DMW January 15, 2000

SOME wizened old pundit (probably Rodney Marsh) he say: a team that stays together plays together.

Simplistic, I know, but increasingly relevant as far as Rovers are concerned. For, at last, they seem to have found the stability they've been searching for since August.

Fielding the same side (yes, it's true) that beat Paget last weekend, the Greens chalked up a valuable league win against the division's bottom club.

One goal was all that Rovers needed. With 29 minutes gone and the homesters on the back foot, John Humphreys's left wing corner was headed on by skipper Mark Bowater for Peter Sutton to turn neatly and drill the ball home.

In a sedentary opening, the Greens had always looked more likely to break the deadlock. Defender Quentin Townsend's opportunistic volley forced Dave Rendell into a second minute stop at his near post and Kevin Ashley should have done better with a free kick inside the box, awarded for Adie Taverner's back pass.

Yate's attack appeared in fits and starts. Jon Lang didn't lack pace or enthusiasm while Adie Mings, who had plenty of run-ins with Rovers during his days at Bath City, certainly has presence. Just ask Steve Ulfig, who was left cursing on the sidelines after a crude late challenge.

While we're on the subject of primitive behaviour, the route one approach nearly brought the visitors a second goal six minutes before the break on Saturday. Bowater's hefty clearance was touched on by Mark Benbow for Sutton, but his final effort failed to trouble Rendell.

The second period saw more huffing and puffing from Rovers as they sought a lucky break from an uneven pitch. Attempting to switch the ball to your strongest foot proved a waste of time --one bounce and it was miles away.

Bowater went close with a header from Ryan Daley's corner that was bundled off the line and Kevin Jinks, who never stopped running at Lodge Road, raced in to meet Benbow's testing right wing cross, only for Rendell to get there first.

At the other end, Ulfig made a crucial clearance after Nore Gabbidon fumbled Marcus Bloomfield's speculative effort ten minutes from time. Phew.

Rovers: Gabbidon, Townsend, Ulfig, Ashley, Bowater, Rochester, Humphreys, Benbow, Sutton, Daley, Jinks. Subs (unused): Davies, Wilkins, Hunter. Attendance: 105.

Rovers man of the match: Kevin Jinks.