Cossham Street Tuesday, August 2nd, 2005   1st Team Friendly Attendance: 832 (estimated)         Mangotsfield United 2-0 Bristol Rovers
2005 /06

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MANGOTSFIELD UNITED 1-1 BRISTOL ROVERS Claridge 30 Mullings 23 ATTENDANCE: 832 BRISTOL ROVERS: Scott Shearer (Martin Horsell 46), Ben Willshire, Tom Parrinello, Matt Thorne, Mark Preece, Darren Mullings (Sean Rigg 46), Adam Callan, Chris Lines, Lewis Powell, Ryan Williams, Mommainais Bokoto (Luke Corrish 84) A young Rovers side, featuring just two established professionals, was held to a 1-1 draw by Mangotsfield United at Cossham Street tonight. The match was the final pre-season fixture for the Pirates, ahead of Saturday's 2005/06 League Two opener against Barnet. Mangotsfield had the first few chances of the game, with a Luke Corbett free-kick striking the Rovers defensive wall, Rob Claridge forcing a good save from Scott Shearer, and Corbett again rolling a shot just wide and into the side-netting. Ryan Williams had Rovers' first chance of the game as his 25-yard shot was well saved by Danny Greaves, and then Mommainais Bokoto headed wide of the upright from a corner. Shearer got down well to save well at his near post from Claridge, and then at the other end Bokoto linked up well with Lewis Powell only for the latter to blast wide of the target. Rovers took the lead on 23 minutes after a Ben Willshire cross from the right was met by Darren Mullings in the area, and his powerful header was well directed past Greaves. Shearer was called on to make a couple of decent stops as Mangotsfield pressed for a quick response, before Williams went close to making it 2-0 with a shot that was deflected wide of the goal for a corner. The home side got the equaliser they'd been chasing on 30 minutes after a Corbett ball into the box from the right was met by Claridge, and the former Rovers youth player made no mistake as he planted a firm header home from around six yards out. The second half saw Rovers start with a flurry of activity with Sean Rigg heading wide, Adam Callan seeing a shot blocked, and a Williams run into the box only stopped at the last minute by a well timed tackle. Drew Shore tried his luck from a free-kick only to aim the ball straight into the Rovers wall, and then Luke Prince did well with a superb shot on the turn that Martin Horsell, on for Shearer, did well to keep out. Claridge fired over and Prince headed straight at Horsell as Mangotsfield pressed for the lead, before Rovers responded with a Williams shot that Greaves saved well, a Powell header from a Rigg cross that sailed just wide, and a superb Chris Lines drive from 30 yards that only just missed the target. A draw was probably a fair result on the night, and Ian Atkins will have been particularly pleased to see Williams come through 90 minutes unscathed, and Shearer play 45 minutes without any reaction to last week's back spasm.