Sutton Coldfield Town 0 Bromsgrove Rovers 0

Southern League Division One West

BROMSGROVE Rovers' slight automatic promotion hopes slipped further out of sight after teenage goalkeeper Anthony Breeden produced a man of the match display to keep them at bay on Monday night.

Breeden, aged 16, produced a performance mature beyond his years at Coles Lane and capped it off by denying Rovers' own 19-year-old prodigy, Matthew Barnes-Homer, with a stunning save at the death.

It was the away side who looked the more dangerous but despite forcing four corners in a row in the opening ten minutes Bromsgrove were unable to open up resolute Sutton.

The first chance of the game fell to Town striker Luke Fuller in the 16th minute, but he could not control captain Mark Wolsey's cross and sent his volley over the bar.

Kevin Banner's dogged determination saw him win the ball off Richard Gardner in the 21st minute and he set Paul Szewczyk free in the box, only for Lucan Spittle's timely challenge to deny him.

Rovers came out for the second half with more vigour but found Breeden an impenetrable wall.

The keeper got down smartly to save Leon Broadhurst's low long range shot and then dived at Szewczyk's feet as he tried to pounce on the rebound in the 52nd minute.

Arthur Appleton then missed the best chance of the game in the 58th minute.

Banner's incisive pass set the striker free down the middle for a one-on-one with Breeden.

However, the young keeper was given time by the hesitant striker and made a good save with his feet.

Appleton was replaced by Matthew Barnes-Homer in the 71st minute and he had a powerful shot cannon off the bar when Banner's 86th minute corner came to him on the left of the box.

Rovers poured forward in search of the winner and Barnes-Homer was unleashed into the penalty area after a good run by Mark Benbow.

His rising shot in the 88th minute seemed destined to curl into Breeden's right hand corner, but the goalkeeper acrobatically flung himself and palmed the ball away to frustrate Rovers and stick a knife through the heart of their top two hopes.

Rovers: Lowe 6, Johnson 7, Hillman 7, Collins 7, Male 7, Broadhurst 6 (Frost, 78mins, 6), Benbow 6, Erraji 6, Szewczyk 7, Appleton 5 (Barnes-Homer, 71mins, 7), Banner 7 (Mitchell, 86mins, 5).

Referee: Mr L Hodgson.

Attendance: 261.

By Peter McKinney