Saturday, February 5, 2005

Bromsgrove Rover 2 Burnham 1

Southern League Division One West

BROMSGROVE Rovers breathed new life into their ailing promotion campaign and ended their three match-losing run with a nervy victory over lowly Burnham at the Victoria Ground.

Strikes by Steve Frost and Paul Szewczyk settled an error-strewn match, which was hampered by a bog-like pitch in Bromsgrove, after a mistake by goalkeeper Ian Gandy handed Burnham the lead in the first half.

Manager Jimmy Mullen gave new addition Nathan Jameson, on loan from Championship League One side Walsall, a debut in the centre of midfield for the suspended Riad Erraji.

Rovers started the more dangerous side, with Jameson testing Burnham goalkeeper David Dyson from Frost's cross.

Kevin Banner's long range effort should have been a routine save for Dyson in the 11th minute, but he fumbled the shot before recovering with Szewczyk baring down on him.

John Daniels, playing alongside Szewczyk up front in an unfamiliar striking role, shot wide after his persistence won the ball off Daryl Jones.

Szewczyk headed straight at Dyson, before Gandy almost gifted Burnham the opening goal.

Rovers' second choice 'keeper dithered on a simple cross and the alert Robert Saunders prodded the ball past him - only for it to get stuck in the mud and allow Ross Collins to clear.

Szewczyk should have done better when he miss-controlled Daniels' low cross in the box, but Burnham stunned Rovers in the 41st minute.

Gandy once again did not come quickly enough for a hanging cross and as he advanced hesitantly out of the box, razor-sharp Saunders beat him to it and put the ball beyond him to open the scoring.

The home side cranked up the pressure, with Frost wasting a golden chance in the 43rd minute when he blazed Banner's corner over the bar from three yards out.

Frost made up for his miss two minutes later when he pounced from close range after Dyson had parried Daniels' shot to level the scores.

Rovers pegged Burnham back in their own half and were unlucky not to take the lead, when striker Michael Bartley cleared Szewczyk's shot off the line in the 58th minute, before Mark Benbow shot over.

The striker didn't have to wait for long to score, as he slotted the ball under Dyson after an incisive pass from Daniels in the 60th minute.

Frost brilliantly stopped the advancing Bartley in the 69th minute as he lead a Burnham break to keep Rovers' vice-like grip on the game.

Despite having all the pressure Rovers could not find a third goal, with substitutes Ryan Mahon and Lewis Churchill making sure that Burnham could not score an equaliser.

Rovers: Gandy 6, Frost 6, Hillman 7, Male 7, Collins 5, Jameson 6, Johnson 7 (Mahon 6), Benbow 7, Szewczyk 6, Daniels 8, Banner 6 (Churchill 6).

Referee: Mr AS Watts.

Attendance: 318

By Peter McKinney