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Rocester faced a tough fixture against title-chasing Coalville Town at Hillsfield on Saturday but the battling Romans gave a good account of themselves and made their opponents work extremely hard for a narrow 1-0 win that kept them hot on the heels of Barwell at the top of the table.
With manager Alan Beaman unavailable coach Nigel Mottram took control for the day, and he had to rethink the team selection before the game when influential midfielder James Curley pulled out through illness. Newcomer Tony Davies got the nod to make his first start in Rocester colours, and took the opportunity to impress with a spirited display.
An evenly contested first half ended without a goal, although both teams had chances without really testing the goalkeepers.
Darren Bullock, continuing his temporary switch to the forward line, twice headed wide inside the opening twenty minutes – firstly from a corner and then from Ashley Sheridan’s cross from the left – and Jack Langston was also off target with a left-footed shot as he cut in from the right.
But the visitors responded in similar fashion with Lee Miveld firing over the bar from just six yards following a corner, before another corner five minutes before the interval saw Rocester defenders twice block efforts on the line.
The Romans started the second half well but once again their finishing let them down as Adam Hewitt struck a shot straight at Richard Williams in the visiting goal and Langston fired wide from 25 yards. Then another chance fell to Hewitt but he could only direct his header from Sheridan’s cross wide of the target.
The only goal of the game arrived in the 63rd minute when left winger Danny Hodgkinson delivered a low cross that went through a crowd of players to the far post, where Ashley Brown had the simple task of side-footing the ball into the net from a couple of yards out.
Rocester were given a lifeline twenty minutes from time when the visitors were reduced to ten men following the dismissal of defender Cameron Stuart, who was red-carded by Cannock referee Alan Sarginson for tugging at Bullock’s shirt on the edge of the area as a free kick was floated in. With Williams about to catch the ball unchallenged several yards ahead of Bullock it seemed a harsh decision.
Bullock drilled the resulting free kick into the wall, and although there was no lack of effort the Romans couldn’t carve out the clear opening that might have seen them snatch a point.
Sheridan’s 20-yard free kick that flew wide was as close as they got, although Langston was a little unfortunate to see his long-range half-volley deflected up and into the goalkeeper’s arms right at the death.
Scorers: Ravens – Brown (63).
Romans: Froggatt; Justin; Butler; Hodson; McComisky; Robinson; Langston; Davies; Bullock; Hewitt; Sheridan. Subs not used: Morgan; Walker; Watkiss; Curley; Langridge.
Ravens: Williams; Dodd; Stuart; Brown; Everitt; Haynes; Hodgkinson; Attwood; Thompson; Gordon; Carney (Miveld 18). Subs not used: Fisher; Johnson; Woods.
Red Cards: Ravens - Stuart (71).
Yellow Cards: Romans – Hewitt, Hodson, Davies. Ravens – Hodgkinson, Thompson.
Referee: Mr. A. Sarginson (Cannock).
Attendance: 96 |