DMW December 18, 1999

BATTLING Rovers slid into the bottom three of the Western section after this latest setback.

It was not the early Christmas present boss Steve Daley was seeking, but he can take heart from a match that saw his young side fight to the final whistle.

And that was after the Greens had suffered a second minute blow, conceding a goal to the league's top scorers at Marston Road on Saturday.

One might have expected a side in Rovers' position to struggle after that, but they were still in the hunt midway through the second period as star man Mark Bowater and his fellow defenders kept a tight hold on the home strike force.

Rovers faced a side who had struck four goals in each of their previous three games, a daunting task for 'keeper Greg Parkes, given his first full start.

His father, Phil, the former Wolves player, was confined to his sick bed, therefore his son had no consoling figure around as the league's top marksman Richard Mitchell lobbed him with just over a minute gone.

But all credit to Rovers for sticking to their game plan. Loan striker Peter Sutton almost caught Rangers twice on the break before the visitors grabbed a deserved equaliser.

Rovers forced a corner on 14 minutes and Bowater rose superbly above the home rearguard to head home John Humphreys' flag-kick.

But by the break, Stafford missed more than one opportunity to restore their lead. The guilty party was Steve Jones, who first had a fierce drive turned away by Parkes, before sending two other good chances wide.

Within minutes of the restart, Rovers themselves were unfortunate not to be ahead when Mark Benbow saw his goalbound drive tipped over by Rangers' keeper Richard Williams.

However, two goals in a nine minute spell finally killed off the visitors. On 68 minutes, Jones crossed and Tony Eccleston headed in, then Mitchell turned provider, crossing for Jones to beat Parkes with another close range header.

Rovers: Parkes, Townsend, Ulfig, Ashley, Bowater, Jinks, Humphreys (sub Bytheway 71), Davies, Sutton, Benbow (sub Ball 82), Rochester (sub Wilkins 71).

Attendance: 614. MoM Mark Bowater.