Rovers impress at Man City as Bennett makes injury return

Billy Barr’s side dominated from start to finish, even playing the final 10 minutes with a man short, with plenty of encouragement for the Rovers boss whose side have taken 14 points from a possible 18 away from home this season.

They looked well set to move top of the league when they led at the break courtesy of a Sam Burns goal. They had countless chances to extend that lead until a slip from Louie Annesley allowed Ben Knight to equalise midway through the second half.

The hosts were averaging almost three goals a game going into this one, but rarely threatened, even when Annesley was sent off for bringing down Knight.

Indeed, it was Rovers, even with 10 men, who had the better of the chances to win it, the draw leaving them fourth in the standings, but just a point off the top.

Elliott Bennett made his first outing in three months following an ankle ligament injury, and will have welcomed the minutes after just one substitute outing to his name all season.

Bennett, operating in the deepest of a three-man midfield, captained the side and had an impact right from the off. His header from a Ben Paton set piece was turned wide by James Trafford, although the linesman’s flag was raised as he met it.

He then had a shot straight at Trafford when his overlapping run was found by Tyrhys Dolan before starting the move that led to Rovers taking the lead in the 18th minute.

His cross-field pass to Dan Pike saw the full back break forward into the box and he picked the right time to slide in Dolan who in turn cut the ball back for Burns to slot home from inside the six-yard box.

Jack Vale was making his comeback from injury and showed good hold-up play when leading the line. The Wales youth international will need to add more goals to his game, but did go close with 20 minutes on the watch, side-footing a shot just wide from the edge of the area after another enterprising Dolan break.

The winger needed to be more secure in possession, with several good breaks lacking end product, but the teenager was certainly a good outlet for Rovers on their right.

It was from the opposite flank that Rovers almost found a fortuitious second goal, full back Lewis Thompson’s cross coming back off the crossbar with Trafford backpeddling.

Cole Palmer was always going to be City’s main threat, the attacker having already made his first-team debut, and he was at the heart of their best work in the first half.

First he slid the ball into Ben Knight whose cross deflected off Sam Barnes, with Jordan Eastham managing to keep out what would have been an own goal, with Callum Doyle firing over from the rebound.

Palmer then took matters into his own hands, cutting in from the right onto his favoured right foot, and managing to get a shot away despite several bodies trying to stop him, though his shot lacked power as Eastham saved comfortably.

Rovers were much the better of the two sides as they went into the break however, the only concern being the yellow cards shown to Thompson and Vale.

Bennett saw his night’s work end after 45 minutes, with Joe Nolan on in his place at the break.

Rovers threatened a second inside the opening minute of the second period, Ben Paton finding himself inside the box, a snap-shot from a tight angle denied by the feet of Trafford.

City were struggling for a foothold, particularly as an attacking force, though substitute Alex Robertson did look to add some impetus, curling a shot onto the roof of the net from the edge of the box in the 57th minute.

But Rovers had a big chance to double their lead, Dolan doing the hard work when played in by Vale, only to shoot straight at Trafford who saved with his legs as the winger got free of the last defender.

So prolific had City been in the first half of the season the feeling was that they would have a period of sustained pressure.

Yet still it was Rovers going closest, Vale rounding Trafford before seeing his goalbound shot blocked by the covering defender, while the ‘keeper redeemed himself by tipping round a well-hit Dolan shot from distance.

City did level midway through the second half, but it was one avoidable from a Rovers point of view. Louie Annesley’s miscontrol from a throw-in allowed James McAtee a clean run on goal, and while Eastham was equal to his shot, two City players were queuing up to tap in the rebound, Ben Knight first to it to level things up.

The better of the play was still coming from Rovers however, Ben Paton a whisker away from restoring the lead with his shot from 12 yards clipping the post after being found by Dolan who sprinted on to a fine Joe Nolan pass.

Dolan went himself moments later, skipping between two men before drawing another Trafford save, again with his legs.

It was all Rovers, though Annesley was having a night to forget in defence. Another poor touch allowed Knight to race through on goal. The Rovers defender clipped his heels and although Knight was afforded the chance to see a shot saved by Eastham, the referee brought it back for the initial foul and showed Annesley a red card.

Not even a man disadvantage perturbed Rovers as Vale side-footed a shot wide within moments of Annesley’s dismissal and they finished the more likely to win it in the closing stages.

Rovers: Eastham, Pike, Barnes, Annesley, Thompson, Bennett (Nolan, 46), Whitehall, Paton, Dolan, Burns, Vale

Subs: Stergiakis, Durrant, McBride, Brennan