Saturday
22nd
March 2008
A solid all-round performance from Rocester ensured near neighbours Stapenhill didn’t upset the form book in this entertaining ‘derby’ match at Hillsfield on Saturday.
Early second half goals broke Stapenhill's resistance and put Rocester in charge, but the Swans played their part - especially early in the game when they defended well and got players forward whenever they had possession. However they lacked a cutting edge they rarely troubled Romans keeper Dean Latham.
Driving snow showers and gale-force winds made conditions extremely difficult at times, but gradually Rocester began to get a grip of the game and one or two openings began to appear in the Swans’ defence as the first half wore on.
Tommy
Smith tried a couple of shots from outside the area with one just going over
and another just wide of Craig Jones’ goal, and Ben Henderson was also
narrowly off-target with a downward header from a corner.
The decisive moments arrived immediately after the break when two goals inside the first ten minutes left Rocester in control.
Stapenhill’s
defence were wrong-footed when Martin Gadsby flicked on Ashley Sheridan’s
inswinging corner at the near post, and the ball travelled across the
goalmouth to Dave Shaw who rammed in his 30th goal of the season from a
couple of yards out.
More Romans pressure saw Jones make a fine save with his legs to deny Tommy Smith after Rob Winson had failed to cut out Gadsby’s through-ball, but there was no escape a few minutes later when Dave Brown’s excellent pass picked out Shaw on the right of the area. Shaw skipped past Josh Butler before delivering a teasing cross that was only partially cleared, and Mark Hodson made the most of it by drilling a low 15-yarder into the net through a crowd of players.
The Swans rallied briefly to try and get back in contention, and with a little more luck they might well have reduced the arrears. After Jon Jenkinson’s shot had been deflected wide, Butler’s initial corner was tipped over the bar by Latham and his second one was cleared away by Dan Smith as Jordan Gough prepared to shoot.
But it was Rocester who continued to look the more likely side and they went further ahead in the 67th minute after Tommy Smith had forced another corner. Sheridan again used the wind superbly to deliver a dangerous flag kick into the six-yard box and Hodson was on hand to rifle in his second goal of the game from close range.
Nine minutes from time Butler pulled one back for the visitors with a direct free kick from the right hand side, his left-footed curler finding the top right-hand corner of Latham’s net.
Jordan Gough wasn’t far away with a powerful shot that swung away from the left upright as Stapenhill sensed a glimmer of hope, but Rocester soon regained their hold on the game and might have scored a couple more themselves in the closing stages.
Shaw shinned a difficult bouncing chance straight at Jones, Winson then did well to block a powerful Rory Maxwell effort, and there was still time for Jones to make an excellent flying save to palm Brown’s dipping 25-yard free kick over his bar.
Scorers: Romans – Shaw (48), Hodson (56) (67). Swans – Butler (81).
Romans: Latham; D.Smith; C.Allen; Gadsby; Ruddock; Henderson; Hodson; Brown (Bailey 88); Shaw; T.Smith (Maxwell 74); Sheridan. Subs not used: Owen; Wood.
Swans: Jones; S.Gough; Butler; Wczasek; Winson; Shales; Jenkinson; Langford; Lock; J.Gough; Wagstaff (Whieldon 68). Subs not used: Gardiner; Mason; T.Allen.
Yellow Cards: Swans – Wczasek.
Referee: Mr. S. Turner (Wolverhampton)
Attendance: 103.
Romans Star Man: Dave Brown – Pulled Rocester’s strings, great vision.
Captain
Carl Allen (left) felt the result was a fair reflection of the match.
"No doubt we deserved it," He said afterwards.
"We defended really well and were very solid in the first half, which gave us a good base for when the wind was more in our favour."
"We started the second half brightly and the goals came just at the right time for us, but once we got going I thought we played some nice football."