Saturday 2nd September 2006 – F.A. Cup Preliminary Round

Rocester 1 Oldbury United 0

A penalty scored by Richard Owen three minutes into the second half settled this hard-fought F.A. Cup Preliminary Round tie in Rocester’s favour, and booked the Romans a lucrative home game with fellow Midland Alliance club Leamington in two weeks time.

The all-important breakthrough came after Rocester had started the second half with a flurry. Kevin Millward’s forceful running quickly earned two corners, and when he sent the second one into a crowded area Jimmy Conway handled and Owen did the rest, sending goalkeeper Paul Cooke the wrong way.

Oldbury had just about shaded the first 45 minutes, although the driving rain and a gale-force cross wind ensured this was never going to be the prettiest of encounters.

They certainly opened up the clearer chances, and should have taken a 14th minute lead when a long throw-in from the left was flicked on for Lee Booth, who crashed a header against Paul Woods’ bar.

Wood made a superb reflex save to turn a Neil Barnfield shot round his right-hand post on the half-hour mark, but Rocester came back strongly with Matt Moran firing wide on the half-volley and a David Brown free kick narrowly off target.

Once in front Rocester settled down to play some of their best football so far this season, and had chances to have won more convincingly.

Peter Johnson’s teasing ball into the area from the right provided Chris Rowley with a chance that was blocked bravely by Cooke, and Matt Moran could only stab the loose ball wide.

With 70 minutes on the clock another neat move, this time down the left and involving Carl Allen and Rowley, resulted in Lee Bagley being brought down by Cooke as he homed in on goal. The referee pointed to the spot again only this time Owen struck his kick wide of the post.

Inevitably a tense finish followed, and even though the visitors tested Wood with a couple of efforts from the speedy Jason Barton, the Romans had enough in the tank to see them through.

The stoppage time sending off of Nick Ward, who became the fifth Roman to see red this season after he picked up his second yellow card for kicking the ball away, came too late to make any difference to the outcome.

Rocester: Wood; P.Johnson; Allen; Owen; W.Johnson; Brown; Millward; Moran (Ruddock 86); Ward; Bagley; Rowley. Subs not used: M.Ede; Douglas; Hubbard; Heaney.

Oldbury: Cooke; Carter; Marshall; Newell; Conway (Dimmock 77); Salmon; Barton; Barnfield; Reynolds; Booth; Smith (Jones 77). Subs not used: Allard; Gregg; Stephens.

Yellow Cards: Ward x2; Rowley; Owen & W.Johnson (Rocester). Carter & Barnfield (Oldbury)
Red Cards: Ward (Rocester)

Referee: Mr. D.A. Croft (Birkenhead)

Attendance: 101