HALF

Read the first-half report from the League Two match between Bristol Rovers and AFC Wimbledon at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 30, 2013.

Goals from David Clarkson and Tom Parkes have offered Bristol Rovers a two-goal half-time advantage at the Memorial Stadium this afternoon.

Clarkson opened the scoring when aiming the ball powerfully into the net after shwing deftness of touch to take Matt Harrold's flick on from a Michael Smith free-kick out of the air in the 17th minute.

Parkes was on hand to double Rovers' advantage when getting his head on Lee Brown's in-swinging corner to score from inches underneath the crossbar to give manager John Ward some positives to ponder after a difficult week.

Ward had been forced to start the game with the same team that produced a gritty performance to claim a point at Cheltenham Town on Tuesday night.

The manager, who had been unable to ease a lack of playing resources ahead of the transfer deadline on Thursday, was hoping that Alefe Santos (hamstring) and Ryan Brunt (knee) may be fit enough to re-join a severely depleted squad that has been decimated by injury and suspensions.

That both managers decided to deploy formations with only one player to lead their respective lines served to make the opening exchanges a careful affair as the players went about contesting the game in the middle of the pitch.

The first opening for either side took nine minutes to emerge; AFC Wimbledon wide man George Potter forcing a routine save out of Steve Mildenhall at the foot of the post after connecting with a Callum Kennedy cross.

AFC Wimbledon striker Michael Smith, meanwhile, showed some of the evasive ability that has helped him to score nine goals this season when sneaking in behind Will Packwood to create a one-on-one opening in the 14th minute.

Packwood, however, was quick enough to recover and thwarted the striker's attempts to get an effort on target from inside the penalty area by producing a well-timed tackle.

A venomous Tom Lockyer effort from distance - that was fumbled and eventually recovered by AFC Wimbledon goalkeeper Ross Worner - in the 16th minute was Rovers' first sight of goal before Clarkson's neat finish broke the deadlock a matter of seconds later.

Eliot Richards almost doubled Rovers' lead when presented with a good chance after being played in on goal following a clever pass of the boot of makeshift midfielder Mitch Harding in the 27th minute.

Worner spread himself well to deny the striker from close range, but the goalkeeper was left helpless to prevent Parkes from adding Rovers' second goal of the afternoon on the half-hour mark.

Rovers (4-5-1): Mildenhall; Smith, Packwood, Parkes, Brown; Richards, Lockyer, Harding, Norburn, Clarkson; Harrold. Subs: Gough, Harrison, Green, Keary, Lucas, Clarke, Southway.

AFC Wimbledon (4-5-1): Worner; Fuller, Bennett, Frampton, Kennedy; Mohamed, Pell, S Moore, Sweeney, Potter; Smith. Subs: Brown, Midson, L Moore, Fenlon, Sainte-Luce, Sheringham, Weston.

Referee: Gavin Ward