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A fantastic four! After five weeks idle and playing against a top five side, I’m not sure many would’ve had us down for that type of result. However I spoke in my programme notes during the week about the work the boys have been putting in during the past month and I’m delighted for them that it all came together today and paid off. Their efforts certainly deserved that outcome.
Defensively, it was probably as solid as we’ve been this year in my opinion, we just never looked like conceding. With goals in the first half to settle us down from Gregor (Lamb) and Joycey (Michael Joyce) I felt, without too much more in the way of goalmouth action, we managed the first half extremely well against an energetic Uni side. Listen, you can never take your foot off the gas against these types of teams as you know they will go right to the end, but I just felt our lads took on the information given and added their own qualities to the game. We deployed Ross (Lamb) a little further forward and in the early stages I felt him and Kivi (Kyle Kivlichan)linked the game extremely well.
As the game wore on, I felt our fitness again shone through on what was by the end of the ninety minutes a heavy pitch. Our third goal comes at a crucial stage and Kivi, who I felt lead the line extremely well, got the goal he deserved, making no mistake from twelve yards after winning the penalty himself. We’ve maybe tried to play a little bit too much in recent games but I felt we struck the perfect balance today. Some of the lads’ play was genuinely brilliant to watch. But on the other side of it we cleared our lines when we had to and dug in when it was important to do so. The only disappointment today was that of the goal we score which was chopped off for offside. It’s a really hard one for the referee and of course we are always going to scream louder with the red and white bias, but the move was certainly deserving of allowing the advantage to the attacker. It probably helped numb the slight frustration minutes later though when our man of the match Gregor (Lamb) steps up and smashes one into the top corner from what looked to be at least 30 yards out. (I’ll let Rovers TV take it away for that one!).
It would’ve been easy to make excuses today, but the lads rolled their sleeves up and got a really important three points on the board and with a performance to match. We will call it an early gift wrapped Christmas present to the Rovers faithful for coming out and backing us over the line!
Ormiston Primrose are up next at Whitestone on the 30th to close the year out. We’d love a bumper pre-New Year crowd out to cheer the lads on! I know it makes all the difference.
To finish, myself along with the rest of the management team and the playing staff would just like to wish our sponsors, hardcore supporters and those a little further afield a very warm and happy Christmas when it arrives!