MATCH REPORT: Chippenham Town 1-2 Bristol Rovers | Club Friendly Match | Friday 4th July 2025

Harry Minton describes the Friday Night action!

The Bluebirds hosted their first home game in their pre-season calendar on Friday night in front of a bumper crowd of 1,465 people. The visitors were newly relegated to League Two side, Bristol Rovers.

As you expect when a local side comes to the Thornbury Surfacing Stadium, both sets of supporters were very much up for this one. And it was also a lively start to the game with Chippenham having two opportunities early on. The first chance was created by the trialist wearing number twenty, who played a perfect through ball into Ezio Touray. The new summer signing dragged his shot just wide of Jed Ward’s right hand-post. 

The number twenty was involved once again in positive play for Gary Horgan’s side, linking up with Tom Mehew and Harry Parsons. It was the latter who raced into the box before firing a powerful effort towards goal, Ward stood firm in the Rovers net however. 

The first chance for the away side came when Shaqai Forde made a pass in towards Ruel Sotiriou. The Cypriot international was weaving his way past a couple boys in blue into the box before making a shot on target which was well held by Will Henry. 

The number ten for the Gas though would soon find the back of the net. Promise Omochere proved too much of a physical presence for Canice Carroll on the right. The number nine showed great vision to find an unmarked Sotiriou in the box, who had an easy tap-in into the back of the net to make it first blood to Bristol Rovers at the Sheldon End. 

The hosts were not going to let that goal make their heads drop however, as they still produced a lot of chances throughout the rest of the first half. The trialist from earlier in the game was continuing to create problems for the Pirates. After receiving the ball from a great pass over the top from Luke Haines, he then did well to knock the ball past former Bluebird Jack Sparkes. His shot from a difficult angle on the right was just over the bar.

Just before the half time whistle, the Bluebirds got what they deserved so far out of this game. Parsons and Touray already forming a great partnership up top, it was Chippenham’s number nine with a great ball over the top of the Rovers backline. Touray caused too much of a problem for Ward as he made a huge mistake which led Touray to shoot at an open net. The Chippenham faithful at the TSS were on their feet as they had just seen their side score an equaliser against EFL opposition on the stroke of half time.

In the second half, both teams made a lot of changes and there weren’t as many chances as there were in the first forty-five minutes. With Darrell Clarke’s side having the experience of being an EFL side though, they only needed one opportunity to regain the lead. The Gas did just that around mid way through the second interval, a corner played into the box that met the head of Micah Anthony. Young Bluebird keeper Josh Sawyer could not keep it out as Rovers now led by two goals to one. 

Rovers could have even added a third goal towards the end of the match, though Sawyer made a good save to deny seventeen-year old Ollie Dewsbury. 

Another pre-season defeat for the Bluebirds, though they can certainly hold their heads high for going toe to toe with much higher opposition. Especially during the second half when they changed their entire team.

FULL TIME: Chippenham Town 1-2 Bristol Rovers

Chippenham, first 60 minutes Will Henry, Trialist, Ethan Vaughan, Canice Carroll, Luke Haines (C), Reece Fleet, Tom Mehew, Trialist, Olaf Koszela, Ezio Touray, Harry Parsons.

Chippenham, last 30 minutes: Josh Sawyer, Lewis Colwell, Trialist, Freddie Grant, Jac Poffley, Caine Bradbury, Jake Evans, Tom Owen-Evans, Trialist, Bevan Cross, Harlee Vozza.

Bristol Rovers: Jed Ward, Jack Sparkes, Alfie Kilgour, Shaq Forde, Promise Omochere, Ruel Sotiriou, Luke Thomas, Connor Taylor (c), Josh McEachran, Kamil Conteh, Macauley Southam-Hales
Substitutes: Brad Young, Joel Senior, Taylor Moore, Isaac Hutchinson, Dan Ellison, Micah Anthony, Kofi Shaw, Byrant Bilongo, Ollie Dewsbury, Charlie White, Brooklyn Leipus, Charlie Moody.

Attendance: 1465