MALMESBURY Victoria manager Gareth Davies is desperately on the lookout for a new goalkeeper after he was forced to don the gloves at Tuffley Rovers.
Shot-stopper Joe Snell had limp off midway through the first period at Glevum Park with a hamstring injury and the Vic chief, who had named himself on the bench, was forced to deputised.
And with his second keeper Mike Alexander also injured, Davies is facing a race against time to bring in a new custodian ahead of Saturday’s big Division One West derby clash with New College.
“I need a new keeper as soon as possible,” Davies said. “I don’t want to go in goal again, I don’t think anyone wants to see that.
“But I managed to keep a clean sheet in the second half against Tuffley, I didn’t have a save to make, not that I would have been able to do much if I did!”
With Davies between the posts, Rovers took the lead through Mark Ford on the half-hour mark and that quickly became 2-0 when former Southampton striker Shayne Bradley struck.
Luke Cordery pulled a goal back for the visitors with a 25-yard effort and he was controversially denied a second after another shot was palmed away by a Tuffley defender only for the referee to wave play on.
“The lads were superb, they gave everything and it was just one decision that cost us a point,” Davies said.
“But we need to get a result against New College on Saturday, because that is a massive, massive game for us.
“We need to win because it is getting very tight down at the bottom and other teams are starting to pick up some points.”
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