Saturday, December 9, 2000

BROMSGROVE Rovers' disastrous Dr Martens League Western Division form continued on Saturday as they went down 4-2 at Hinckley United.

And although strikers Richard Burgess and Craig Pountney were both in scoring form for the Greens, Bromsgrove seriously need to plug the holes in their leaky defence if they are going to pull away from the relegation mire.

In truth, Rovers didn't play that badly, but were punished time and again by a Hinckley side on the promotion hunt.

The nightmare began as early as the first minute. Captain Steve Frost needlessly felled livewire forward Andy Lucas inside the area and David Sadler converted the penalty with ease.

Lucas doubled Hinckley's lead on 10 minutes when he latched on to a through ball from Morton Titterton and rounded keeper Neil Olden.

It would have been easy for Bromsgrove to give up the ghost but to their credit, Pountney pulled one back, ramming Alfie Carter's cross home from the edge of the area on 19 minutes.

Just as Bromsgrove prepared for half-time with a one-goal deficit to reverse, they conceded another. Titterton was left unmarked at the far post to nod home Neil Cartwright's corner.

The game was as good as over 20 minutes from time when Paul Hunter got on the end of a deep left wing cross from fellow substitute Ben Steane.

Five minutes later Burgess steamed down the right flank and drilled a hard right-foot effort at goal which keeper Cropley could only parry into the roof of the net.

The diminutive striker, who has agreed a deal with Northampton Town, was again the pick of the bunch but his efforts weren't enough to stop Rovers slumping to their seventh consecutive league defeat.

Rovers: Olden 6, Rowe 6 (sub Beard 72 mins), Ulfig 6, Frost 6, Crawford 6, Turpin 6, Benbow 6, Burgess 8, Pountney 6 (Bedward 64 mins 7), Carter 7, Biddle 6.

Star Man: Richard Burgess. Attendance: 245.