Roy of the Rovers Return to Glory?

Part 8

Melchester Rovers ensured their Premier League status with victory over
Carford City, effectively relegating Deans Park.
Drew Powell's stabbed finish and a neat Jake Cheetham volley secured the win for Rovers,
who have won five games in a row to stay up. Jamie Marshall missed from six yards but
Melchester could not add to a lead the home-side rarely threatened to narrow.
But despite losing, Carford are three points clear of 5th placed Everpool with a vastly
superior goal difference. The Rovers win means that at the bottom Deans Park must beat
Eastgate on the final day, hope Redpool lose against Oldfield, and manage a 17-goal swing
in the process if they are to avoid slipping into the Championship for the first time since
2011.
Defeat against Carford would have left Rovers just two points above Deans Park, but a fifth
consecutive top-flight win for the first time in 15 years means they can now finish as high as
12th. Such a finish looked unlikely when they were beaten 1-0 by Oldfield at Mel Park six
weeks ago, prompting manager Roy Race to say his side needed a "miracle" to stay in the
Premier League. That defeat left the Kings side seven points from safety, but 16 points from
a possible 18 - including wins against Kelburn and Everpool - have led to a stunning escape.
Race was jubilant on the final whistle after completing an achievement he said would be
the "greatest of his career" ahead of kick-off. His side started with purpose and vigour but
dangerous crosses into the box yielded no reward before Lucas Cleary's left footed delivery
saw Powell prod in the opener. The 23-year-old, who has just penned a lucrative new
contract, guided his ninth goal of the season right footed past Tobias Olsen, prompting an

early celebration from Race on the touchline.

Cheetham, Rovers in-form captain, was busy and had forced an earlier tipped save from
Olsen before he beat the ex-Rovers keeper with a hooked effort on the half hour mark. The
number nine has had more shots at goal than any Melchester player this season and his
enthusiasm was rewarded when he volleyed home Powell's delightfully flicked through ball.
Rovers' control of the first half laid the foundations for a win which leaves Blackport as the
worst home side in the season's Premier League, while Carford played with the intensity of a
team who do not expect Everpool to produce a miracle of their own on Sunday and steal the
final Champions League spot.
Aside from a curling Darrell Shipp effort which forced Nathan Daniels into a diving save,
City's threat was timid. Early second-half improvement saw Shipp and Fahad Mustapha fire
efforts wide, before Jamie Marshall - on the field for less than five minutes - turned a glorious
chance wide from six yards for the away side. Full-back Miguel Piedra drilled wide after a
flowing Melchester attack, but the miss proved meaningless as Rovers repeated similar
relegations escapes to 1989 and 1994.

Roy Race: Rovers boss believes in miracles after survival

Melchester Rovers manager Roy Race says he "will start believing in
miracles" after his side's "incredible" escape from Premier League
relegation.
Rovers beat Carford City 2-0 to secure top-flight status less than a month after Race said "it
would be a miracle" to survive. "It's been difficult," said Race, whose side have won five in a
row. "I don't know if you will see something similar ever. It's one of the best days of my life."
Race said Melchester needed a miracle after their 1-0 defeat by Oldfield on 16 April, a result

followed by a F.A. Cup Semi-Final victory on penalties over Portdean. Since then, his side
have beaten leaders Kelburn, won at Mel Park against Everpool and Tynecaster United,
seen off relegation rivals Blackport and finally a fifth straight win at Carford City on Saturday.
The run - the "best five weeks" Race says he can remember - ensures Roy Races men can
fully focus on a first F.A Cup Final since 1999. "For moments, it looked like we were going
down," added Race, who will still be relieved of his duties after the Final. "It's football, it's
miracles, it's something unique. The connection between the players on the pitch in the last
few games and with the fans means there is only one result: winning football games."
Race took charge of Melchester in the first week of March after the sacking of Derek Mostin,
becoming the club's sixth manager in less than five years and inheriting a side second to
bottom of the table.
Form improved under the Rovers legend but, after a the derby defeat to Melboro in Races
first match in charge, a five-game winless run left Melchester seven points from safety with
just six games to play.
Race admitted: "Can I go another year like these three months? No. I'm still going strong,
but I don't want to keel over. The board have made my future crystal clear anyway; Johan
Seegrun will be appointed after the round of European Championship Qualifiers at the
beginning of June. But still, we don't want to go down next season, so we need to make sure
that we don't make the same mistakes that we have been making for the last three or four
years."
***
Richie Lyons sprayed Champagne over the head of young Jamie Marshall, as
cheers filled the visiting dressing room at Carford City Stadium. Rovers had
avoided relegation after a remarkable run of five Premier League victories in a
row. But one man was not entirely happy, Roy Race stormed in, What are you
celebrating? Weve survived, yes, but youve won nothing! Put that away Lyons!
The legendary footballer did not believe that ensuring survival with one game to
go was worthy of a Formula 1 style podium endorsement. One league game to
go against North Vale, Ill be picking the team that I want to play in the Cup Final.
Resting players now will achieve nothing but upset the great form were in. Any
player who does not put in 100% will not play at Wembley. We want to win the
Cup and to do that we have to keep this momentum!
Jake Cheetham, stood alongside his manager to show his agreement, he spoke
confidently, Walford have been safe in mid-table for weeks. Theyve been
playing for nothing for so long; theyve no form, no consistency and just one
match to find them!
Richie Lyons was not paying attention; Jamie Marshall had taken his place for the
great run after a hamstring injury had ruled the forward out of the starting lineup for the Semi-Final against Portdean and he had not had much of a look in
since. He took a long swig from the bottle of Champagne that he still held
despite Races demands. The boss was not amused, Lyons! I dont know why
you cant take things more seriously! You could easily start next week and at
Wembley, but youre not helping yourself! Get a grip, son!
The muddled selections of Derek Mostin had really knocked Lyons confidence.
He was a top player, tipped to achieve great things by Roy Race himself. Within
days of his appointment as director of development in July 2013 Race had
identified Lyons as the pick of the development squad and promptly suggested to

Vernon Eliot that he be promoted to the senior squad permanently. But Lyons had
not taken well to the first series of setbacks he had to face in his career. Like
Cheetham he had missed out on selection for Englands World Cup squad. His
public courting of the famous Rovers number nine jersey had caused controversy
and the media portrayed him as arrogant and flashy, the opposite of Roy Race,
the man he hoped to emulate.
Roy left his players to get changed and headed to the executive bar, Geoff Giles
followed him. Roy was a big believer that the dressing room belonged to the
players, one of the difficulties he had faced throughout his time as playermanager was balancing the role of team-mate with boss. As players became
more precious it became impossible. That was why player-managers are so rare
in contemporary football, overpaid prima donna footballers seemed unable to
have relationships on multiple levels. That was what Roy believed and he would
be amazed if a Premier League team ever appointed a player-manager again.
But for now the important issue was the Cup Final team. As he had stated to the
players, Roy intended to pick the same eleven for the final league match at
home to North Vale as for the big day at Wembley. Apart from Steve Daley, who
was still injured, he had a full squad to choose from. The only difficult decision
would be whether to pick Richie Lyons, who seemed distant and disinterested, or
go with the youthful energy of Jamie Marshall. On paper and by reputation it was
a no-brainer, Lyons had to play, he could score goals from nothing, create and
defend from the front and was fresh having just returned from a minor injury. But
when Lyons was poor he offered next to nothing and disrupted the entire side, a
top side cannot compete carrying even one underperformer. Marshall on the
other hand had played a crucial role in Rovers successful bid for survival, but he
had not scored. Roy confided in Giles, As it stands Im stuck! Really cant make
up my mind! Geoff paused for thought, There is the other option; Nick Batty,
move Cheetham or McKaffree up top. That could help counter Walfords midfield
creativity. It was an idea Roy did not want to consider, Walford should be
worried about an in-form Melchester Rovers and the midfield thrust from
Cheetham and Powell. No Geoff, as you said its an option, but we cant break
up Jake and Drew, theyve just taken off as a partnership. Its between Lyons and
Marshall. Lyons is by far the better player, but is that enough? Roy and Geoff
thought back through the winning streak Rovers were on, What is it that
Marshall is offering? Why are we winning with him in the side and not when Lyons
was in? Roy spoke his questions aloud and answered himself, Is it work-rate, is
that it? There must be more to it that just running around!
It was in situations like this that Roy wished he had a technical data analyst, like
Gerry Holloway on hand to provide some statistical insight. To the eye Lyons did
work hard, but Roy believed that without the ball, he chased in the wrong areas
and at the wrong time. Jamie Marshall was a natural wide forward, not a winger
but not a centre forward, he had mainly played as a winger in age-group football
and it was this energy and natural sense of when to press that was his main
asset when played as a striker. Thats it! Roy exclaimed, Marshall follows the
ball, like a winger would do, even when hes central he uses his pace and
stamina to put pressure on any team that plays the ball across the backline or
into the defensive midfielder! Richie Lyons runs into space to try and intercept,
he wants possession, hes greedy! But Marshall he is working for the team, I
dont think he does it deliberately, but its been working. His pressing allows
Cheetham and Powell to stick close to their opposites and stifle any play through
the middle. Weve been forcing teams to play wide and theres a real lack of
quality wide players in the Premier League!

Geoff was relieved that Roy had worked out the mystery, he had not spotted it,
despite being one of Englands best ever midfielders, So its Marshall then for
Wembley? Roy shook his head, No, chum! Its Lyons, Walford play very narrow,
Marshall would be ineffective! Richie Lyons will start!
So its: Daniels; Piedra, Carruthers, Burgess, Cleary; McKaffree, Cheetham ,
Powell, Jacobs; Lyons and Dickson! I like it, Im confident that that team will bring
home the Cup. But first up itll be the Welshmen!
***

NEXT Up for the Cup? Rovers at Wembley!

Storky Knight