Tuesday, April 1, 2003

THE silver polish will have to go back in the Victoria Ground store cupboard.

The last chance of Rovers seeing any trophies gracing the boardroom disappeared with this disappointing defeat against their old rivals from the Grove.

They can have few real complaints about the outcome, although for quite a long spell in the second half they did threaten to put recent disappointments behind them and at least made a fist of it with something at least resembling a spirited fight.

Trouble was they left themselves with too much to do after a lack-lustre first half in which goalkeeper Lowe gifted a tenth minute opener to Leadbeter. He and Ford failed to deal with a through ball and all he succeeded in doing was fluffing a kicked clearance under pressure and spooned the ball up to leave his goal unguarded.

Ten minutes later Halesowen, whose precison passing and movement made Rovers look pedestrian, had doubled their advantage with the neatest of flicks from Spencer finishing off Colwell's right wing cross.

Rovers revived after the break with all guns blazing and Burgess pulled a goal back on 63 minutes but the fightback fizzled out when Stone headed in the clincher on 84 minutes.

ROVERS

Lowe 6, Benbow 6, Banner 5, Brookes 6, Beckett 5, Pope 6, Dyson 6 (sub Burgess 45 mins), Ford 5 (sub Hyde 65 mins), Palmer 6, Danks 5, FROST 7*. Subs not used: Clifton, Broadhurst, Hackett.

Bookings: None

Referee: J. Holbrook (Kidderminster)

Attendance - 295