Rovers look rusty as new season looms

Pre-season preparations have begun and Haverhill Rovers look to still be burdened with many of the same shortcomings of the last campaign. The team has largely remained the same one that finished eighth in the Ridgeons Premier League in May - Owen Paynter has left for Mildenhall, though his (lack of a) contribution, albeit perhaps not played to his strengths, will not be missed - while Matt Morrison no longer stands between the sticks, while a few new faces have arrived in the shape of youngsters Joe Harrington, Jack Wilkinson and Ryan Geoghegan, though there are no long-established stars entering the fold, no speedy wide players or 20-goals-a-season strikers gracing New Croft.

However, last season's side was doing remarkably well throughout much of the campaign, punching above its weight with impressive results, and only really nose-dived in the latter months due to a succession of injuries. Neil Cogger was sorely missed, and will hopefully return soon, while Stuart Kingham's absence was perhaps even more keenly felt as not only did that remove the team's midfield shield, it often saw manager Peter Betts push then-captain Marcus Hunt into that role, partnering Stuart Wardley instead with Sam Holmes, disrupting the team. Some stages of the campaign saw a whole host of first XI players out injured, though it is these two positions where Rovers most lack cover.

If players can remain fit throughout the course of the campaign, then Rovers are likely to be in a position to improve on last season's finish, but that is unlikely. Player injuries are an unavoidable part of the game, and building a squad to cope with them is also a challenge, especially on a limited budget. Financially, however, the club is sound - they broke even (well, made a £22 profit) following their move to the New Croft, and in this era that is an achievement in itself for a football club. More people are getting involved due to the new facilities, with over 500 people at last Wednesday's (July 13) glamour game that saw Rovers crash to a 2-1 defeat against a youthful Ipswich Town side, further swelling the coffers. Furthermore, the financial heavyweights of the division, such as Leiston, are beginning to see their cash reap reward as they progress up the non-league pyramid, making in an increasingly level playing field for Rovers to compete on.

So now the players should be competing in a division with less financial firepower aiding their opponents, even if the likes of Wroxham, Mildenhall Town, Hadleigh and Dereham Town will likely enjoy secure backing, while Brantham Athletic, whose fine end to the season failed to make amends for their poor start, have maintained the services of league top scorer Ollie Mann. Rovers have struggled to attract and maintain top players, but some of Betts' additions have proved to be surprisingly effective and, mixed with the strong collection of local lads he has amassed, the team have become a force.

Dalton O'Brien, who was the team's top scorer last year and has gone some way to rectifying their lack of bite up front, clearly lacked sharpness when he took to the field against Ipswich. He was presented with several good chances, but failed to capitalise on any despite coming close. Callum Harrison was eager to make a menace of himself as Rovers crashed to a 2-0 defeat against Neeham Market on Tuesday (July 19), but he too failed to find the net. The Ryman North side had started slowly and failed to assert their superiority, a testament to Rovers' defence, but a man up in the latter stages they eased out the victory with two goals inside 50 seconds.

In the midfield, Joe Harvey - who I saw little of last season, and remembered most for his anonymous performance in the Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup final defeat to Mildenhall Town - seems to be coming back to the form Betts promised he is capable of, as confirmed with his strike against Ipswich, while Joe Boreham also put in an assured performance when he took to the field against Needham. Kingham showed his strength again as the back-four shield, evidenced by Needham not finding the net until after he had left the field.

Marc Abbott, however, has been disappointing so far, his misery compounded with the needless sending off against Needham after he clattered into the opposition. He did not appear to start the scuffle that followed, and both he and new-captain, brother Paul, proclaimed his innocence, but it was a red-card tackle, even if it seems pointless to issue such warnings in friendly games. Marc Abbott enjoyed a fine start to last season, though his form dipped towards the end, and if he can recapture and maintain that early form he will be as valuable an asset as any new signing. Cogger is the other midfield maestro who will be able to have a significant influence on the campaign if he can remain fit throughout. Elsewhere in the middle of the park, cameos were made by Louis Harper, Matt Clarke and Jamie Challis, and though all were reliable, none were stand out.

At the back, the team continues to look solid, but that is not where previous problems have been. Wardley continues to be strong, although he is losing pace and not getting younger, and he persists in being one of the team's quality players, evidenced through his penalty precision and passing accuracy, which sometimes make it seem a shame his main strength is at centre half and not in a more creative position on the pitch. He formed a fine partnership with Hunt, who will continue to play for the club despite no longer being captain, and the two were indomitable when together, having on of the best records in the league for maintaining clean sheets. It was only after their partnership was disrupted that Rovers' goal difference plummeted following thrashings like the 6-0 rout at Mildenhall Town. If that partnership can remain undisturbed throughout the season, then Rovers will continue to be strong at the back, especially with Kingham in front of them.

Completing the back four, Greg Strong was another player who enjoyed a fine season for Rovers since heading to New Croft from Saffron Walden last season. He has looked strong both in defence and going forward, leaving Betts with the dilemma of whether to play him at left-back or at left-wing following the arrival of Wilkinson, who also favours that position. Dan Pilcher is another defensive addition who would bolster the team further at the back.

On the opposite side of the pitch, new captain Paul Abbott is the stand-out choice for right back, and continue to excel in that role. However, despite the numerous times I have seen him foray forward, his scoring record is disappointingly close to zero. Obviously goals are not the most valuable commodity for a defender, but they are a welcome addition nonetheless. Ryan Geoghegan has looked promising since joining, and put in a strong shift at the back against Needham. Furthermore, he showed his versatility when Betts shifted him further up the field as the game wore on, and though did not excel in that role, proved reliable enough to earn himself a man-of-the-match performance. The mere fact that he was just one of four players to last the 90 minutes was an endorsement.

Following yesterday's (Thursday, July 21) 1-1 draw at Thetford Town, Rovers still have five pre-season games to warm up and shape up - at Halstead tomorrow (Saturday, July 23), at Leiston on Tuesday (July 26), at Herne Bay on August 7, and in between them they host Histon on Thursday (July 28) and Ware on August 2. They are certainly attracting some top names in their friendly fixtures - whether the best preparation is in playing better teams (and likely getting beaten) or in playing inferior teams (and likely winning, gaining confidence though perhaps under-estimating future opponents) remains to be seen, but for Rovers this will be put to the test when they travel to Ridgeons Premier new boys Gorleston on August 13. Hopefully by then, Betts will have added the few missing components to his side, have removed the rust from his squad and have them back to last season's winning ways.

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