Rovers’ big panic has a silver lining
CARLOS CANHA will be off to Scotland soon enough, but the Madeiran maestro answered an SOS from his Covid-affected mates at Port Soif to help edge Rovers to an extra-time Rawlinson Cup triumph at the Track on Friday night.
Canha scored a brilliant second goal for the 3-2 winners, but the real heroes for Kevin Gillease’s men were goalkeeper Adam Bullock and two-goal striker Max Simpson-Cohen, who pipped the No. 1 to the man-of-the-match trophy.
Northerners, who twice levelled and were arguably the better side over the first 90 when time and again they were denied by Bullock, will feel a little hard done by.
But it was the combination of Bullock and two superb goals from Rovers that won the day and Gillease his first trophy in charge.
After the game the coach spoke of how he had been forced to call in Canha and Tyler McKane, to cover for Fin Whitmore, Louis Graham and Connor Bayes, who were all contact traced on the day and forced into isolation.
‘Connor had a test today and it came back negative, while the other two have tests tomorrow [Saturday],’ he said.
‘It was a bit of a mad panic today to sort out the team.’
Gillease was thankful also to Bullock who made three terrific first-half saves and another in the second half.
‘He played really well. I was really impressed. Since the end of last season his confidence has grown as a player.’
As for Simpson-Cohen, who has come back to the island after a spell in Jersey, it was his goal late into the second half of extra-time which settled matters.
‘He should have had two before, but that is typical “Simpo”. He is like that, gets into position and wastes a couple and then scores the harder one out of all the chances.’
Simpson consequently took home the Keith Parkin Memorial Trophy.
More in Monday's Guernsey Press.
