Port Vale tonight

Did you go tonight?  Port Vale looked a decent team.  Anything but dreadful.

Made it easy for them though, 15 mins was 11 Vs 11, then 62 mins of 10 Vs 11, followed by 13 mins of 9 Vs 11.

If what epping says is correct, we have 7 red cards already and nobody in the entire League has more than 4, that's not just bad luck.

Barton out.

The Gas put in a decent performance against a lively looking Port Vale team, but were denied any real chance of victory this evening by a sending off in either half. Port Vale take all three points despite a gutsy performance in what were terrible conditions at times.

I cannot fault the desire, commitment and effort of the ten / nine men. They gave everything and much credit must be given for the second half performance.

After the sending off in the first half, it was all Port Vale, and we could consider ourselves fortunate to only be two goals down. The sending off visibly shook the team, and they lost their heads for twenty minutes, during which time we conceded two goals. They appeared to regain their composure towards the end of the first half, then gave it a real go in the second half. After the goal by Aaron Collins, the momentum had swung and even being down to ten men, a fightback was on the cards.

Just when you felt that the game had turned, Harries gets sent off for a high boot just outside the area. You can see why the referee gave it, Harries had completely misjudged the bounce of the ball and the foot was high with the player through on goal. Definitely a yellow, arguably a red.

From that point, the game was lost. Even so, we continued to press forward and create chances.

10 / 10 for effort and sheer refusal to give up. This team certainly fight right to the end.

I will need to see the Finley incident again, it was either an incredibly stupid thing for Finley to do or the linesman bought the theatrics of the Port Vale player. I was sat twenty yards away and did not see it (I was following the ball going forward). I saw the Port Vale player collapsing like he had been shot. If it was an off the ball headbutt, then the sending off was justified.

Either way, Port Vale looked like a decent side but we matched them despite everything that went on. With eleven players, I feel we could have won the game. This season is in danger of becoming one that got away. We are good enough to have a decent crack at promotion, but all these dropped points and “bad luck” are ruining any chance that we have.

It was really good to see the warm reception that Darrell Clarke got. He was treated with the respect that was due.

I have just warmed up and am looking forward to Rochdale on Saturday. We really need to win that one…

Match stats say 1 shot on target, zero corners. Hardly sounds like they were under the cosh.

Plenty of fouls given away, more than any other L2 team tonight. 

England have won the toss and have decided to have a bat. No Broad or Anderson. The only real question is, will Australia be batting before we get to bed tonight?

Stats - BRFC 50 % Port Vale 50 % - Shots 5-13 - On Target 1-6 - Corners 0-4 - Fouls 17-11 - Yellows 2-2 - Reds 2-0 - Ref Craig Hicks - Attendance 6,071.

Match Report From the BRFC Site

Rovers finished the game with nine men as two first-half goals saw the visitors claim the spoils in a stormy affair.

The Gas named an unchanged side after Saturday’s FA Cup win over Sutton. Port Vale boss Darrell Clarke was given a standing ovation by the home crowd and embraced Joey Barton as both managers took to the dugout to shelter from the driving rain.

Defending the Thatchers End, Rovers were looking to score in the 13th consecutive home game this season. But it was Gas ’keeper Belshaw who was called into action first, parrying a shot from Devante Rodney, before the offside flag was raised.

Vale should have opened the scoring in the eighth minute, however, as Politic was afforded time and space 15 yards out, but fired straight at Belshaw, before skying the rebound wide. Play went straight up the other end and Evans burst into the Vale box but his goalbound shot hit team-mate Collins and went behind for a goal kick.

Rovers were enjoying a spell of possession now as the rain finally eased up, but disaster struck in the 14th minute. Vale captain Conlon fell to the floor after an off-the-ball incident and Sam Finley was shown a straight red card – Rovers’ sixth dismissal of the season.

Rovers now faced an uphill battle against high-flying Vale. However, they could have taken the lead just a minute later as Harry Anderson drilled a right-footed shot agonisingly wide of Stone’s left-hand post from 15 yards.

Ten-man Rovers then won a free-kick on the right flank in the 26th minute and Evans’ beautiful delivery was headed over from five yards by Connor Taylor as another glorious chance went begging.

Referee Hicks then awarded Vale a free-kick in the 30th minute. Conlon’s delivery was met by the unmarked Ben Garrity, and his volley went in off the underside of the bar to put the visitors 1-0 up.

Garrity soon made it two, sliding in at the near post to finish off a cross from Lewis Cass in the 33rd minute. It was almost three in the 37th minute after Coutts surrendered possession and Conlon chanced his arm with a shot from fully 35 yards out that Belshaw pushed behind for a corner kick.

Politic then blazed over for the visitors dressed all in black, who were now dominating possession as the half drew to a close. Rovers began the second half by bringing Trevor Clarke on for Antony Evans, the substitute lining up at left-back, with Anderton moving into a back three alongside Taylor and Harries.

The wind was howling around The Mem now as Rovers struggled to make any early inroads into a Port Vale side in front of their 245 travelling fans.

Then, from nowhere, Aaron Collins struck with his first league goal of the season, with a left-footed strike that took a slight deflection and flew past Stone.

Defender Jones was then booked for obstructing Collins as the Gas turned up the heat, looking to draw level. Nicholson showed some nice skill to work a crossing position, but Clarke couldn’t convert, before the substitute went to ground in the next attack, referee Hicks waving away furious appeals for a penalty.

Straight up the other end, Cian Harries was shown a straight red in the 76th minute for a high tackle on Garrity. From the resulting free-kick, Vale skipper Conlon fired straight into the Rovers wall.

For the second time this season, the Gas had to play out the remainder of the game with nine men. Brett Pitman came on for Coutts in the 81st minute as the home side looked to salvage an unlikely point.

Vale came close to a third, after a Conlon free-kick was acrobatically tipped over by Belshaw; Whelan was shown a yellow card for the challenge. Referee Hicks had the final word of the evening, showing Pitman a yellow card after the full-time whistle had blown.

Next up for Rovers is this weekend's visit of Rochdale to the Mem. (3pm KO)

Rovers: Belshaw, Finley, Collins, Nicholson (Spence 79), Coutts (Pitman 81), Anderton, Taylor, Anderson, Evans (Clarke 45), Harries, Whelan.

Subs: Ward, Thomas, Westbrooke, Martinez, Clarke, Spence, Pitman.

Port Vale: Stone, Gibbons, Jones, Smith, Worrall, Garrity, Conlon, Rodney (Walker 51), Politic (Burgess 90), Pett, Cass.

Subs: Covolan, Walker, Legge, Benning, Martin, Amos, Burgess.

The last swing of a boot came right on the final whistle, a cynical lunge and chop from behind which could easily of provided Rovers a third red card, as it happened right on the whistle, the ref either did not see it or chose to ignore it, I think it might have been Whelan. Finlay averages around two sending off’s a season, in recent seasons twice he has managed three according to Rad Bris.

Officials come prepared for it with a no nonsense approach, and a clever opposing manager like Clarke will use it to their advantage by telling players not to get drawn into playground tussles. Be hard but fair and let their football do the talking. His team is in his image too; neat football, calm and collected - but no pushovers. I noticed at the end when it was building up to the usual melee around the officials he calmly nodded his head and discretely waved his hand towards the tunnel as if to say it's their problem not ours.

It felt a frustrating defeat to me,perhaps in part I had 'one of those days' yesterday. We should'nt allow a football match result control our mood so much,ay.😏

DC had a warm welcome and his Vale team deserved their 1 2 scoreline.'The 'all blacks' (nice kit) were more disciplined than Rovers.The game was effectively changed on Finleys red card.Whatever he did he should'nt of.I think 11 v 11 we would of remained in the game,intfact in the 2nd half with 10 and even 9 men we were never finished off by Vale.

Good to see Collins playing so well now and he and Sam Nicholson are a decent duo.

Illdiscipline cost us last night and when considering our injuries and latest suspensions we've not exactly helped ourselves for the Rochdale game Saturday.
Our bookings and sending offs tally has to improve.

I wish we were struggling to achieve a promotion place, but I see no sign of it. We're twelve points adrift and struggling to achieve that. Get rid.