Bristol Rovers vs Accrington Stanley. Sky Bet League One.
Memorial Stadium.
Bristol Rovers 4
- L Leahy (15th minute)
- A Rodman (46th minute)
- S Nicholson (67th minute)
- Z Westbrooke (68th minute)
Accrington Stanley 1
- P Smyth (77th minute)
Bristol Rovers 4-1 Accrington: Joey Barton's side ease relegation fears
Tuesday 9 March 2021 22:08, UK
Brilliant individual strikes from Alex Rodman and Sam Nicholson helped Bristol Rovers ease their League One relegation fears with a 4-1 home win over Accrington.
The hosts took a 15th-minute lead when Luke Leahy ran unchallenged onto a Zain Westbrooke pass and squeezed his shot past advancing goalkeeper Toby Savin.
Rodman struck in first-half stoppage time with a sublime left-footed strike from the right corner of the box that sent the ball arrowing into the opposite top corner of the net.
Nicholson made it 3-0 after 67 minutes with another sweet strike from just outside the box and seconds later Westbrooke netted the fourth with a close-range finish.
Paul Smythe fired a 77th-minute consolation for Stanley with a fierce shot from an impossible-looking angle, but the result was sweet revenge for Rovers, beaten 6-1 in the reverse fixture this season.
Both sides were denied by the woodwork twice, Jonah Ayunga and Rodman for Rovers and Smythe and substitute Adam Phillips for Stanley.
