PIRATES COAST TO COMFORTABLE WIN
Rovers left top scorer Junior Agogo on the bench, but still had too much firepower for Conference leaders Barnet as they comfortably booked their place in the next round of the LDV Vans Trophy. Jamie Forrester scored from a free-kick for the second time in four days to put the Pirates ahead before the break.

Then Lee Thorpe fired home the second soon after half-time to kill off a visiting side who rarely threatened a breakthrough.

Those two goals proved enough, even though Ian Atkins' side dominated proceedings and could have won by a much bigger margin.

Rovers made four changes to the side they fielded at Boston on Saturday, with Stuart Campbell, Craig Disley, Thorpe and Forrester all handed starting places.

And it was Campbell and Forrester who nearly gave the home side a flying start in the fifth minute. Campbell crossed from the right and Forrester was unfortunate to see his header from 10 yards come back off the inside of the post.

There was a low-key feel to the early stages and although Thorpe won a few useful flick-ons, there was little else in the way of goalmouth action until Rovers won a couple of corners midway through the opening period.

The first was cleared only as far as Christian Edwards on the edge of the box, whose shot was deflected wide.

The second eventually led to a shooting chance for Disley, who steered his effort just wide of Ricky Millard's right-hand post.

Barnet did not start to threaten until the half-hour mark approached. The visitors had shown a willingness to try and move the ball around without much end product, and that continued when Warren McBean blasted over the top from their first real attack.

But Richard Graham swung over a cross from the left which just failed to find striker Lee Roache, who threatened himself moments later with a low, angled shot that Kevin Miller had to save at his near post.

Rovers were to make their breakthrough four minutes before the interval after Disley latched onto a miscued clearance from Millard and advanced towards Barnet's box.

The midfielder looked to have slightly overrun the ball, but Danny Maddix was then penalised for fouling him. Although the decision looked questionable, it gave Forrester the chance to set his sights from 25 yards.

The marksman had delivered a textbook free-kick to put Rovers back in the game at Boston, and came up with a repeat with a fine right-footed strike to put the Pirates in front.

Rovers had an early chance in the second half when a long Miller clearance found Thorpe on the charge, but the target man found it hard to bring the ball under control and lashed his shot into the side netting.

Campbell was the next to threaten, bursting forward to send in a shot which Millard grasped, then Disley was booked for diving after going down under Maddix's challenge inside the box.

But Rovers needed only 10 minutes of the second period to increase their lead. Craig Hinton began the move with an excellent forward pass which allowed Thorpe to get clear, and this time the frontman made no mistake with a decisive finish from 14 yards.

Disley, making only his second start of the season, was looking busy and almost set Forrester up for his second, but the striker failed to bring the ball under control and get his shot away. Then Thorpe was not far away from completing his brace, turning a Campbell free-kick over the top.

Rovers were looking for a third when two of their substitutes combined, Ryan Williams sending Lewis Haldane bursting down the left. The young striker cut inside but saw his ball across the goalmouth scrambled away for a corner.

It was all Rovers by now and Haldane was soon involved again. Aaron Lescott found Disley, who set the striker up for a low shot which Millward did well to save.
GAS BOSS EYES 'LUCRATIVE' QUARTER-FINAL

Ian Atkins hailed the performance of his Bristol Rovers team after their comfortable 2-0 win over Barnet in the LDV Vans Trophy - and then set his sights on a possible clash with Bristol City in the area quarter-finals. Jamie Forrester scored his second goal in as many games with the free-kick that gave Rovers an interval lead and Lee Thorpe struck the decisive second in their second round victory over the Conference visitors.

"It would have been easy not to have shown the right sort of attitude against a side from a lower level, but a win against any team breeds confidence," said Atkins.

"I take this competition very seriously and if we get drawn against someone like Bristol City, Swindon or Walsall in the next round, it could be quite lucrative. The club has not budgeted for cup runs so any money we make is a bonus."

Atkins had the luxury of leaving top scorer Junior Agogo on the bench but saw two of his other strikers finish off the Bees.

REPORT # 2

PIRATES' ON-TARGET STRIKERS STAKE CLAIM

Bristol Rovers 2 Barnet 0

Jamie Forrester and Lee Thorpe both found the net as they battled to impress Bristol Rovers manager Ian Atkins last night.

The Pirates strikers, along with Richard Walker, are vying to partner Junior Agogo in Saturday's League Two clash at Swansea City.

Former Northampton striker Forrester was handed a start for the first time in a month and took the opportunity to fire his second goal in as many games.

Forrester curled in a superb first-half free-kick to follow up a similarly impressive effort at Boston at the weekend.

And Thorpe, after missing one good chance, converted well after he was sent clean through on goal in the second period.

Towards the end Rovers were often close to overwhelming a young Barnet side who were without ex-Pirate Giuliano Grazioli, who has an Achilles injury.

A quiet opening was punctuated after six minutes when Stuart Campbell crossed from the right and Forrester nodded the ball against the inside of the post before it rebounded to safety.

Christian Edwards had Rovers' next opening when a corner broke to him on the edge of the box, but the centre-half's volley was deflected behind.

From the next flag-kick, another melee ended with recalled Rovers midfielder Craig Disley shooting just past the post, although Ricky Millard in the Barnet goal had it covered.

On 32 minutes, Barnet launched their first meaningful attack when the pacy Lee Roache sprinted around John Anderson on the left before cutting inside and forcing Kevin Miller to concede a corner at his near post.

At the other end, Campbell was the next to try his luck for Rovers but his left-footer bounced well off target.

Rovers had to replace Anderson with Liam Burns three minutes before half-time but the change did not effect them.

Disley won a fortunate free-kick after over-running the ball and, from 25 yards, Forrester stepped up to clip the set-piece past the defensive wall and inside the left-hand post.

The Pirates could have made it 2-0 within two minutes of the restart when Thorpe outpaced the defence to latch onto Miller's clearance, but the former Lincoln man fired the ball into the side-netting.

Campbell, who was playing as a right-winger, struck the next effort at the Barnet goal but failed to trouble the overworked Millard.

Rovers appealed for a penalty on 53 minutes when Disley looked to have been brought down on the edge of the box by Danny Maddix, but referee Mark Warren decided to book the midfielder for diving.

However, on 56 minutes, Rovers did get their crucial second when an astute pass from right-back Craig Hinton sent Thorpe bursting clear. The striker finished well as Millard came out to narrow the angle.

Ryan Williams was then handed only his second first-team outing of the season when he replaced Paul Trollope.

Rovers should have had a third when Thorpe struck Campbell's free-kick over form close range.

Young Pirates striker Lewis Haldane was the next fringe player to enter the fray and he served notice of his talent with one superb run, but his final ball was straight to a defender.

Haldane's one shot was well saved by Millard, after a strong run from the impresive Disley had created the opening.

Bristol Rovers (4-4-2): Miller; Hinton, Anderson (Burns 42), Edwards, Ryan; Campbell, Lescott, Disley, Trollope (Williams 71); Thorpe, Forrester (Haldane 78). Subs not used: Agogo, Walker.

Barnet (4-4-2): Millard; Batt, Maddix, Champion, Clist; Sinclair (Elmes 73), Lopez, Lee (Bailey 60), Graham (Ming 65); Roache, McBean. Subs not used: Yakubu, Tynan.

thanks to churchlangbee

Advertisement