Player Ratings: Stevenage vs Bristol Rovers (RESULTS)

Mildenhall 6 competent when called on to make a brave save, could have read a novel waiting for something to do most of the game
Leadbitter 6 yes he missed our best opportunity but he was fast enough to be there and have a go, his main job is defending and as a unit in the first half we were never going to concede, was not who I would have taken off at half time but then I don't know who is carrying knocks or knackered from Saturday.
Brown 6 steady defensively and like Leads tried to offer something going forwards, just not able to get that killer cross in
Parkes 7 Always seems to play better after a spell on the sidelines, commanded the battle with their frontmen
Lockyer 7 hoovered up everything Parkes was not near to.
Clarke J 7 despite the mark he is the one I'd have sacrificed to switch to 4-4-2 because of the extra pace of Leads, once again he did his two roles (right CB & RB) competently but was not in his Mansfield flying cross in the last minute mode!
Gosling 6 can see why DC might have wanted to freshen up the team with a keen JG in apparent good form back in the fold, but he wasn't on the same wavelength as the others that have played more regularly together this campaign and led to a fragmented midfield that was not joining up the dots properly, fair play, he put in a shift and was by no means awful, just we needed more than an average performance from our midfielders on the day.
Lines 6, I enjoy it when this guy is in full flow and now he's added strength on the ball and grit in the tackle you'd think he was almost the complete package but it tells you something when our chief playmaker only gets lauded once in the game ...and that from an exemplary piece of defensive work! Sure there were some moments when we strung some passes together and looked to be shifting into gear but too often Linesy left us in neutral and the dead balls were often just that...DEAD. Again he was not awful but this was a night we needed more.
Clarke O. 8 MOTM the only one of our midfield to take the game by the scruff of the neck and try to do something with it. Broke up play with aplomb, often kept it simple and hoofed it a lot less than his more mercurial compadres, got in their faces and upset their rhythm and took a booking for the team when Stevenage were threatening to breakaway. Did his job and did it well.
Taylor 5 under par and could just as easily have got the hook instead of Gaffers if he wasn't in the midst of having scored in 8 consecutive games. Looked uncompetitive and jaded and got no change from their centre halves. Not his day
Gaffney 5 not his day either, got into running battles with their defenders that detracted from his game, burst clear once only to drag his shot well wide, took a couple of useful long throws. Probably not up to two games in three days whilst still trying to regain his pre injury form.

Bodin 6.5 made a difference when he came on, got a couple of shots in ..one of which looked goal bound before it was turned wide, quick feet gave us a bit more space on occasions, at other times his lack of physicality meant he was rolled off the ball too easily.
Harrison 6 certainly made their defence stand to attention after the relatively easy ride they were getting from our misfiring front two, but whilst he huffed and puffed it was never with enough quality in the danger areas to really produce anything.
Easter 7 an impressive cameo, injected some purpose and guile into our flagging attack, looked hungry and might have produced more than a few promising moments if he'd been on longer.

Crowd 6 large numbers sporadically bursting into song, but gradually subdued and strangled like the team.
Stevenage 4 got their point, time wasted from the first half, survived and broke on occasion to threaten once or twice. As the home side they did not do enough to entertain their own fans for whom the highlight must have been the half time target game that their mascot scored in...the only goal we saw all night.
Ref 4 went through a period of seeing every incident the wrong way round, got better...but then he had to!

Thanks for the write-up, Wembley Gas. Much appreciated.

Mildenhall 6

Leadbitter 6
J. Clarke 5
Lockyer 8
Parkes 7
Brown 6

O. Clarke 5
Lines 8
Gosling 6

Taylor 5
Gaffney 5

Subs: Bodin 6
Harrison 6
Easter 7

Crowd 6
Ref 4
Stevenage 5