Bristol Rovers breezed into the Third Division play-off final by thrashing ten-man Fulham 4-0 on a night of bitter disappointment for most of the more than 10,000 fans who packed into Craven Cottage last night.
Trailing to Gary Penrice’s second half strike after the first leg at Twerton Park, Ray Lewington’s side were denied an equaliser by a brilliant display of goalkeeping from Nigel Martyn who kept Rovers in a tight contest for the first hour before Gerry Francis’ side brutally ended Fulham’s hopes of returning to Wembley for the first time in fourteen years by scoring four times in 24 second half minutes.
Francis, whose future is still up in the air after he refused to sign a new contract with the Gas, vowed that his side wouldn’t sit on their slender aggregate lead ahead of this tie and they were as good as their word. The highly-rated Martyn made a superb save to keep out Justin Skinner’s stinging volley before Devon White squandered a great chance to extend the visitors’ lead when he shot straight at Jim Stannard having been slipped in by Gary Penrice.
Stannard then showed his agility by tipping over a fierce 25-yarder from Andy Reece and the Fulham goalkeeper made sure his side went in level on the net when he denied the dangerous David Mehew, whose volley threatened to dip beneath the crossbar, just before half-time.
The hosts came out firing on all cylinders at the start of the second half. Clive Walker almost deceived Martyn with a deep cross that was headed out from underneath his own crossbar by Steve Yates before Ian Alexander cleared the veteran winger’s shot off the line with his goalkeeper beaten. But Rovers weathered the storm and delivered a devastating goal glut that snatched the tie from Fulham in stunning fashion.
Billy Clarke, making only his second first team appearance in six months, headed home the first goal of the net from Phil Purnell’s cross after Fulham had failed to properly clear a corner. That meant the Whites would have to score three times to rescue their disappearing dream – and, although Lewington sent on striker Andy Sayer for right back Ronnie Mauge, his side’s hopes were scuppered when Peter Scott, already cautioned for a first half foul on Penrice, was shown a second yellow card by Terry Holbrook for a foul on Ian Holloway.
Holloway wasted little time in making the most of his side’s numerical advantage with a delicate chip over the advancing Stannard after Fulham had been caught short of numbers in the middle of the park. Rovers now looked like they could score at will – and they added two more goals in the closing stages of the contest. Substitute Dennis Bailey drove in the third after being set up by precise passes from Mehew and Penrice before Reece converted another magical Mehew ball to make it 4-0 on the night.
Only a brave bit of goalkeeping from Stannard a minute later denied Mehew a deserved goal – but Fulham’s hopes of promotion had long since died.
FULHAM (4-4-2): Stannard; Mauge (Sayer 64), Rougvie, Eckhardt, Thomas; Marshall, Scott, Skinner (Wilson 73), Walker; Cole, Davies.
BOOKED: Scott, Rougvie.
SENT OFF: Scott.
BRISTOL ROVERS (4-4-2): Martyn; Alexander, Clark, Yates, Jones; Mehew, Holloway, Reece, Purnell, White (McClean 86), Penrice (Bailey 77).
BOOKED: Martyn.
GOALS: Clarke (63), Holloway (75), Bailey (83), Reece (87).
REFEREE: Terry Holbrook (Wolverhampton).
ATTENDANCE: 10,188.
