Rovers slumped to a disappointing defeat away at Southall on Saturday, when a poor first hour left them with a mountain to climb.
Despite being in a poor run themselves, the hosts were out of the blocks quickly and immediately had Rovers on the back foot with the crisp interplay and neat passing. Five minutes into the game and neat move between Brendan Matthew and Christian Mulindwa almost led to the opening chance but our defence got round the ball quickly to clear.
Two minutes later and the pressure told, a dangerous cross from the right by Makael Scott was only half cleared to Ryan Hope, and with time to pick his spot he duly fired beyond Sam Roberts for 1-0. Almost immediately a poor backpass from Bert Lloyd left Roberts scrambling to clear ahead of Anthony O’Connor.
Scott, who was giving Evangelos Empochontsif a tough start to the game drilled in another decent cross which Michael Samson turned behind for a corner which was cleared. We looked to have a clear shout for a penalty turned down on 12 minutes when Tami Ogunnowo got beyond ex-SCR man Kyron Richards and was seemingly clipped in the area, but play continued much to Rovers frustration.
Scott clipped in another dangerous cross which Mulindwa headed back across goal only for the diminuitive O’Connor to hook over the bar. We at this stage were limited to occasional breaks from Ogunnowo and Jayden Smith but were not really troubling the Southall back four.
It was 2-0 on 21 minutes, we failed to clear the first ball, and as we appealed for offside O’Connor raced on and smashed the bouncing ball through Roberts to increase the Southall lead. At this point we actually started to come into the game, with Daniel Pepple, Ogunnowo and Chris Adugyamfi causing a few problems for the Southall defence, without creating any clear chance.
Just before the half hour and Roberts poor clearance was almost capitalised on by Jordan Ajanlekoka but he fired high and wide. Roberts then saved from O’Connor after he had latched onto a huge clearance by Southall keeper .
Ogunnowo was then felled by a poor challenge by Scott and from the free kick, Lloyd headed back across goal only for Azeez Alabi to clear – and the hosts took a comfortable 2-0 lead into the break.
Rovers made a couple of changes at the break with Michael Samson and Jayden Smith making way for Cam Dobell and Ezra Agyiri. Rovers almost found a way back into the game early in the half, Michael Edegbe saw his poor clearance pounced upon by Pepple but the Rovers man was just unable to get a shot away.
Noah Africa whipped in a cross on 55 minutes but Adugyamfis header was easily gathered by Edegbe, and on 59 minutes Southall increased their lead, and started a spell of four goals in seven minutes. First up Lloyds poor back pass was straight to Darreon Mark and the Southall forward rounded Roberts for 3-0. Agyiri fired a free kick into the wall for Rovers and from the break, Rovers were at sixes and sevens allowing Makael Scott the simple task of racing clear to make it 4-0.
Rovers snatched a goal back almost immediately, Africa and Agyiri linked up at a corner, and Lloyds knock down was volleyed home by Adugyamfi. A minute later and it was 4-2, this time substitute Donnel Moore did superbly to get beyond Richards, his low cross was turned goalwards by Adugyamfi bringing a superb save out of Edegbe, with Pepple bundling the loose ball home.
Rovers tails were now up and they played with far more poise and purpose than they had in the opening hour but were unable to find that important third goal and the game quickly became very scrappy. Kamin Eliel saw a fizzed effort blocked by the Southall defence as Rovers started to mount a late frantic assault on the homesters goal. On 77 minutes Edegbe did superbly to clear from a dangerous Agyiri corner and on 80 minutes Dobell was just unable to get on the end of a ball into the area, with it ending up back with the keeper.
Once again mistakes were to prove costly – we cannot be giving teams headstarts and hope to pick up points. The only saving grace at the minute is that the rest of the bottom six all seem to be in similar positions as us form wise, so it is still well in our hands.