Tipton Town 3 Rocester 0

Rocester completed a miserable eight days when they crashed out of the F.A. Vase in disappointing fashion at Tipton Town on Saturday.

After going out of the F.A. Cup a few miles down the road at Dudley Sports a week earlier and then suffering a record home defeat at the hands of Barwell in midweek, the subdued Romans began tentatively and might easily have conceded twice in the opening six minutes when Chris Turner and Nicky Pugh missed good chances.

But having been let off the hook they settled down a little and for a few minutes at least looked as though they might make a fight of it, especially when Ashley Sheridan made a good run into the area before pulling the ball back into the goalmouth. However, it was played just behind Tyrell Shannon-Lewis, and Josh Butler, although he had got into a good forward position, saw his effort blocked by two defenders.

Without the presence of suspended central defender Darren Bullock the Romans were always likely to struggle in the air at set-pieces, and that proved to be their undoing when Richard Huckfield was left completely unchallenged to head the opening goal from Eric Bowen’s 20th-minute corner.

Tipton doubled their lead from another Bowen corner in the 37th minutes, only this time the ball was glanced into his own goal by Shawn Salmon, who had tried to head clear from the front of the six-yard box. There was some doubt as to whether the ball had actually crossed the line as new left-back Adam Robinson tried to clear at the back post, but the referee’s assistant signalled that it had and the goal stood.

Sheridan almost reduced the arrears before the interval with a well-struck free kick from 20 yards that had goalkeeper Wes Cox beaten all ends up, however it flew inches wide of the right-hand upright.

Rocester found themselves on the back foot early in the second half and had a narrow escape when Chris Morris’s fierce drive rattled the crossbar, but the almost inevitable third goal soon followed via Nicky Pugh’s delightful turn and shot that dropped over Richard Froggatt and inside the far right-hand post.

There was no way back for Rocester, although they nearly claimed a consolation towards the end when Butler and Matt Redshaw combined down the left to provide Connor McGinley with a shooting chance, but the youngster’s effort was well-blocked by Cox who had left his line quickly.

Scorers: Tipton – Huckfield (20), S.Salmon (37, OG), N.Pugh (56).

Tipton: Cox; Hill; Huckfield; Bate (Palmer 83); Parker; Brown; Bowen; N.Pugh; Morris; Turner (S.Pugh 78); Russell (Mosedale 75). Subs not used: Wells; Osbourne.

Romans: Froggatt; McLeod; Robinson; Meakin-Richards; Heath; McComisky; S.Salmon (McGinley 52); Curley; Sheridan (Watkiss 75); Shannon-Lewis (Redshaw 62); Butler. Subs not used: Shaw; T.Salmon.

Yellow Cards: N.Pugh (Tipton). Meakin-Richards (Romans).

Referee: Mr. M. Swinscoe (Bridgnorth).

Attendance: 57.