Dudley Sports 2 Rocester 0

Rocester crashed out of the F.A. Cup against lower league opposition on Saturday, and can have no complaints following a toothless performance against Dudley Sports.

The West Midlands League side recorded a thoroughly deserved 2-0 win over the Romans, who paid a heavy price for a half-hearted approach that lacked the desire, the energy, and the ideas displayed by their opponents.

For thirty minutes Rocester looked fairly comfortable and enjoyed the lions share of possession, but never really looked sharp enough to capitalise on a number of half-chances that came their way.

Sports goalkeeper Adam King left his line quickly to thwart James Curley barely two minutes into the game after Darren Bullock had knocked a corner back into the area, and Rocester threatened again on 17 minutes when Shawn Salmon’s excellent pass through the defence released Tyrell Shannon-Lewis. The young striker’s first touch took him a bit too far wide of the goal but he still managed to smack a powerful drive against the outside of the goal frame.

Then four minutes later the packed home defence blocked another Shannon-Lewis’s effort only for the ball to drop invitingly for Shawn Salmon. With time to pick his spot, Salmon took aim but saw his low effort rebound back off the left hand post.

Up to that point Dudley hadn’t shown anything going forward, but they gave Rocester a warning when Mitchell Orford broke down their right and delivered a dangerous cross that was neatly tidied up by Bullock.

Courtney Shaw glanced a header wide for Rocester before the home side went on the offensive again. This time the dangerman was Chris Rabone, who carved out a chance for himself with a tricky run that had Richard Froggatt racing from his goal to block.

Rocester had another sniff at goal before the break when Salmon tested King with a powerful drive, but two minutes into the second half Rabone hammered the first nail into Rocester’s coffin when he collected the ball inside the area before smashing it past Froggatt.

Five minutes later King denied Rocester an equaliser when he acrobatically tipped away Shaw’s superbly struck effort from out on the left that was curling and dipping underneath the crossbar. From that moment on there was a sense of inevitability about the outcome.

The Romans simply ran out of ideas, hitting long balls that were easily dealt with by giant centre half Ashley Pountney, or giving possession away cheaply.

With players pushed forward in search of an equaliser Rocester lost their shape and had to thank Froggatt for one excellent save and Salmon, who cleared one off the line and also chased back to nip the ball away from Harry Hambleton as he was about to pull the trigger.

It was all over two minutes from time when Rabone raced on to a long ball forward and, with just Froggatt to beat, planted the ball in the net.

Scorers: Sports: Rabone (47) (88).

Sports: King; Lloyd (Glover 46); Dimmock (Astley 74); Beddard: Kirby; Pountney; Orford (Perry 74); Blakeley; Hambleton; Rabone; Evitts. Subs not used: Killingworth; Bull; Russell.

Romans: Froggatt; McLeod; McGinley; Heath; Bullock; McComisky; S.Salmon; Meakin-Richards (Redshaw 65); Shannon-Lewis (Hodson 74); Curley; Shaw (T.Salmon 78). Subs not used: Beech; Walker; Watkiss; Butler.

Cards: None.

Referee: Mr. J. Simpson (Oswestry).

Attendance: 64.