Source: TheGuardian
Bristol Rovers beat Mansfield for fourth win in 12 days to keep up promotion rush | Jeremy Alexander
Matty Taylor winner helps The Gas increase their pressure in League Two and goes some way to lay a relegation ghostA Gas explosion is rocking not only the city of Bristol but League Two. Late last month Rovers changed hands, bought by a Jordanian banker, Wael al-Qadi. On Saturday the team beat Mansfield Town 1-0 at the Memorial Stadium, a fourth win in 12 days, to go fourth above Portsmouth and within three points of Oxford United and Plymouth Argyle, all of whom lost. “The supporters have had hell here for a long time,” said their manager, Darrell Clarke, “and I’m pleased if I’ve sent them home happy and they are getting excited.”The hell has been personal, too. Two years ago he was given eight games to save them from relegation. On the last day, having won at Wycombe Wanderers the previous weekend, they needed a point to make other results, including Wycombe’s, irrelevant. Rovers, at home to Mansfield, lost 1-0 and went down. Clarke, a son of Mansfield who started a lower League career there, admitted to being haunted ever since. Colin Daniel, who scored the fateful goal, was booed when he came on as a substitute on Saturday. Six minutes later, just beyond the hour, Matty Taylor scored the goal that may have laid the ghost. Continue reading......read full article
