Gillease won't face ban for freak red card

But, prospects of Rovers entertaining St Martin’s at Port Soif tomorrow afternoon are looking ever-more remote as this depressingly watery grip on the season takes hold.

With KGV 3G being earmarked to cover Alderney’s latest trip down to play cock-a-hoop Rangers, it is unlikely the clash between first and third will go ahead.

Two Rovers players who be will particularly disappointed to be left kicking their heels are winger Martin Savident, who was in line for a recall after recovering from surgery, and centre-back Tobi Oloborode who is out of isolation and standing by to replace a 50-50 skipper Tom Strawbridge.

Rovers coach Kevin Gillease is keen to get the game on but is well aware that the chances of rescuing two home games on the trot – last week’s Manzur game was touch and go until the last minute – are fading.

‘Chris Lihou, our groundsman, had been down there two days beforehand to get the game on.’

And Gillease is thankful he did, as the three points secured against a dangerous Manzur side were so important after Saints had won the previous evening.

Rovers’ 4-0 win stemmed from a 10min. four-goal blitz that owed much to a high press and forcing mistakes.

Gillease paid tribute to his front men for forcing the mistakes.

‘We’ve have been working on our pressing and putting pressure on those teams who try to play out from the back.

‘Carlos [Canha], Fin [Whitmore], Sammy [Hall] and the likes of Blair [Howitt] and Grundy are really good at doing that.’

Gillease, meanwhile, has learned he will not suffer a touchline ban for his straight red-card dismissal against Sylvans recently which occurred late in the game at KGV when he handled the ball as Rovers pressed for a late winner.

‘It has gone through as a red but there will be no ban, so that’s good,’ said Gillease who insists he was merely collecting a bouncing ball that came his way.