Bristol Rovers 2-0 Portimonense S.C.
Pre-season Fixture, Estádio Municipal Bela Vista, Saturday 27 July 2024
Bristol Rovers ended a week-long pre-season stay in Portugal with an impressive 2-0 victory over Liga Portugal 2 side Portimonense S.C.
Promise Omochere’s first goal since joining the Pirates was the difference in the first half, with the No9 tucking in from Bryant Bilongo’s well-placed pass across the six-yard box.
A hard-fought match with limited clear-cut chances, goalkeeper Josh Griffiths had to be at his best to deny the Portuguese side in both halves with low saves.
Victory was wrapped up in the final minute of normal time as substitute Luke Thomas stepped up to the penalty spot, delightfully dinking in from 12 yards for the win.
Played in the blistering heat at the end of an intense week of warm-weather training, Rovers’ first effort on target came 16 minutes in when Isaac Hutchinson tested the Portimonense goalkeeper with a powerful effort from the edge of the penalty area.
Four minutes later, the Portuguese side came close to opening the scoring themselves with a swift counter-attacker. Only an excellent, outstretched save by loanee Griffiths from the narrowed angle could deny the one-on-one effort.
Chances were admittedly at a premium in the first-half, but the Gas took the advantage three minutes before the interval.
Excellent work down the left for Rovers led to Bilongo getting into a dangerous area. Having impressed throughout pre-season so far, the full-back did a great job of setting the ball for attacker Omochere, who had the simplest of tap-ins for his maiden goal for Rovers.
Three changes were introduced at the interval for Rovers, with Luke Thomas, Taylor Moore and Jamie Lindsay entering the fray in place of Connor Taylor, Grant Ward and goalscorer Omochere.
As with the first half, the second saw chances for both sides limited although Portimonense offered a greater threat in the final third. Goalkeeper Griffiths had to be quick to react on 71 minutes, getting down low to deny an equaliser from creeping in at the near post.
Luke McCormick and Jack Hunt were introduced not long after and the former could have doubled Rovers’ lead just moments after coming on, only for his powerful first-time effort to go over the cross-bar from 12 yards.
But a second would be scored in the final minute as Rovers were awarded a penalty. Up stepped Thomas, who confidently chipped in from the spot for the win.
Bristol Rovers: Griffiths, Senior (Hunt 72), Wilson © (Connolly 86), Taylor (Moore 46), Mola (Lawrence 86), Bilongo (Forbes 86), Conteh (Shaw 86), Ward (Lindsay 46), Hutchinson (McCormick 72) , Sinclair (Brown 86), Omochere (Thomas 46)
Goals: Omochere 42, Thomas 90 (p)
