Deja Shrew

WITH seconds remaining and my beloved Gas hanging on to a slender lead, Shrewsbury made a last-ditch attempt to save the game.
Having won a corner, their goalkeeper sprinted 80 yards up the pitch to try and add weight to their attack.
And, exhausted from his exertions, promptly fell over.
A Rovers player ran away with the ball and reached the halfway line with only one defender having any chance of getting back to cover for his prostrate keeper.
Wembley 2007? Our dramatic 3-1 play-off success against the Shrews that took us into League 1?
Not a bit of it.
This was Bristol Rovers v Shrewsbury 2011. History repeating itself.
Unfortunately the player in possession wasn't the scurrying Sammy Igoe but young Elliot Richards, who had received a nasty knock on the head in a collision with the giant Shrewsbury defender Jermaine Grandison moments earlier.
And rather than roll the ball 50 yards into the empty net he tried to pass, managing to find the only opposition player in the same postcode as him.
Perhaps he was still seeing double.
The whistle blew and Rovers had hung on for a 1-0 win against a team who were sitting pretty in the automatic promotion places after the first seven games of the season.
It wasn't particularly pretty, but after a run of five league and cup games without a win it came as manna from heaven for the 5,000 Gasheads who turned up at the Mem.
And, to be fair, there does seem to be a spirit about this Rovers team that was sadly lacking in our relegation fight the year before.
Though we were beaten hands down if the possession stats are to be believed, they only tell half the story.
Despite putting out a side which seemed rather limited in options, particularly on the wings with Mustapha Carayol and Joe Anyinsah both left on the bench, Paul Buckle's side managed to create a series of good chances which, on another day, might have resulted in a more comfortable win.
As it was they settled for a screaming volley from Chris Zebroski to seal the points.
And though they played some nice one-touch passing football Shrewsbury rarely managed to penetrate a backline in which on-loan centre back Cian Bolger and defender Danny Woodards were outstanding.
On the one occasion, four minutes into injury time, that Shrewsbury conjured up a real shot of note, a tremendous 25-yard effort from Lionel Ainsworth was brilliantly tipped around the post by keeper Scott Bevan.
Cue the chaos that came from the resulting corner.
A good game and a good three points.
Now for Aldershot on Saturday...