Team News From The Rovers Camp

Last updated : 08 August 2008 By Thetashkentterror

David Pipe
Rovers right-back David Pipe spoke to the Bristol Evening Post about tomorrow's League One curtain raiser at home to the Blues, Pipe hoping that the Pirates can put in the same performance at the Memorial Stadium against Carlisle as they did last year :


"It's onwards and upwards. The FA Cup run disrupted our league season last time, although we wouldn't change it because of the opponents we played and the big occasions we had. But if I'm honest, I'd rather finish further up the league this time and take anything that happens in the cup as a bonus. For me, it's more about the league this season.

"The 3-0 win was probably our best home performance of the season and hopefully we can repeat it. Their manager is not stupid - he'll know what happened here last season and will be coming here to try and turn that around, but we aim to stop him. Play-off defeat can work both ways and it depends on the group of lads who are still there. I know Joe Garner, who was probably their best player, has left, so hopefully we can capitalise on that."


In team news for Rovers, summer signings Darryl Duffy and Jeff Hughes have both overcome pre-season hamstring and groin injuries respectively and are fit to take their place in the Pirates matchday squad tomorrow. It looks unlikely though that their other new player, in teenage striker Ben Hunt from West Ham, is yet in the first-team reckoning.

Rovers have a few defensive injuries tomorrow however, with full-backs Joe Jacobson (medial ligament) and Ryan Green (hamstring) both sidelined. Those two joined in the stands by centre-half Danny Coles who limped out of a 3-2 pre-season friendly against Den Haag after only eight minutes after aggravating his own existing medial ligament problem.

Those players then unavailable along with Lewis Haldane and Richard Walker who have gone on season-long loans to Oxford United and Shrewsbury Town respectively. James Fraser one other definite absentee, as the teenage midfielder is currently spending a three-month temporary spell at Blue Square Premier newcomers Lewes, as well as young striker Josh Klein-Davies who has today joined Luton Town on loan for a month.



The referee for tomorrow's match is Roger East from Salisbury in Wiltshire, and he will be assisted down the lines by Matt Foley from Sheffield and Andrew Sainsbury from Devizes in Wiltshire. Meanwhile the fourth official is Brendan Malone who, like East, is also from Salisbury.