Bristol Rovers 1 Macclesfield 1

Last updated : 22 February 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Chris Llewellyn, who joined Rovers on loan from Norwich City on Friday, grabbed a vital point for the Pirates in this battle for League survival.

With his back to goal he hooked a left-foot shot over his shoulder which left Macclesfield's defence standing.

"I couldn't blame any of my players for a goal like that," said Macclesfield manager, Dave Moss.

"We'd taken the lead minutes earlier and it was disappointing not to hold on to it." This was always a desperate affair between two teams struggling to put football ahead of fear and neither side raised a shot on or off the target in the first half.

When one finally came ten minutes after the break a huge cheer went up from the 6,005 crowd.

That shot came from yet another player Rovers had borrowed, this time the Italian Michele Di Piedi, who has joined them for a month from Sheffield Wednesday.

Neither of the new players had met the rest of the team until the dressing room opened at 2pm.

At times this showed while Macclesfield, with just one win in their last 15, looked to their three central defenders to keep them out of trouble.

The pick of them was Dave Ridler who was always willing to put his head where it could be hurt.

"I came here hoping to win", Moss added and that looked likely after 75 minutes when Kyle Lightbourne put his side ahead.

Pacing his run to meet an angled ball from Danny Whittaker he saw his shot deflected past keeper Scott Howie.

The keeper though was already beaten by what turned out to be the Silkmen's only shot of the match on target.

Rovers also had great difficulty in getting their game together and looked unlikely to save the game until Llewellyn's unexpected shot.

"Rovers manager Ray Graydon said: "We're not comfortable where we are. It's all very nervy but we must keep our heads.

"Bringing two new players in is always difficult but at least they have given me options." Rovers only other shot of note, their goal apart, came from Ijah Anderson, on loan from Brentford, who crashed a 35-yard shot against the bar in the second half.