Bristol Rovers 1-2 Mansfield Town
Sky Bet League One, The Memorial Stadium, Saturday 29 March 2025
Bristol Rovers fell to a frustrating 2-1 home Sky Bet League One defeat to Mansfield Town.
Two errors defensively were the catalyst for a difficult afternoon at The Memorial Stadium with the visitors taking the lead inside the first minute through Caylan Vickers, while substitute Dom Dwyer slotted home into an empty net following a wayward pass on the hour mark.
The returning Romaine Sawyers had levelled the contest before half-time with a lovely, whipped finish, but a challenging contest ended in a loss for the Gas.
Amidst changing spring conditions in BS7, Rovers got off to the worst possible start in Saturday’s outing as an early error allowed Mansfield in on goal inside the first minute, with Vickers slotting in from close range after just 45 seconds.
It could have been worse after ten minutes too as Will Evans ran through on the Gas goal, going down in the box under pressure from Jed Ward. Thankfully, the linesman’s flag had been raised, ruling the forward offside.
The nerves were high among home supporters but Kofi Shaw’s snapshot from distance on 17 minutes drew a deserving applause, with the Academy graduate’s effort forcing a high save by Christy Pym and giving the Pirates hope.
From the resulting corner, even more cause for optimism, as Shaq Forde’s set-piece was headed against the woodwork by centre-back Wilson.
An equaliser felt forthcoming, and so it proved to be on 26 minutes. Sawyers, making his first league start for Rovers since the away clash with Wigan Athletic in January, received the ball outside the area and turned into a shot, finding the bottom corner with a well-placed effort.
Level at the interval and all to play for in the second half.
A bright start to the second half saw Forde whip in a powerful, low cross, before goalscorer Sawyers went close to a second with a lashed half-volley which Pym had to show quick reactions to save.
At the other end, Ward was in the right place to deny Mansfield substitute Dwyers from a close-range header. However, optimism turned to frustration just moments later as another error at the back - this time a mistimed pass - allowed Mansfield in again. Dwyer was on hand to turn the ball into the empty net.
Iñigo Calderón reacted with a quartet of substitutes and playmaker Hutchinson went instantly close; his volleyed strike scrambled off the line by Pym, while Scott Sinclair then turned his own volley narrowly wide.
But the Gas could not find the elusive equaliser, suffering a third consecutive league defeat.
Bristol Rovers: J. Ward, Senior (Hunt 70), Wilson ©, G. Ward (Hutchinson 71), Sotiriou, Sawyers (Butcher 70), Taylor, O’Donkor (Dewsbury 86), Swinkels, Forde (Sinclair 71), Shaw
Subs not used: Hall (GK), Moore
Goals: Sawyers 26,
Mansfield Town: Pym, McLaughlin, Hewitt (Bowery 72), Cargill, Akins, Evans (Flint 83), Baccus, Oshilaja, Reed © (Kilgour 82), Vickers (Dwyer 46), Boateng (Lewis 32)
Subs not used: Flinders (GK), Rhodes
Goals: Vickers 1, Dwyer 60,
Booked: Oshilaja, Boateng, Reed
Referee: Scott Tallis
Attendance: 9,067 (including 868 away)
