Rocester hauled themselves off the bottom of the Harvey World Travel Midland Alliance table after recording their second victory in eight days.

A single strike from substitute Steve Caswell on 63 minutes was enough to seal the points against Cradley Town and secure only the Romans' second victory at Hillsfield in 22 months. The result saw Rocester leapfrog Westfields in the table and move to within five points of their beaten opponents, who remained third from bottom.

Adam Baum appeared to have given Rocester a lead as early as the fourth minute when he curled a shot past Cradley keeper Tim Beech, but the forward was adjudged to have been offside.

A back-heel from the same player then set up a chance for Tony Collins on the half-hour, but his shot drifted wide of the right-hand post.

In contrast, Cradley's forwards rarely tested the Rocester defence before the break.

Soon after the restart the irrepressible Baum was sent flying in the Cradley penalty area, but the referee chose to award the Romans a corner instead of a spot-kick.

Rocester spent more and more time in the visitors' half of the field as the game progressed, but for the second week running the ball bobbled to rob Baum of the chance of a goal, while soon after he saw his shot cleared off the line by Cradley defender Mark Smith.

Both teams used their full quota of substitutes as the heavy pitch began to take its toll, and the change of personnel marked a change in fortunes for the Romans.

The breakthrough eventually came five minutes from the end when Richard Owen's free-kick from 25-yards was only half-cleared by Cradley's defence. Substitute Caswell, who had earlier replaced Paul Tortoishell, picked up the ball and cut in from the right before firing an angled shot past the stranded Beech, much to the delight of the home supporters.

ROCESTER: Wood, Owen, Reynolds, Barnett, Allen, Ede, Tortoishell, Collins, Ruddock, Baum, Gadsby. Substitutes: Caswell (for Tortoishell, 63), Douglas (for Reynolds, 77), Braithwaite (Gadsby, 85), Moran, Allcock.