Rovers charged into the 3rd round of the 2018-19 Carabao Cup following a hard-fought 4-1 win over Lincoln City in the 2nd round. Although the scoreline would suggest the Blues dominated the 90 minutes, that was far from true, as Lincoln held their own against a Rovers side which included debuts for academy graduates, Joe Grayson and Dan Butterworth.
The draw for the 3rd round occurred live on Sky Sports as the 7 remaining Premier League sides who are involved in European competitions this season, entered the draw, alongside all of the 2nd round victors from all 4 top divisions of the English footballing pyramid.
With the draw recombining the North and South of the country, Rovers – ball #3 in the draw – were drawn away from home against Premier League outfit, Bournemouth, who reached this stage in the competition by conquering League 2’s MK Dons, by a scoreline of 3-0, in the 2nd round. The clash is set to take place at the Vitality Stadium, on the week commencing 24th September, with a confirmed date to be set in the near future, along with ticket information.
The last meeting between the 2 sides came in February 2015, where Rovers, then managed by Gary Bowyer, held the then rampant Bournemouth to a 0-0 draw, down on the south coast, as the Cherries steamrolled their way to their first ever Championship title. With both sides having very different fortunes since they last locked horns, it will be interesting to see how a revamped Rovers side will fare against one of the Premier League’s most stable and eye-catching sides.
