The Seagulls had their own chances, but Jamie Lindsay gave the home team the lead late in the first half by heading in a cross from Isaac Hutchinson. Midway through the second half, Jordan Bastin’s calm finish past Josh Griffiths sent the 1,800+ travelling fans into a frenzy, bringing them equal.
Given Rovers’ League One fitness levels, it was always going to work out better for them (more on that later), but Weston fought hard and deserves a tonne of praise for their performance as a whole.
After the game ended with a score of 1-1 (more on this later), boos and shouts directed at Matt Taylor reappeared, reflecting the sentiment that a non-league team should be sent to extra time at home. But in the end, they crossed the finish line, and that’s what matters most in cup contests, as corny as it sounds.
Some talking points are more obvious than others, but there is much to analyse, both positively and negatively. After Rovers advanced to the FA Cup’s next round, these are the key points.
Connor Taylor and Isaac Hutchinson round a bend
Having been with the football team for a longer time, we are more familiar with the latter’s abilities, but Hutchinson in particular appears to have improved in blue-and-white quarters.
The 24-year-old, who was positioned on the left, was Rovers’ most important player in the closing third and appeared to be a part of every offensive surge, whether it was making deliveries, making a forward ball, or even scoring an own goal.
The attacking midfielder was chosen man of the match on Saturday as well after being the Gas’ best player against Exeter City on Tuesday. Despite his unfortunate failure to score, Hutchinson did provide an assist for Lindsay’s opening goal. Following a challenging start to his Rovers career, it appears that we are beginning to see the man we anticipated, who contributed 27 goals for Walsall last season.
It’s no secret that Taylor, the centre-back, has had a few lacklustre games this season and has been responsible for errors that have resulted in goals. But after playing brilliantly in his previous two games against Exeter and Reading, he had his greatest game of the year. His blunder that gave the Grecians their second goal was the main problem with the more recent performance.
Remember that he is only 23 years old, so he still has a lot of growth ahead of him, but he appears to have turned around, and the two goals in two games will undoubtedly help.
Gas advantages from abandoning 150 years of convention.
Rovers would now face the possibility of a midweek journey to Weston-super-Mare in an FA Cup replay, something that only Seagulls supporters would have been happy about if the majority of 150 years of precedent had been upheld. The League One team ultimately benefited from the decision to forgo replays and push level ties directly to extra time.
Having made five replacements starting in the 65th minute, this was always going to be the Gas’ moment to show off their third-tier skills after a rather close match in regular time. There would have been major problems if they hadn’t.
Once more, Weston put up a great fight, but Rovers had the stamina to take the lead early in extra time and control the rest of the match. Although there were other opportunities to score the third goal earlier, Grant Ward’s spectacular strike with what was essentially the final kick of the match to seal the victory was undoubtedly helpful.
Regarding the overall consensus on whether or not replays should be eliminated, it will mostly depend on personal opinion. However, in games like Saturday’s, only one party will be satisfied with the decision, and that is the league side.
Breaking the neutral cup tie
There are times when you just need to take a step back, relax, and realise that this tournament is the best of its kind because of these kinds of games.
Naturally, Rovers were the clear favourites going into the match because they were 55 spots higher in the pyramid than the other team, but more background must be discussed. Being at the top of their division and undefeated in 16 games going into the match, Weston was always going to be confident of pulling off an upset.
Their style of play is admirable, and it clearly shocked the Gas, who were playing poorly for extended stretches of the match.
The figures show that this was a great match for the neutral, even though we can understand that statistics aren’t for everyone.There were 22 corners overall (12 for Rovers and 10 for Weston), and there were eight and seven shots on goal, respectively, out of 25 shots to 15. With the hosts holding a slim 52 percent advantage, the possession total was also quite close.
For extended periods, it was impossible to predict who would score the next goal because both teams gave it their all, which is a testament to Weston. There were moments when it felt like actual basketball.
Many fans might not be able to see that and recognise how good the game was for entertainment purposes only, rather than quality, given the present state of the Gas’ season and the strain on Taylor. But maybe someone will observe that it was the FA Cup at its finest.
Additionally, Rovers made more improvement this weekend than some of their League One rivals could claim. Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town, Rotherham United, and Shrewsbury Town were all defeated by lower-tier opponents, while Northampton Town suffered a massive upset at the hands of Northamptonshire rivals Kettering Town.
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