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Match Report: Yeovil Town 2 Bristol Rovers 0 (allegedly)

League One club Yeovil Town swept to an expected comfortable win against their non-league neighbours in a friendly last night, which left both managers praising their clubs management for getting the fixture arranged.

A goal in each half from striker Ajay Leitch-Smith sealed the win for the Somerset side who used last night’s occasion to ease into their more serious upcoming pre-season programme.  Leitch-Smith said afterwards “It’s always great to score a goal whoever you’re playing. The fact it’s a local non-league side doesn’t make a difference to me, it will just give me more confidence when we start facing better opposition".

Chirpy Glovers boss Gary Johnson was pleased with his side’s performance, stating “Whoever you play you’ve still got to go out and perform and win. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Manchester Untied or a local smaller outfit like Bristol Rovers, you’ve still got to turn up and we did that tonight”. 

Ex-Bristol City boss Johnson - who is looking forward to a return to Ashton Gate this season when Yeovil play their league match at Bristol’s only league team - also added some words of encouragement for Rovers’ plucky youngsters “They did a good job considering the gulf in class. There’s probably one or two there who could rise up a few divisions and be at our standard in years to come so good luck to them.  For now though, it was just a great chance for them to play at a league club, with the ground and facilities we have and in front of a big crowd for a friendly”.  

Johnson added “They’ll take that experience with them on their Tuesday night trips to Eastleigh and Alfreton and remember what playing on a big stage feels like. It should give them extra appetite”

Meanwhile Rovers manager Darrell Clarke pronounced himself satisfied with the performance. “I was pleased. We’re coming along nicely and to put up such a good show against a big club like Yeovil, in their fantastic stadium is a great milestone. They were in the Championship only last year and have the budget and players in their squad we can only dream of having, so we’ve done well”

Clarke added “It was great of Yeovil to offer us this fixture. They should be an inspiration to us the way they’ve risen through from the non-league pyramid into the football league and that’s got to be our aim in the next five to ten years too. Games like this will just bring us along that path nicely”

Meanwhile Rovers defender Michael Smith is set to be the latest in a long line of non-league superstars to join League One Peterborough. ‘Posh’ owner Darragh MacAnthony said “We’ve got a strategic plan to identify the best talent from the non-league world as there can be some quality players down there despite their lowly status. It’s great to be able to offer these guys their chance to prove themselves at a much higher level. Plus they often come cheaper than they would if they were at a proper League club as the clubs are too small to have much negotiating power”


The Exiled Robin

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(Please note the quotes featured above are not real 
and were created for the purpose of this spoof report)
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