Sunday April 26, 2009
National Division, Oaklands Park
Bristol Academy 3-1 Rovers
A youthful Rovers Ladies side came unstuck away to Bristol Academy in their penultimate game of the season.
The hosts went ahead against the run of play courtesy of a 16th-minute lob from Welsh international Gwennan Harries, who then provided the cross for 17-year-old striker Connie Short to score on her debut.
Substitute Kerry Bartlett added the third, heading home Justine Lorton's 76th-minute cross, before Lynda Shepherd netted Rovers' injury-time consolation from an Amy Kane corner.
After the game, manager Adam Lakeland said: "I'm disappointed that we've lost again. It was a game we desperately wanted to win, because we would have finished the season above Bristol in the league.
"However, it was always going to be a tall order going there and beating them, because we had 10 teenagers in the squad and five in the starting line-up. But I was pleased with the performance and effort of the entire team.
"Over the 90 minutes, I genuinely felt that we were the better team, we just showed a bit of naivety, which comes with having so many young and inexperienced players in your team.
"Everyone gave 100% and if they can do the same again at Chelsea, then it will give me some positives to take into the summer."
ROVERS: Parker, Chattell (Heyes 75), Roberts, Shepherd, Harding, Burke, Kane, Campbell, H. Forster (Lynch 75), Anderton, Hanson.
Subs not used: Sullivan, Pailing, N. Forster.
