Bristol Rovers 4-1 Accrington Stanley

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Brilliant individual strikes from Alex Rodman and Sam Nicholson helped Bristol Rovers ease their League One relegation fears with a 4-1 home win over Accrington Stanley.

The hosts took a 15th-minute lead when Luke Leahy ran unchallenged onto a Zain Westbrooke pass to squeeze his shot past advancing goalkeeper Toby Savin.

Rodman struck in first-half stoppage time with a sublime left-footed strike from the right corner of the box that sent the ball arrowing into the opposite top corner of the net.

Nicholson made it 3-0 after 67 minutes with another sweet strike from just outside the box and seconds later Westbrooke netted the fourth with a close-range finish.

Paul Smythe fired a 77th-minute consolation for Stanley with a fierce shot from an impossible-looking angle, but the result was sweet revenge for Rovers, beaten 6-1 in the reverse fixture this season.

Both sides were denied by the woodwork twice, Jonah Ayunga and Rodman for Rovers and Smythe and substitute Adam Phillips for Stanley.

Match report supplied by PA Media.

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