A brace from Ed Butcher and late goals from Dan Cottle and Nick Hewlett earned Rovers a point against Bemerton Heath Harlequins in an exciting see-sawing game at The Winterfield Stadium on Saturday.

The first ten minutes of the first half was a period of head tennis with the ball bogged down in the midfield and gave little indication of the drama that was going to unfold. Slowly both teams began to settle with Bemerton Heath applying some pressure without unduly testing Frankie Phillips in the Rovers goal.

The hosts took until the 17th minute to create their first real chance on goal. Ed Butcher launched a free-kick into the box with Nick Hewlett glancing the ball wide of the post. The lively Dan McBeam was on the end of a Rovers counter attack in the 24th minute but his low cross across the box was cut out before it could reach the Rovers attack.

The opener came in the 33rd minute when Jamarni Langlais hit a through ball from deep, it seemed to be too far in front of Ed Butcher and would be easily be cleared by Patrick Creese in the visitors goal. But he missed his kick, spooning the ball for Butcher to collect and tap into the open net. The second followed two minutes later when a clearance from the Rovers defence was headed on by Martin Lenihan and straight to Ed Butcher who moved forward and struck a low shot into the righthand side of the goal.

Rovers pressed on for a third but couldn't fashion a clear opportunity. Bemerton looked slightly shellshocked for several minutes but as the half came to a close, a counter attack was neatly finished by Remus Nixon to drag themselves back into the game.

Notoriously, losing a goal just before half time is never good for the team that leading and so it was to be again as Bemerton came out for the second half a different team. The opening minutes were dominated by the visitors and within nine minutes had drawn level via their captain Danny Young. Rovers failed to clear a cross from the left allowing Young to blast the ball past a stricken Phillips.

Nine minutes later they had the lead when Young carried the ball from from his own half to the penalty area where he fed Remus Nixon on the right. Nixon calmly slotted the ball past Phillips into the bottom left corner. On the strength of the opening 20 minutes of the half, it was no more than they deserved.

With morale on a tipping point at the moment, it would have been easy for Rovers to fold but they galvanised. The introduction of Dan Cottle, Jesse Thompson and Milo Murgatroyd over the following minutes introduced some fresh legs and some different options. In the 80th minute, with Rovers starting to pressure the Bemerton goal, Murgatroyd made a great run but his shot was blocked before it could reach the goal.

Smelling an equaliser, Dan Cottle won a free kick on the edge of the box in the 87th minute. Cottle stepped up to take it himself and hit a low shot around the wall that left Creese no chance. There was a huge cheer from the Rovers supporters who had been great all game and wild celebrations followed on the pitch as Rovers surely had the point they deserved for the performance across the whole game.

But Bemerton had other ideas, and after winning a disputed corner in the 92nd minute, Nixon grabbed his hattrick when he headed in at the near post. Cue more wild celebrations as Bemerton thought they had the winner. But it wasn't over yet! Seconds later, a determined Ed Butcher won the ball deep on the right and launched a cross into the area. Nick Hewlett, who has stayed up from defence, got the merest glance to guide it past the Bemerton keeper. Needless to say, even more wild celebrations followed...

For the second game this week, Rovers had taken a point from a play-off spot candidate and there has been a visible change to the morale of the players on the pitch. Everyone will be looking forward to the next game which is away at Bideford on Saturday 23rd March. Coach details to follow.

Man of the Match, Ed Butcher