Bristol Rovers

Attendance: 6,916 (170)

Bristol Rovers left it late to secure all three points with a 2-1 win against York City at the Memorial Stadium.

Matty Taylor's 14th goal of the season secured all three points for Rovers after Jermaine Easter leveled Vadaine Oliver's first half opener.

Darrell Clarke made two changes to the side that won the last time out at Wycombe Wanderers as Paris Cowan-Hall and Billy Bodin came into the starting line-up at the expense of Daniel Leadbitter and Ollie Clarke who dropped to the substitutes bench as the side reverted back to a 4-4-2 formation.

The game started slowly with both sides trying to feel each other out with neither side really testing the opposition keeper.

It took 20 minutes for the first two efforts of the game as Lee Mansell tried his luck from range twice but both efforts were deflected behind for corners that York dealt with well.

Moments later James Clarke took the ball well on his chest before powering down the Rovers right hand side before whipping a ball into the penalty area which luckily fell at the feet of Billy Bodin. Bodin twisted and turned trying to get a shot off before his eventual effort was blocked well by the Minsterman defence.

York didn't register a shot on target in the opening 30 minutes with their best attempt being Vadaine Oliver's wild effort which went well wide of Lee Nicholls goal.

Rovers continued to press for an opening goal as Matty Taylor was played through on goal. The Rovers top goal scorer advanced towards Scott Flinders before a last gasp challenge from David Winfield blocked his shot.

For all their pressure, Rovers found themselves a goal behind just before half time as slack defending from a York throw allowed James Berrett space to whip a ball to the far post where Vadaine Oliver fired home from inside the six-yard area.

Darrell Clarke's side came out all guns blazing in the second period as within the opening 60 seconds of the half Tom Parkes twice had efforts cleared off the York goal line.

However the scoreline didn't change in the opening 10 minutes of the second half which prompted Darrell Clarke to make a double substitution replacing James Clarke and Paris Cowan-Hall with Daniel Leadbitter and Jake Gosling.

Jake Gosling had an immediate impact as Matty Taylor took the ball well before playing in the Gibraltar International who fired a shot low which Flinders parried into the path of Lee Brown but the Minsterman shot stopped popped back up quickly to keep out Brown's driven shot.

With 20 minutes remaining Darrell Clarke made his final substitution as Jermaine Easter came on to replace Billy Bodin and he had an instant impact reacting quickest to a poor save from Scott Flinders to nod the ball over the York man to draw the game level.

Rovers pushed for what seemed to be the winner but failed to actually trouble Scott Flinders again as efforts from Jermaine Easter and Lee Brown missed the target.

However, with the game seemingly destined to be a draw, who else but Matty Taylor popped up in the penalty area to poke the ball past Scott Flinders deep into injury time to give Rovers a scrappy 2-1 win and all three points.

Up next for Rovers is back to back away trips as next weekend we travel to Dagenham & Redbridge before traveling to AFC Wimbledon on Boxing Day.

Rovers: Nicholls; J. Clarke (Leadbitter - 55), Lockyer, Parkes, Brown; Cowan-Hall (Gosling - 55), Mansell (C), Sinclair, Bodin (Easter - 70); Taylor, Gaffney.

Unused Substitutes: Mildenhall (GK), McChrystal, O. Clarke, Harrison.

York: Flinders; Ilesanmi, Berrett, Summerfield (Godfrey - 88), Oliver, Penn (C), Winfield, Boyle, Fewster (Galbraith - 68), McEvoy (Straker - 56), O'Connor.

Unused Substitutes: Ingham (GK), Carson, Swan, Kitching.