Rovers hit their stride to give Tisdale an impressive first win
BRISTOL ROVERS VS DARLINGTON, FA CUP SECOND ROUND Sam Frost reports on Bristol Rovers’ FA Cup tie against Darlington at the Memorial Stadium
BRISTOL Rovers advanced into the third round of the Emirates FA Cup with a resounding 6-0 home victory over National League North side Darlington.
Goals from flatmates James Daly and Josh Hare put the side 2-0 up before a penalty double from Luke Leahy and strikes from Erhun Oztumer and Sam Nicholson guided Paul Tisdale’s side back to winning ways.
The victory was Tisdale’s first in charge of the club since his appointment and means Rovers could face Premier league opposition in the next round, as the Gas eagerly await the third-round draw today.
Although the score line wouldn’t suggest it, Darlington started the brighter out of the two sides. Winning second balls and dominating the physical battles, it seemed as
though Rovers were a team low on confidence in the early stages. However, on the half-hour mark and against the run of play, Rovers were gifted an opening goal.
Hare floated a hopeful long ball up to towards the Darlington back
line to David Atkinson, who was unable to deal with the bounce of the ball and misplaced his backwards looping header over his own goalkeeper, enabling Daly to rush in on goal to tap into an empty net.
The visitors almost responded immediately as skipper Will Hatfield almost equalised moments later. The midfielder ran in behind a flat-footed Gas backline only to lash his effort from a narrow angle into the side netting.
Rovers weathered the storm and added to their lead in the 38th minute.
Nicholson drew in the Darlington midfield on the left-hand side before skipping through and spreading the play to McCormick. The Chelsea loanee delayed his pass to the onrushing Hare down the right and played a pinpoint through-ball to the right-back who brushed the ball into the back of the net with a clever outside-ofthe-foot effort.
The Gas were awarded a penalty six minutes later after Ben Liddle played an inviting through-ball to Daly. The striker tapped the ball ahead of the stampeding Atkinson
who clattered into Daly, giving the referee no option but to award the penalty. Left-back Leahy stepped up and dispatched low to the keeper’s left, sending him the wrong way in the process.
Daly nearly added to his goal tally soon after, but for a smart save by Saltmer who stuck out a foot to deny the young striker’s low drive.
The away side were beginning to look stretched and exposed and Erhun Oztumer capitalised on their disorganisation to get onto the scoresheet in first-half stoppage time. The Charlton loanee exchanged a neat one-two with Nicholson around the 18-yard box before coasting in to tap the ball beyond Saltmer in the Darlington net to give Rovers a 4-0 lead at the break. It was a case of déjà vu just seven minutes into the secondhalf, as Daly was yet again fouled needlessly in the box and Leahy converting the spot-kick with ease, this time to the keeper’s right to make it 5-0.
McMahon nearly made amends soon after, as he saw his powerful strike crash against the post, thanks to a brilliant save from the fairlyuntroubled Jaakkola in the Rovers goal.
The final goal of the afternoon came via Nicholson, who worked tirelessly all game and was rewarded with a goal of his own.
Hare’s corner was met by skipper Max Ehmer at the back post whose header was tapped in by the Scot to make it six and round off a comprehensive afternoon’s work at the Memorial Ground.