EXPRESS made the trip to Droitwich for this Sunday Division Two game, arrived slightly late and were still taking to the field as the game kicked off.

EXEL STAR & GARTER 2, EXPRESS 3

Their lack of preparation was apparent as they were caught cold by a long ball after two minutes to go one down and a second long ball on ten minutes to find themselves 2-0 down in a vital game between two teams chasing the league title.

After the second goal Express began to play with some purpose, Mark Shepherd and Scott Mason dominating at the heart of defence, Neil Bond and Mark Taylor a handful as ever in the middle and Jamie Roberts and Stu Summers threatening up front.

The home side were forced onto the back foot and only superb saves by their keeper from Andy Bottomley, Taylor and Roberts kept a clean sheet for them until the interval.

The second half was a different story as Express, and especially top striker Jamie Roberts, found the way to goal. The first from Roberts just two minutes after the break as Express applied steady pressure. On the hour Roberts latched onto to a long ball from Mark Shepherd, dispossessed the keeper in a 50/50 challenge and tucked the ball away to level the scores.

The remainder of the match swung from end to end with attractive football in between, spoilt only by an over zealous referee who inexplicably sent off an Exel player and made eight bookings in what was a firm but well tempered game of football.

Despite being down a man the game was just as tight, Bond hitting the bar for Express before Exel rattled the woodwork at the other end. Fine keeping from Dave White and his opposite number made it look a certain draw.

But no one told Jamie Roberts and in the 91st minute Shepherd passed to Summers who played a defence cutting ball into the path of Roberts to complete his hat-trick and secure a great come back.

This Sunday Express travel to Archdales Reserves to play in the Bernard Finnegan Cup, players meet 9.15am at Express or 9.45am at Archdales.