NW FOOTBALL: Five star Roe Rovers make it nine victories in a row

With the adverse weather conditions, the game was subject to a late pitch inspection but was given the go-ahead with both side eager to participate.

The game began in predictable fashion given the circumstances, both teams struggling to get the ball down and get any sort of rhythm going.

Rovers did gain some dominance and after a spell of pressure and they took the lead when Jack McGonigle’s nicely flighted corner was headed home by Tony Clyde.

With torrential downpour, horrendous wind and the ball seeming determined to do it’s own thing, there was a feeling that anything at all could happen in this game. However, Rovers asserted their superiority and doubled their lead.

Conor Mullan played a brilliantly weighted pass down the line to Jack McGonigle who darted into the box and unselfishly squared the ball to Tony Clyde who had the simple task of slotting the ball home to claim his second of the game.

Douglas Bridge were still fighting well and when a Rovers tackle looped into the air, Douglas Bridge’s Tyler unleashed a fierce volley towards the roof of the goal but Cain Breslin did extremely well and acrobatically tipped the ball over.

The danger wasn’t over for Rovers because after the corner kick wasn’t quite dealt with, a melee ensued, leading to a fierce shot towards the bottom corner being cleared fantastically off the goal line by Rovers captain Matty Hamilton.

The weather conditions had calmed down after the break and some football was able to be played, but it was the visitors who continued to dominate and ended the game as contest early in the second half.

On 55 minutes Rovers all but sealed the three points when they netted again.

In a simple but very effective move, Jay Clyde found Chris Doyle who played a ball up the line to Darrel Mulgrew who calmly found Timmy Douglas unmarked in the box and he kept his composure well to finish into the keeper’s near post and with that, give Douglas Bridge a mountain to climb.

To their credit though, they continued to fight for every ball but they were reduced to ten men as their frustrations started to show.

On 70 minutes, the tricky Jack McGonigle won a free-kick just outside the area. Darrel Mulgrew drove it low into the box and although Tony Clyde was unable to get a firm foot it, Chris Doyle was on hand at the back post to bundle it home for 4-0.

A scrappy last 20 minutes seen both teams drop the tempo and Gary Faulkner made a cameo appearance and not long after, found himself with an opportunity from long range which he didn’t pass up.

But his 25 yard effort clipped the top of the crossbar and he was denied a goal.

However, he did make a telling contribution not long after when he found Conor Mullan in absolute acres of space inside the box who, after a few dummies, sent the ball into the near post to make it 5-0.

Not long before the final whistle, a Douglas Bridge ball was played over the top of the Rovers defence and despite their claims for offside, the referee waved play-on and their striker lobbed Breslin to pull one back, with practically the last kick of the game.