After last weekend's patched up heroics in the League Cup, Rovers returned to League 2 action on Saturday with a home fixture against Barningham 2011 FC.
Paul Jeavons made several changes to the squad as The Whites welcomed back Wayne Pottle and Skipper, Justin McKenzie back to the starting line up. Jamie Maxwell, Peter Hailstone, Ryan Maxwell, Gary Radford and Martin Coverdale all returned to fill the Rovers bench.
The visitors were at a disadvantage from the start, as they were only able to field 10 men so Rovers went into the game looking to sieze the initiative from the off.
Despite their intentions, it was Barningham who began by far the better of the 2 sides as Rovers struggled to settle and get hold in the game at all. With only 1 striker to mark, the Rovers' back 4 should have been comfortably in control of the game but after the first 20 minutes of the match it was the visitors who had created the better chances in the match and must have felt disapointed not to be ahead.
As the half progressed, The Whites came more and more into the game and on the half hour mark they got their noses in front, still somewhat against the run of play, when Rob Green slipped a ball through for Ange Clarke to run onto and fire past the keeper.
The goal settled the home side down and as the half time whistle neared, they began to look more dangerous when they attacked.
The half ended with Rovers 1 up in the match and gave Jeavons a chance to try and sort out his side's shakey first half performance and make a couple of changes to the squad, bringing on Pete Hailstone into centre midfield and Martin Coverdale onto the right wing.
If the first half had belonged to the visitors on paper, the second half easily belonged to Rovers, as they finally started to dominate proceedings and create the chances that they should have done from the very start. It was a shame for Barningham who, not suprisingly with 1 man less, began to tire after the break and were opened up at the back on several occasions.
Lee Glacken got his name on the scoresheet not long into the half, when he converted from close range and that goal was followed up not long after when Ange Clarke fired home in great style from the edge of the area to put Rovers 3 up.
Another close range effort from Lee Glacken, after a great team move, and another for Ange Clarke completed the scoring for the afternoon and completed Clarke's hat-trick in what turned out to be a great afternoon for the Rovers pairing.
Jeavons was very pleased with the side's second half performance and with the boost to their goal difference as they continued their fine unbeaten start to their league campaign.
Rovers' attention once again turns towards the cup next week and indeed to Black Boy FC again next week, when the 2 sides meet for the third time this season, this time in the Mick McNeil Cup at the Heath.
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