Bristol Rovers verdict: Audition red light, with Jevani Brown’s optimum position yet unknown
Rovers were defeated 3-1 by West Ham U21s in their second EFL Trophy group encounter.
The winning streak is finished, at least in all competitions, with Bristol Rovers’ 3-1 defeat to West Ham United’s U21s not one that will be forgotten.
A win would have secured Rovers’ spot in the EFL Trophy knockout rounds, but they will have to wait nearly two months for a trip to League Two Newport County in November to do so.
With nine changes from last Saturday’s 2-0 League One win at Shrewsbury, the Gas had good moments with numerous first-team regulars on the pitch but also shot themselves in the foot on occasion, with West Ham the best footballing side to visit the Mem this season, possibly the best Rovers have faced.
The young Hammers played well from the back and forced a number of errors from their much more experienced opponents in the first half, but couldn’t capitalise, owing largely to good recovery play by the hosts.
Those moments paid off for Rovers as captain Sam Finley slotted home the opener with a cool finish as well as the Gas’ first shot on target of the evening.
However, despite having good chances either side of half-time to extend their lead, the hosts couldn’t find the back of the net with their young opposition showing admirable character to complete a turnaround late on with a penalty and two well-taken goals to spin the game around.
With so many of those young Irons poised for major careers, it’s difficult to say how bad the result is. Callum Marshall, in particular, stood out, scoring a brace while also earning a senior cap for Northern Ireland at the age of 18. It was also a fantastic opportunity for Joey Barton to see whether anyone could break into his present plans for the league team. It does, however, prolong the Gas’ wait for a place in the competition’s knockout stage, which is irritating.
Nine changes were made from the Shrewsbury victory, with Luca Hoole and Lewis Gordon returning to the starting lineup after a month-long absence despite starting the first five games of the season.
However, none of the players who came in did enough to stake a genuine claim for a starting spot in Saturday’s league match against Wigan Athletic at home.
Luke McCormick was a handful, while Finley scored, and Harvey Vale was unlucky not to leave the game with at least an assist after making his first start in a natural position and playing 90 minutes. Despite some excellent performances in Shropshire last weekend, it was always going to be difficult for the peripheral players who were given a chance in the EFL Trophy to do enough to break into the league team.
There will almost certainly be at least one change to the team that began at Shrewsbury, with George Friend likely out for a couple of weeks following his injury against the Salops. This role will be filled by
There may also be room for a centre-back with the reasoning for James Wilson’s substitution at half time unclear at the time of writing. Tristan Crama will also be likely missing for the next couple of games after arriving at the Mem on crutches and wearing a knee brace with the defender awaiting a scan. That leads us nicely into the next point.
