Rovers trio on target to give manager Clarke food for thought
THE Walsall Under-23s manager must have had quite a shock when he read the Bristol Rovers teamsheet for their Central League Cup match on Tuesday.
The Gas named a starting XI containing ten players who have appeared for the club’s first team.
Tom Broadbent, Sam Matthews, Gavin Reilly and Alex Jakubiak all started, as did Tareiq Holmes-Dennis, who has been plagued by injury since joining Rovers in the summer, and fringe players Rollin Menayese and Luke Russe.
Also in the line-up were Cam Hargreaves and Theo Widdrington, who both made their senior debuts in the 2-0 Checkatrade Trophy defeat at Exeter City this season, while goalkeeper Alexis Andre-Jr has made one first-team appearance off the bench – ironically against Walsall – last season.
In fact, the only player in the starting line-up not to have played for the first team was defender Scott Isherwood.
That is as strong a side as Rovers have put out in the Checkatrade Trophy this season, where they will face Northampton Town in the third round on January 8.
Perhaps not too surprisingly, the experienced Gas side combined to produce a 4-2 victory.
Reilly scored twice to remind manager Darrell Clarke what he can offer, while on loan Watford striker Jakubiak produced a composed finish to back up his goal against Swansea.
Matthews, the most regular firstteam player in the side this season, also found the net with a curling effort.
Rovers were without a midweek first-team match and, with Clarke stating the players are not having a day off until they turn their form around, this was further evidence the manager is as good as his word.
In many ways, it was a successful endeavor as well because three of the club’s attackers got the confidence boost of getting their names on the scoresheet, particularly Matthews, who has not scored this season in 21 appearances, and Reilly, who has netted just once in 14 outings.
Clarke will be hoping all three men can start firing on a regular basis, particularly with a difficult trip to Sunderland coming up on Saturday.
However there is a vast jump from Central League Cup football at Yate Town to League One action at a packed Stadium of Light.
It remains tough to read Clarke’s mind on how a good performance for the development side translates into a first-team opportunity, as last season he continued to ignore Dom Telford’s red-hot form in the development side. Telford joined League Two Bury this summer and has scored eight goals so far this season.
But goals at any level, in any competition, can’t hurt.
Rovers have struggled in attack all season and have scored the second fewest goals in League One with just 17. Only fellow strugglers AFC Wimbledon, with 15, have managed less.
As for defenders Holmes-Dennis and Broadbent, the match was about getting some game time under their belts as both men work their way back from injuries.
How many of the ten feature on Saturday will be fascinating to see.