Match Sponsor: Cromwells

A cold, wintry evening greeted the two teams as they prepared to play off this second Round tie, postponed a fortnight ago because of international calls on the Oldham Athletic squad. The winners of tonight's game already know that Grimsby Town await them in the next Round. The Rovers made four changes from the starting line-up from the last two League games. In come Gareth Roberts, Lewis Guy, Paul Green and Jason Price with Adam Lockwood, James Coppinger, Mark Wilson and James Hayter sitting this one out although the latter two players were on the bench. Our visitors from across the Pennines, Oldham Athletic, made only one change from Saturday with fit-again Michael Ricketts replacing Matthew Wolfenden. Richie Wellens was handed the captaincy for the Rovers against his former club and they defended the South Stand end in the first half.

The Rovers made their intentions clear in the early minutes, with Stock hitting a thunderous drive from 30 yards that Beresford saved after just two minutes. However, in the next minute, Davies, on the Oldham left, robbed O'Connor and fired in from the angle of the penalty area but Sullivan saved easily. A corner to the Rovers after 5 minutes was cleared and minutes later the Rovers lost the ball in midfield. It was fed out to Ricketts on the Oldham right and a low ball inside found Kalala but he miscued wide from 20 yards. The Latics were getting a taste for the action now and pushed the Rovers back on defence for the next few minutes. A couple of corners for them came to nothing and the home team, having weathered that, launched an attack of their own culminating in Stock getting in a shot at goal that was going wide but Price, racing in, nearly got to it. Kalala, for the visitors, fired over from 30 yards and as the halfway point came the game had settled into a midfield duel. In the 28th minute, a good run by Guy into the penalty area saw him slalom past defender after defender but he was eventually crowded out. Two minutes later, a good move by the Rovers ended with Green receiving 16 yards out, spinning and scooping a shot off a defender for a corner. Then, at the other end, Allott tried his luck from 25 yards as the ball sat up invitingly. The ball was dipping under the bar but Sullivan got his fingertips to it and put it over the bar. Six minutes from the break and Guy finished off a good Rovers move by firing over the bar from 20 yards followed minutes later by the same player hitting the side netting after another great build-up. As added time came up Oldham won a corner, which Davies, running in, headed over.

The Rovers had the better of the early minutes of the second half but it was the visitors who nearly took the lead on 54 minutes when Davies found space on the right to get in a shot from the angle of the area that went across the face of the Rovers goal and out for a goal kick. Then, a minute later, the Rovers went down the left with Gareth Roberts, who put over a great cross for PRICE to outjump two defenders and plant a neat header into the Oldham net. Four minutes later and Price had a good shout for a penalty when he was barged over by Hazell but the referee waved away the claim. Substitutions were made by both teams either side of the halfway mark but the Rovers continued to have the better of the play at this stage. This supremacy paid off after 75 minutes when a throw in to the Rovers on their right led to O'Connor feeding GREEN, who turned inside his marker and struck a low left foot drive from the edge of the penalty area just inside the near post. Immediately the Rovers had a chance to increase their lead when a bout of inter-play between Woods and Wellens led to the former placing his effort just over the bar. Stock put a thirty yarder over the bar as the Rovers pushed on and the third goal duly arrived on 88 minutes when Guy took advantage of a slip by Bertrand and pulled the ball back for WOODS to steer his shot in from 20 yards and put the seal of victory on the game. 

A good win, with all the goals coming from players who haven't had a start of late, with Paul Green nominated as Man of the Match. Despite being goalless at the halftime break the outcome was never really in doubt. The Rovers now go on to play at Blundell Park in the next Round. Alan Buckley, the Grimsby Town manager, was a spectator at tonight's game. No doubt he will go home with plenty of food for thought.

Teams - ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James O'Connor, Matt Mills, Gordon Greer, Gareth Roberts; Paul Green, Richie Wellens, Brian Stock, Sean McDaid; Lewis Guy, Jason Price.

Subs used - Martin Woods for Gareth Roberts 66mins; James Hayter for Price77 mins; Steve Roberts for Wellens 83 mins;

Subs not used - Mark Wilson, Ben Smith gk

Oldham Athletic - Marlon Beresford; Neal Eardley, Reuben Hazell, Sean Gregan, Ryan Bertrand; Neil Kilkenny, J P Kalala, Mark Allott, Chris Taylor; Michael Ricketts, Craig Davies.

Subs used - John Thompson for Gregan 11 mins; Matthew Wolfenden for Ricketts 69 mins; Dean Smalley for Taylor 69 mins;

Subs not used - Gary McDonald, Andy Liddell,

Cautions - Allott, Hazell