popped up to score the goal of the game and set-up a nerve-wracking conclusion to the contest.
The Rovers striker collected the ball on the left side of the penalty area before ramming his shot home out of nothing with his left foot, bringing the visitors back to within just one goal of their hosts.
As Rovers committed players forward in search of a third goal to force extra time, Gray saw a header saved by Miller, and an unmarked Bentley went wide after finding space inside the six-yard box.
Agogo went close as he stretched to prod home a Williams cross in the closing stages, and Walker was unlucky as he was crowded out in stoppage time.
Rovers pressed and pressed in search of what would have been a aggregate leveller as the seconds on the clock ticked away, but in the end it was the Southend fans who were celebrating at the final whistle as their team progressed through to the Millennium Stadium final thanks to the narrowest of overall winning scorelines.
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KristofShrimper
72 |
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BlueWes
65 |
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tannis
63 |
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longbottomd
54 |
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steve the gas
44 |
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roachmeister
42 |
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