|
It's our second trip to Bristol this season and coming on the back of a great win against Scunthorpe last week we all seem a bit more upbeat and hopeful of getting a positive result.
In the LDV Trophy a few weeks back we went down 1-0 to a late goal but almost grabbed a late equaliser. Admittedly it was a weak Rovers side we were playing but the result can only give us confidence for this game.
On Tuesday Rovers played host to Yeovil and to say the game was heated would be an understatement. Rovers had two players sent off on the stroke of half time and now Dave Savage and Steve Elliot will miss this Saturdays game.
The game also saw a recurrence of the crowds mis-behaviour that erupted against Oxford in an earlier game. Then, disposable lighters were thrown from the home end at the U's keeper and on Tuesday coins and pies were thrown at players and officials. One fan was ejected from the ground for that and two more ran onto the field of play. All three face long bans from following their team but, frankly, I'm sure Rovers won't miss them.
In what has been an average season for Rovers they will be without a key player in Ali Gibb. He had a recurrence of a groin problem against Yeovil and will be rested for our game.
Since our last meeting they have released Ijah Anderson, now on trial at Oldham, and Thorsten Dinkel has returned to Germany after having his contract cancelled by mutual consent.
Our vibrant camp has had some good and bad news this week following Simon Browns injury sustained in the Scunthorpe game. He went off during the second half with a leg injury. At first it was thought to be a cracked tibia with three months out of the game but now it appears to be just bad bruising and will be three weeks instead.
Iyseden Christie is expected to appear tomorrow but don't bank your life on it. He hasn't been seen at training even though the official site says that he is.
Ian Foster did miss training this week but it was a holiday he deserves following his heroics last Saturday while playing with fluid on the knee. To get two goals with a dodgy knee just proves that he's playing for the team that he loves. He may not be a top quality player but he's a top quality team member.
Christie will probably be on the bench and so might be Mickey Mellon. He's more Barry Horne than Ian Foster but we need all the players we can with such a thin squad.
Missing will be Youssou Diop (knee) and Steve Burton (hamstring) as well as Reuben Hazell. He had an operation this week and straight after the club said he'd be back in training soon but I'm not convinced.
Jan has said this week that he's hoping to get a new striker in but so far he's had his hopes dashed. First Julian Alsop had been interviewed about coming to Aggborough but that idea soon hit the wall after he was found to have been involved in a homosexual practise at his, now, former club, Oxford.
Martin Butler from Rotherham and Derek Holmes (Bournemouth) have also been mentioned but nothing concrete has come from it. Jan will have until 5:00 tonight to get someone in.
It'll be a tough game at The Mem but I have this feeling we might come back with at least a point.
Teams
Harriers from:
Danby, D Lewis, Burton, Cooper, Sall, Hatswell, McMahon, Mellon, McHale, Advice-Desruisseaux, Jenkins, Keates, Christiansen, Keene, Langmead, Foster, Russell, Christie.
Bristol Rovers from:
Miller, Gwinnell, Hinton, Ryan, Trollope, Edwards, Campbell, Agogo, Hunt, Thorpe, Forrester, Anderson, Williams, Walker, Parker, Disley, Burns, Haldane, Beswetherick, Lescott, Horsell.
|
HOME