Rovers too much for Saints

This year the conditions were dry enough but a lot of people associated with the club were making pre-match comments about too many undulations at the home of Bristol Rugby Club. Well, they gave both goalkeepers some awkward moments under the back pass rule, but little more. Davis probably suffered more than home 'keeper Phillips, but that would be because our defenders were put under more pressure and more often than theirs, especially in a particularly unimpressive first half. There was little doubt that Rovers' players seemed more interested in the outcome, and not much improved after the break - although we do have a reasonable shot on target to report; by Euell and kicked away by Phillips.

In all truth, few would have complained had the 'goal' scored from a corner by Lambert in the 69th minute been allowed to stand, but referee Riley saw something wrong and we were happy to accede to his Premiership experience. But it was Goodnight Irene for Saints 6 minutes from the end, when Wright stuck out his right foot to guide Lambert's free kick past Davis. Poor Wright is going through a torrid time at the moment, but he didn't have any team-mates who could hold their head high after this abject showing.

With the ground ringing to Rovers' somewhat incongruous anthem TV viewers probably didn't hear the competing shouts of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' from increasingly long suffering fans at the other end, but they have a point. The 1978 side may not have performed well on that day, but they still won promotion; the present lot should be grateful if they had ever been offered the chance to lace the boots of the likes of Nicholl & Peach, Williams & Ball, Boyer & MacDougall, plus the mighty Nicky Holmes.