Football Goal-shy Rovers suffer another 'hard-luck story' during terrible run

DARRELL Clarke bemoaned “another hard-luck story” as Bristol Rovers lost their eighth consecutive League Two match at home to Notts County to equal an unwanted club record.

- Will MURRAY [e-mail]

Matthew Dennis scored the only goal of the game in the 86th minute after the visitors had spent more than half the afternoon with 10 men following Tyrese Hall’s 35thminute red card.

The result leaves Rovers just one point above the relegation zone, following Harrogate Town's late equaliser against Barnet.

Speaking after the 1-0 defeat against the Magpies, Clarke said: “Yeah, listen, the game is about sticking the ball in the net. Better team, 11 v 11. Obviously, loads and loads and loads of territory, chances, don’t take them. So you've got to put the ball in the back of the net, so unfortunately, it’s another hard-luck story.”

He added: “Cheltenham scored with one shot on target, these have scored with one shot on target. So it's another hard-luck story. Gillingham as well, the game before that as well. One of the games before that. Unless we start being ruthless, where we need to be, it’s going to be a long old season, you know, because we can lead it to water, we can do the build, we can change formation, I can switch

things around, but at the end of the day, the game is about putting the ball in the net, and we aren’t doing that.