ROVERS eased into the first round of the FA Cup with an emphatic victory at Dorchester Town on Saturday.

Fixtures such as this always pose a potential threat as the pressure is on the full-time side to avert a potential banana skin and get the job done.

The Gas were in no mood to be the victims of a cup upset as they carried out their task in a ruthless manner, beating their opponents 7-1 to be among the names in the hat when the draw was carried out on Monday evening. Their reward for the win was a trip to Tranmere, who are languishing near the foot of League Two.

There will be no pressure on Rovers when they play the game the weekend after next, but the tie offers the chance to progress to the next round.

Although some people might regard the FA Cup as a distraction, a good run would be welcome as it can instil confidence in the team, spread excitement among the fans and of course generate revenue.

There were impressive performances all over the pitch on Saturday as travelling fans were treated to a rare goal feast.

Ellis Harrison has been looking sharper this season, although his appearances have been mostly restricted to substitute roles in the second half of games.

However, he took advantage of a place in the starting line-up on Saturday to score a hat-trick and stake a strong claim for a regular place.

Goals from Lee Mansell and Matty Taylor, along with a brace from Andy Monkhouse, completed a clinical job.

Rovers return to league action on Saturday when they make the trip to bottom of the table Telford, with confidence buoyed by the rout of Dorchester.

A win at the struggling side is undoubtedly the target but Rovers will have to guard against complacency and be prepared for Telford raising their game to improve their position in the table. The cup win should boost confidence and a three point return would make up for the disappointing defeat to Forest Green recently and reaffirm our promotion push.