"Rovers subdue a battling Sylvans at Les Brehauts"
Rovers came out of the blocks like a rocket propelled speed skater scoring after only 37 seconds, nearly beating Bryan Robson's 27 second record breaking effort for England in the '82 world cup in Spain against France. Netherton, who had a superb afternoon, picked the ball up on the left side of midfield, found Robin scampering through the middle, who transferred the ball out to the right to the on rushing Whitmore who smashed the ball into the corner of the right hand up right, 1-0. Sylvans pressured straight from the restart and after two minutes attacked down the right wing drilling a ball into the near post where the unfortunate Howitt stuck out a despairing boot to intercept before the opposing centre forward slotted into an empty net, but only succeeded in diverting the ball past a perplexed Arrol on the near post - nobodies fault just an unfortunate OG. At least this team's second top scorer isn't "own goals" unlike the infamous Manchester team from Newton Heath that play in red!
This jolted Rovers into action and Robin ran onto a through ball and one on one with the Sylvans keeper, who had a cracking game, saved bravely with his legs. Soon after Robin cut in from the right wing, beat the full back, hit the bye line and squared an exquisite ball for Browning to slide home to make it 2-1.
Sylvans came back strongly and Cooney broke up some promising forages with some tenacious tackling. Hood also began to earn his wages, dominating the Sylvans front line and coolly breaking up their attacks before carrying the ball forward for the midfield to build on, a la Bobby Moore. His partner Howitt also pushed forward and popped up on the right wing to set up another Rovers attack. However Sylvans would not lie down and Arrol made a blinding one handed save at full stretch pushing the ball around the post for a corner, tremendous!
Browning and Robin then combined cleverly playing a one two turning the Sylvans defence around before Robin thumped home to make it 3-1. Almost straight from the kick off a loose ball rolled out to the advancing Whitmore 25 yards out on right, the ball literally exploded off his left foot and fizzed into the net leaving the Sylvans keeper rooted to the spot with his hair on fire and the net melting around him! 4-1.
Rovers pressed home their territorial advantage and Browning was denied by the on rushing Sylvans keeper who saved bravely at his feet. Fazakerley drilled a shot in which looked like it was flying in before the keeper turned it around the post for a corner. Tragedy then struck, the referee broke his pencil and the scribe was forced to give up his pen to ensure the game could continue. However coach Nigel "Nelson" Netherton dug deep into his pockets and managed to pull out a spare, saving the match report for the thousands of avid readers.
Sylvans still threatened on the break however and an alert Arrol cleared from the feet of the Sylvans forward, starting another Rovers attack via Howitt which resulted in a corner on the right side. Robin sent over a long floating ball deep to the left side of the penalty box which was beautifully met on the volley by Netherton, the ball skimming just over the bar bringing to an end a pulsating first half of end to end attacking football.
Second Half:
Within a few minutes Rovers got a dose of their own medicine as Sylvans forged into the penalty box making it 4-2, what a baptism of fire for Jensen between the sticks who had come on for Arrol. Suddenly Rovers were all at sea, a determined Sylvans barrelling down the middle of the park overwhelming the normally dominant Cooney and Fazakerley. Almost immediately Jensen had to clear upfield to deny Sylvans who were clean through, but then from nowhere a shot crashed in from the right cutting the lead to 4-3. However Jensen expertly marshalled the back line with some well chosen words and intelligent kicking bringing some calm to a chaotic 10 minutes.
The match was then sealed by a killer goal from Browning making it 5-3. Robin received a ball into his feet in midfield, back to goal, flicking the ball with his heel giving him time and space to turn and thread a through ball for Browning, who beat the defender with his trademark blistering pace before slotting past the keeper.
Browning continued his good work denied only by an outstretched foot from the keeper. Fazakerley then launched a "Hail Mary" high towards the angle of bar and post sending the keeper back tracking frantically before he tipped it around the post for another corner.
Le tocq then came on for the last few minutes to give Netherton a well earned rest, after he had covered just about every blade of grass on the pitch. Le Tocq soon got involved in the action winning a crunching tackle and quickly releasing Browning only to be denied yet again by the Sylvans keeper. That signalled the end of a hard fought victory against a proud and determined opposition. Special thanks to "lino" Andy "Tabs" Taberner a Rovers legend from a by gone era when Wigan played Rugby League very well and the "round ball" version of the game only fairly well!
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