Roy of the Rovers Return to Glory?Part 8

Melchester Rovers ensured their Premier League status with victory over Carford City, effectively relegating Deans Park.

Drew Powell's stabbed finish and a neat Jake Cheetham volley secured the win for Rovers, who have won five games in a row to stay up. Jamie Marshall missed from six yards but Melchester could not add to a lead the home-side rarely threatened to narrow.

But despite losing, Carford are three points clear of 5th placed Everpool with a vastly superior goal difference. The Rovers win means that at the bottom Deans Park must beat Eastgate on the final day, hope Redpool lose against Oldfield, and manage a 17-goal swing in the process if they are to avoid slipping into the Championship for the first time since 2011.

Defeat against Carford would have left Rovers just two points above Deans Park, but a fifth consecutive top-flight win for the first time in 15 years means they can now finish as high as 12th. Such a finish looked unlikely when they were beaten 1-0 by Oldfield at Mel Park six weeks ago, prompting manager Roy Race to say his sideneeded a "miracle"to stay in the Premier League. That defeat left the Kings side seven points from safety, but 16 points from a possible 18 - including wins against Kelburn and Everpool - have led to a stunning escape.

Race was jubilant on the final whistle after completing an achievement he said would be the"greatest of his career"ahead of kick-off. His side started with purpose and vigour but dangerous crosses into the box yielded no reward before Lucas Cleary's left footed delivery saw Powell prod in the opener. The 23-year-old, who has just penned a lucrative new contract, guided his ninth goal of the season right footed past Tobias Olsen, prompting an early celebration from Race on the touchline.

Cheetham, Rovers in-form captain, was busy and had forced an earlier tipped save from Olsen before he beat the ex-Rovers keeper with a hooked effort on the half hour mark. The number nine has had more shots at goal than any Melchester player this season and his enthusiasm was rewarded when he volleyed home Powell's delightfully flicked through ball.

Rovers' control of the first half laid the foundations for a win which leaves Blackport as the worst home side in the season's Premier League, while Carford played with the intensity of a team who do not expect Everpool to produce a miracle of their own on Sunday and steal the final Champions League spot.

Aside from a curling Darrell Shipp effort which forced Nathan Daniels into a diving save, City's threat was timid. Early second-half improvement saw Shipp and Fahad Mustapha fire efforts wide, before Jamie Marshall - on the field for less than five minutes - turned a glorious chance wide from six yards for the away side. Full-back Miguel Piedra drilled wide after a flowing Melchester attack, but the miss proved meaningless as Rovers repeated similar relegations escapes to 1989 and 1994.

Roy Race: Rovers boss believes in miracles after survival

Melchester Rovers manager Roy Race says he "will start believing in miracles" after his side's "incredible" escape from Premier League relegation.

Roversbeat Carford City 2-0to secure top-flight status less than a month after Race said"it would be a miracle"to survive. "It's been difficult," said Race, whose side have won five in a row. "I don't know if you will see something similar ever. It's one of the best days of my life."

Race said Melchester needed a miracle after their 1-0 defeat by Oldfield on 16 April, a result followed by a F.A. Cup Semi-Final victory on penalties over Portdean. Since then, his side have beaten leaders Kelburn, won at Mel Park against Everpool and Tynecaster United, seen off relegation rivals Blackport and finally a fifth straight win at Carford City on Saturday.

The run - the "best five weeks" Race says he can remember - ensures Roy Races men can fully focus on a first F.A Cup Final since 1999. "For moments, it looked like we were going down," added Race, who will still be relieved of his duties after the Final. "It's football, it's miracles, it's something unique. The connection between the players on the pitch in the last few games and with the fans means there is only one result: winning football games."

Race took charge of Melchester in the first week of March after thesacking of Derek Mostin, becoming the club's sixth manager in less than five years and inheriting a side second to bottom of the table.

Form improved under the Rovers legend but, after a the derby defeat to Melboro in Races first match in charge, a five-game winless run left Melchester seven points from safety with just six games to play.

Race admitted: "Can I go another year like these three months? No. I'm still going strong, but I don't want to keel over. The board have made my future crystal clear anyway; Johan Seegrun will be appointed after the round of European Championship Qualifiers at the beginning of June. But still, we don't want to go down next season, so we need to make sure that we don't make the same mistakes that we have been making for the last three or four years."* * *

Richie Lyons sprayed Champagne over the head of young Jamie Marshall, as cheers filled the visiting dressing room at Carford City Stadium. Rovers had avoided relegation after a remarkable run of five Premier League victories in a row. But one man was not entirely happy, Roy Race stormed in, What are you celebrating? Weve survived, yes, but youve won nothing! Put that away Lyons! The legendary footballer did not believe that ensuring survival with one game to go was worthy of a Formula 1 style podium endorsement. One league game to go against North Vale, Ill be picking the team that I want to play in the Cup Final. Resting players now will achieve nothing but upset the great form were in. Any player who does not put in 100% will not play at Wembley. We want to win the Cup and to do that we have to keep this momentum!

Jake Cheetham, stood alongside his manager to show his agreement, he spoke confidently, Walford have been safe in mid-table for weeks. Theyve been playing for nothing for so long; theyve no form, no consistency and just one match to find them!

Richie Lyons was not paying attention; Jamie Marshall had taken his place for the great run after a hamstring injury had ruled the forward out of the starting line-up for the Semi-Final against Portdean and he had not had much of a look in since. He took a long swig from the bottle of Champagne that he still held despite Races demands. The boss was not amused, Lyons! I dont know why you cant take things more seriously! You could easily start next week and at Wembley, but youre not helping yourself! Get a grip, son!

The muddled selections of Derek Mostin had really knocked Lyons confidence. He was a top player, tipped to achieve great things by Roy Race himself. Within days of his appointment as director of development in July 2013 Race had identified Lyons as the pick of the development squad and promptly suggested to Vernon Eliot that he be promoted to the senior squad permanently. But Lyons had not taken well to the first series of setbacks he had to face in his career. Like Cheetham he had missed out on selection for Englands World Cup squad. His public courting of the famous Rovers number nine jersey had caused controversy and the media portrayed him as arrogant and flashy, the opposite of Roy Race, the man he hoped to emulate. Roy left his players to get changed and headed to the executive bar, Geoff Giles followed him. Roy was a big believer that the dressing room belonged to the players, one of the difficulties he had faced throughout his time as player-manager was balancing the role of team-mate with boss. As players became more precious it became impossible. That was why player-managers are so rare in contemporary football, overpaid prima donna footballers seemed unable to have relationships on multiple levels. That was what Roy believed and he would be amazed if a Premier League team ever appointed a player-manager again.

But for now the important issue was the Cup Final team. As he had stated to the players, Roy intended to pick the same eleven for the final league match at home to North Vale as for the big day at Wembley. Apart from Steve Daley, who was still injured, he had a full squad to choose from. The only difficult decision would be whether to pick Richie Lyons, who seemed distant and disinterested, or go with the youthful energy of Jamie Marshall. On paper and by reputation it was a no-brainer, Lyons had to play, he could score goals from nothing, create and defend from the front and was fresh having just returned from a minor injury. But when Lyons was poor he offered next to nothing and disrupted the entire side, a top side cannot compete carrying even one underperformer. Marshall on the other hand had played a crucial role in Rovers successful bid for survival, but he had not scored. Roy confided in Giles, As it stands Im stuck! Really cant make up my mind! Geoff paused for thought, There is the other option; Nick Batty, move Cheetham or McKaffree up top. That could help counter Walfords midfield creativity. It was an idea Roy did not want to consider, Walford should be worried about an in-form Melchester Rovers and the midfield thrust from Cheetham and Powell. No Geoff, as you said its an option, but we cant break up Jake and Drew, theyve just taken off as a partnership. Its between Lyons and Marshall. Lyons is by far the better player, but is that enough? Roy and Geoff thought back through the winning streak Rovers were on, What is it that Marshall is offering? Why are we winning with him in the side and not when Lyons was in? Roy spoke his questions aloud and answered himself, Is it work-rate, is that it? There must be more to it that just running around!

It was in situations like this that Roy wished he had a technical data analyst, like Gerry Holloway on hand to provide some statistical insight. To the eye Lyons did work hard, but Roy believed that without the ball, he chased in the wrong areas and at the wrong time. Jamie Marshall was a natural wide forward, not a winger but not a centre forward, he had mainly played as a winger in age-group football and it was this energy and natural sense of when to press that was his main asset when played as a striker. Thats it! Roy exclaimed, Marshall follows the ball, like a winger would do, even when hes central he uses his pace and stamina to put pressure on any team that plays the ball across the backline or into the defensive midfielder! Richie Lyons runs into space to try and intercept, he wants possession, hes greedy! But Marshall he is working for the team, I dont think he does it deliberately, but its been working. His pressing allows Cheetham and Powell to stick close to their opposites and stifle any play through the middle. Weve been forcing teams to play wide and theres a real lack of quality wide players in the Premier League!Geoff was relieved that Roy had worked out the mystery, he had not spotted it, despite being one of Englands best ever midfielders, So its Marshall then for Wembley? Roy shook his head, No, chum! Its Lyons, Walford play very narrow, Marshall would be ineffective! Richie Lyons will start!So its: Daniels; Piedra, Carruthers, Burgess, Cleary; McKaffree, Cheetham , Powell, Jacobs; Lyons and Dickson! I like it, Im confident that that team will bring home the Cup. But first up itll be the Welshmen!

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NEXT Up for the Cup? Rovers at Wembley!Storky Knight_1494406895.psd