Saturday 29th September 2007 - Polymac Services Midland Football Alliance

Atherstone Town 1 Rocester 2

Rocester ended their three-match losing streak and picked up three very useful points when they visited Sheepy Road on Saturday.

Joint Manager Andy O’Connor felt that the Romans had played better in each of the defeats leading up to the game, but finally an upturn in fortunes had made all the difference.

It was hard to argue with O’Connor’s view as the Adders twice hit the woodwork during the second half and wasted two clear openings during the first period when Rocester were not at their best.

But if Rocester enjoyed good fortune on those occasions they were hard done by in the 58th minute when Atherstone were awarded a dubious penalty after their best player on the day Nathan Jones had taken a tumble over Carl Allen’s tackle inside the area. Jones got up and slammed the spot kick past Dean Latham to level the scores.

Earlier, Rocester had taken a 49th minute lead with a nicely worked goal that was made by Martin Gadsby and finished off by Ashley Sheridan. Gadsby received the ball on the right of the Adders penalty area, and held it up under pressure before pulling the ball back into the path of Sheridan who dispatched it into the net via the left upright with a powerful side-footed shot.

Atherstone’s equaliser then handed them the initiative, and for a few minutes they had Rocester on the rack with a series of attacks that somehow failed to produce a goal.

Luke Barlone drilled a shot against the post which came straight back out to him, and his second effort was brilliantly tipped away by Latham who dived full length to his right to reach it.

Having weathered the brief storm Rocester quickly regained their composure, and Allen had his revenge for conceding the penalty when he went upfield for a corner in the 68th minute.

He met Sheridan’s inswinging corner at the near post with a glancing header, the ball looped up into the air over goalkeeper Richard Williams, and settled into the far side of the net for what turned out to be the winning goal.

It was a rare strike for the captain, whose only previous goal in over 130 appearances came from the penalty spot against Coalville Town last April.

Moments after Allen’s goal Rocester had a narrow escape when Jones crashed a shot against the under-side of the bar as he cut in from the right.

But that was as close as the home side got to salvaging anything from the game, and in fact it was Rocester who had chances to add to their total when Dave Shaw rifled a shot on the run over the bar and then headed another Sheridan corner over the top as well.

Romans Star Man – Martin Gadsby (Composed and creative in midfield).

Scorers: Adders – Jones (58 pen). Romans – Sheridan (49); Allen (68).

Adders: R.Williams; Beale (M.Brown 60); Thomas (Dunkley 72); Tullin; Haynes; Tomlinson; Wells; Stuart; Barlone; Jones; Saunders (Gaunt 45). Subs not used: Francis; G.Williams.

Romans: Latham; Smith; Allen; Ward; Ruddock; D.Brown; Maxwell (Reilly 51); Gadsby; Shaw; McMahon (Hodson 56); Sheridan (Sowter 90). Subs not used: Johnson; Henderson.

Yellow\Red Cards: None.

Referee: Mr. S. McCarthy (Leamington).

Attendance: 145