FOOTBALL: Frome Town 1 Bristol Rovers 0
10:46am Monday 23rd July 2012 in Sport
FOR the second time in the space of a few days, Frome triumphed over higher league opposition with a single goal in the 87th minute, this time thanks to a 25-yard screamer into the top corner from trialist Harry Baker.
A good crowd saw a bright start to the match and Frome just survived in the 12th minute as a great through ball from Joe Anyinsah saw Matt Lund just denied by a combination of Darren Chitty and a last ditch tackle by Matt Smith.
Rovers' Matt Harrold should have done better in the 14th minute as he got well under the ball and skied it over the Frome bar from eight yards following a corner, and shortly afterwards, Frome’s Dean Flockton was forced to leave the pitch with an injury.
Rather than replacing the centre half with another defender, boss Darren Perrin moved Matt Smith back into the centre of defence for the first time ever, and alongside man of the match Ryan Bennett, the two youngsters looked really comfortable for the rest of the match.
The match then settled into a pattern of Rovers tending to come forward a bit more often than Frome, but they generally seemed to lack the urgency to cause the defence any real problems.
Apart from a goalbound shot that was bravely blocked by Aaron Ledgister in the 31st minute, chances were few and far between.
The second half started much the same as the first, with the Darren Chitty having no real problems with a few long range Rovers shots, but as Frome rang the changes, Jamie Cheeseman came on for his first appearance in a Frome shirt for nine months or so, and played in midfield rather than in his normal centre back role.
As Frome effectively replaced their entire midfield and forward line, they started to look the better team going forward and Connor Gough saved well from a deflected Dean Evans shot in the 55th minute and was just able to deny Llloyd Matthews in the 86th minute as he dived low to push the ball out for a corner.
A minute later, as the match seemed to be heading for a 0-0 draw, Lloyd Matthews did well on the left and laid the ball back for Harry Baker to hit a superb, swerving, 25 yard shot into the far top corner to give Frome a win that was well deserved.
The “H&B Tyres Man of the Match” as chosen by match sponsors Moore Stephens Accountants was Ryan Bennett for an excellent performance at centre back.
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