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Rovers II Match Report
| League match |
| Sunday | 2010-04-11 | 12:45 |
| Rovers II | 2 (1) - 1 (1) | FC Hellas Monachou München II | | Manager: Roderick Bracken |
 Re: Sunday 11th April Rovers II v Monachou II
April 12, 2010, 05:31:08 PM by Richard Clare
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Greek tragedy averted
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Passarelli
Schneider Meehan Geller Stevenson
Kraus (capt) Poulton Proudfoot Waine
? ? ? ? ? Clare Carey
Subs:
O'Driscoll for Schneider
de Marco for Waine
Kopitz for Carey
Kit: Meehan
Goals: Clare, O'Driscoll
Rovers II were up against Hellas Monachou at their new home. Rovers were seeking to keep their second (and automatic promotion) place on the table. The Greeks were seeking a 3 point bail-out from mid-table.
After losing to the opposition on astroturf in the hinrunde, Rovers were keen to play on the larger? grass pitch and give their elder opponents a run round. This logic raised more than a few eyebrows from some of the senior Rovers present.
It may have been the 9am Sunday kickoff, or that it was actually snowing, but the Rovers were very slow? getting underway. Luckily so were the opponents. Rovers were able to dominate possession and territory throughout, but the last pass or the finish were lacking. Several good chances were spurned, Wainey won the crossbar challenge, Poulton knocked a couple of conversions over the crossbar and Proudfoot, Clare and Carey had shots straight at the keeper saved. The opener finally came from a spilled Carey shot, and Clare was sniffing about to finish from 3 yards. 1-0.
Rovers then did what the Rovers always do: concede a silly goal. Clare was caught offside halfway to New Zealand. From the quickly taken free-kick, a long ball found Rovers' arch-nemesis - Nick the Greek - who took his sand wedge out of the bag and lobbed the stranded Passarelli. 1-1.
It remained 1-1 until half-time and Rod then proceeded to try and wake the Rovers up with his team talk.
Rovers again dominated territory and possession in the second spell with Poulton and Proudfoot marshalling things in the middle, and Kraus and Waine and then de Marco finding ample space on the wings. The back four didn't look overly troubled, allowing Schneider and Stevenson attacking runs from the back. But the last pass or shot was still astray.
Schneider then proceeded to clash heads with his marker - there was claret everywhere, and had to be replaced by O'Driscoll.
The winner finally came in the last 10 minutes. From a goalmouth pinball melee, the ball ricocheted to none other than Ronnie O'Driscoll, who placed the ball perfectly in the bottom left corner. The fact that he appeared to place it with his shinpad is beside the point. 2-1
Rovers were able to hold out the final 10. Clare nearly ended it with another crossbar challenge winner, and 2-1 it finished. Not a great performance, but we'll take the 3 points.
MOM was deemed to be the new captain - Marius Kraus, who ran all day long on the big pitch.
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