Bromsgrove Rovers 2 Beaconsfield SYCOB 0

ROVERS kicked off the Southern League Division One West with a hard fought, but deserved victory over Beaconsfield SYCOB at the Victoria Ground on Saturday.

Late goals by Scott Hadland and Kevin Banner ensured that Rovers dramatically won their first game of the season.

Victory was no less than Rovers deserved after they had dominated the game and made almost all of the scoring chances.

However, manager Jimmy Mullen will be concerned about his side's lack of a cutting edge up front.

Rovers, marshalled by Ross Collins, look solid at the back and the likes of Riad Erraji, Hadland and Wayne Dyer have been lively in midfield. Rovers' strikers though looked low on confidence and desperate for goals.

Dean Curtis, who was at Sutton Coldfield last season and was a trainee at Birmingham City, missed several clear chances.

Mullen partnered the burly forward with Chris Smith, whose hard work unsettled Beaconsfield's defence.

Rovers probed for an early goal - with Banner's free kick curling wide of Beaconsfield's goal in the fifth minute.

Smith almost scored an early contender for goal of the season two minutes later.

He saw Watson off his line, but his audacious 20-yard lob crashed off the underside of the bar and bounced out.

Matthew Barnes-Homer screwed a volley wide of the left post, after Banner's excellent pass.

The visitors from Slough did little to threaten Lee Evans in the Rovers goal, with Gary King curling a left wing cross out of play.

Curtis wasted the best chance of the game in the 31st minute.

Barnes-Homer won a free kick on the right touchline and Banner's delivery was perfect to the far post. Curtis bravely slid in but sent the ball across goal.

Giant striker Simon Patterson should have done better for Beaconsfield, but he mis-timed a header from Mark Jones' cross with the goal at his mercy in the 43rd minute.

King headed Banner's excellent corner off the line in the 54th minute after everyone missed it.

Patterson missed a rare chance for the visitors in the 63rd minute. Mark Jones sent in a low cross from the left, but the unmarked Patterson somehow missed the ball in front of an open goal.

The scare woke the home side and they began to pile the pressure on.

As time wore on the tension around the ground began to build, but Hadland broke the deadlock in the 82mind minute.

He arrived late to score a diving header from Banner's corner.

Banner then made sure of victory in the 88th minute. Barnes-Homer led a Rovers break; his cross was cleared only as far as Matt Johnson on the right wing.

The sub's astute pass found Banner unmarked on the right of the box and the winger made no mistake with a crisp volley.

Rovers: Evans 6, Gardiner 6 (Johnson 66mins, 6), Hillman 7, Collins 7, Male 7, HADLAND 8, Barnes-Homer 7, Dyer 6 (Erraji, 87mins, 6), Curtis 6 (Benbow, 58mins 6), Smith 6, Banner 8.

Subs not used: Ramsay, Williams.

Beaconsfield: Weston 8 , Dell 7, King 7, Griffiths 7, Leach 6, Gradwell 6, Hughes 6 (Gibbs 82mins 5), Shear 6, Patterson 5, Jones 7, Cotton 6.

Subs not used: Yee, Tasker (GK) Robinson, Sinclair.

Bookings: Dell - foul (89mins).

Referee: Mr Sinclair.

Attendance: 260

By Peter McKinney