WANDERERS boss John Gorman accused Bristol Rovers of bending the rules as Wycombe crashed to a last-day defeat at the Memorial Stadium.

The Pirates signed three players on Friday including former Thame United and Oxford player Jefferson Louis after being granted special dispensation by the Football League because of an injury crisis.

But Rovers then left first team stars Paul Trollope and Jamie Forrester on the bench to accomodate the new boys and effectively give competitive trials to Louis, former Exeter defender Alex Jeannin and substitute Louie Soares.

Gorman, who had seven players out injured, said it was not fair.

He said if he had known Rovers were going to do that he would have also applied to the League for permission to play triallist Charlie Griffin, who spent last week training with Wanderers.

He said: "It seemed wrong to me that they were allowed to do that and still keep players like Forrester on the bench.

"I didn't know this rule existed. I know Bristol had injury problems but so do we all at this time of the season. It is not my fault that Rovers don't have a youth policy.

"I would have brought Charlie Griffin in today and given him a game if I had thought I could do it."

Gorman had seven players missing and gave the kids a chance instead but they failed to take it in a drab end of season contest.

The Blues boss, who is discussing new contracts with his players this week, admitted he was disappointed that the outsiders failed to impress.

He said: "It wasn't very good. But it was end of season. I have learned a lot today. I had a lot of important players out and we missed them. We missed our characters. We had a lot of young boys out there. I gave them a chance to show what they can do.

"I'm angry because I gave people a chance to show what they can do and they didn't take it.

"No-one is going to get hauled out because of what happened today but it showed me how important experience is."

Gorman was without the injured Nathan Tyson, Keith Ryan, Rob Lee, Ian Stonebridge, Craig Faulconbridge and keeper Frank Talia while Steve Claridge (hernia) was only fit enough to sit on the bench.

That gave Adrian Caceres and Jonny Dixon the chance to impress up front but they were far too lightweight against a rugged Rovers rearguard. Mark Philo also struggled to impose himself on the midfield while keeper Lance Cronin's first task on his debut was to pick the ball out of the net from former Wanderers loanee Richard Walker.

And to rub salt into the wound, it was Rovers' two triallists Louis and Jeannin who had a hand in the only goal of the game.

They combined down the left to release Chris Carruthers and his fine cross was headed in by the unmarked Walker on 12 minutes.

It was a rare moment of quality in a disappointing game which was ruined by an awful pitch and a strong wind.

Wanderers' experimental line-up struggled to play the type of football their supporters have been treated to this season on an afternoon when the biggest cheer was raised by the referee taking a full-blooded Jeanin free kick below the belt.

Poor Andy Penn managed to finish the half but he was replaced by the fourth official after the break.

Wycombe improved after the break and they might have levelled on 52 minutes but Dixon was caught in two minds as to whether to cross it or go for goal and made a total mess of things with a wild volley.

Wanderers then threw defender Roger Johnson up front in a bid to salvage a point and his aggression and willingness to chase the hopeful balls that Dixon and Caceres were less willing to fight for, gave Wanderers fresh impetus.

Johnson made an immediate impact bursting into the box and taking the ball around the keeper only to lose his feet at the vital moment.

He went close again with a long range lob which sailed wide.

But the best chance was reserved for Caceres. The former Yeovil man got his head onto Clint Easton's long throw and Rovers keeper Ryan Clarke flung himself to his left to keep the ball out in a rare moment of excitement for the visiting fans.

The final whistle went and hundreds of Rovers fans swarmed onto the pitch. Many were still there playing football an hour after the match had finished and between them they provided much more goalmouth action than either of the teams had done in the previous 90 minutes.

Gorman said: "The pitch was absolutely horrendous. It was windy as well and we didn't get the ball down and play.

"We huffed and puffed and didn't create. We didn't play well and I've got no excuses. I'm angry because I wanted to finish the season on a high but sometimes circumstances don't allow that."

Bristol Rovers: Clarke, Bass, Edwards (Trollope 77), Anderson, Elliott, Jeannin, Williams (Soares 90), Lescott, Carruthers, Walker, Louis (Haldane 85). Not used: Forrester, Lines.

Scorer: Walker 12.

Wycombe: Cronin, Senda, Easton, Johnson, Williamson, Burnell, Philo (Martin 55), Bloomfield (Anya 81), Dixon, Uhlenbeek (Nethercott 69), Caceres. Not used: Williams, Claridge.

Referee: Andy Penn.

Attendance: 7,358 (Wycombe 530.

Bristol Rovers 1, Wycombe 0