The Rovers Youth Team continued their 100% start to their league campaign with a 2-0 victory over local rivals Rotherham United at Cantley Park.
A stiff breeze on an otherwise fine morning was blowing straight down the pitch from the playing fields end.
Rotherham started well but didn’t use the wind to any advantage and indeed, did not trouble McLaren in the Rovers goal. In fact, he didn’t really have to make a save at all in the first half.
The first chance at goal came in the 7th minute when Spencer Lund headed wide from a cross from the right. On the quarter hour successive corners to the Millers came to nothing but minutes later Bevins was racing through on goal when Mitchell Lund brought him down just outside the penalty area and earned himself a booking.
In the 26th minute, Ferguson got into Rotherham’s penalty area on the right when he was pushed over by Johnson, who wasn’t happy when he saw the referee pointing to the penalty spot. Terrell took it but Bryan, in the Rotherham goal, dived to push it out. Terrell followed up and from a yard out tapped it goalwards but Bryan had got to his feet and kicked it off the line.
Midfield play dominated after this and Rotherham’s best effort came just short of half time when Williamson fired wide following a quickly taken free kick that took the Rovers defence by surprise.
In the last minute Ferguson raced for a ball accompanied by two Rotherham defenders whilst Bryan raced out of his goal. The keeper got there first and kicked the ball against one of his defenders. The ball shot into the air, dropped at the foot of a post and spun back into play for a defender to clear.
The last action of the half came with Whitehouse shooting from 25yards and the keeper saving.
Rotherham again started well in the second half but couldn’t benefit from a corner that bobbled about in the area before being cleared. At the other end Ferguson had
a go from 30yards with a free kick that was just over the bar.
Past the hour and successive corners to the Millers again came to nothing. Whitehouse, on the Rovers left, then got a good cross in for Ferguson to head wide of goal. In the 74th minute, the Rovers won a corner which was partially cleared by a defender before being played back to the middle for TERRELL to break the deadlock with a fine header.
This put the Rovers on their mettle and their pressure paid off in the 80th minute when a cross from Ferguson on the right was once again headed in by TERRELL.
It was all Rovers to the end, with Steadman, in the 90th minute, chipping for goal from 30 yards only to see it go just past a post.
Rovers team – Jack McLaren; Mitchell Lund, Jacob Dawson, Jack Steadman, Ben Askins, Scott Brown (c), Lewis Ferguson, Spencer Lund, Ryan Burnyeat, Callum Terrell, Billy Whitehouse
Subs used – Liam Mandeville for Burnyeat 77 mins;
Subs not used – Alex Head, Jack McKay, Paul McKay, John Iveson gk
Caution – M Lund 23 mins;