Willenhall Town 2 Bromsgrove Rovers 1

Southern League Division One West

TEN men Bromsgrove Rovers, who had goalkeeper Lee Evans sent off, came close to taking a point at Noose Lane on Bank Holiday Monday.

Evans was sent off in the ninth minute when he brought the advancing striker John Quilt down outside the box.

Despite the heroics of man-of-the-match Phil Male, who made a string of excellent saves when drafted in as an emergency goalkeeper, Rovers fans were left with the bitter taste of defeat in their mouths.

Midfielder Wayne Dyer also rubbed salt in when the wounds when he missed a penalty.

Rovers went into the game full of confidence after scoring eight goals in two games. Manager Jimmy Mullen handed towering defender Exodus Geohaghan his debut alongside Male at the back.

The home side contained several former Rovers players, including winger Nicky Campbell and former top scorer Paul Danks.

Rovers made a lively start and winger Kevin Banner had the game's first attempt in the third minute, when he crashed in a powerful shot, which Martin Myers deflected for a corner.

But the game turned on its head when Evans was sent off. The rookie 'keeper hesitated as Quilt rushed onto a long ball, before charging out and clattering into the veteran striker. Referee Mr Richard Smith had no choice but to slap Evans with a straight red card.

Male settled the nerves when he made a great diving save to stop Craig Holland's shot from the resulting free-kick.

But he was beaten a minute later when he missed a probing Phil Rowe cross and Quilt bundled the ball into the back of the net.

Mullen took off Chris Smith for Riad Erraji, while Scott Hadland slotted in at the back, as striker Dean Curtis ploughed a lonely furrow up front.

Rovers failed to threaten for the rest of the half, but Male kept his side in the game. He got down well to block Campbell when he bared down on goal in the 36th minute and beat Gary Hay to a long ball as he rampaged forward in the 41st.

Mullen swapped Leon Mitchell for Mark Benbow at the start of the second half, as Rovers took a more attacking approach.

Male had to be alert when he dived acrobatically to his right to tip away Rowe's low curling attempt in the 53rd minute.

The keeper's resistance was broken six minutes later, when Paul Danks flicked on Holland's corner and Inderpaul Khela volleyed in at the far post.

The introduction of Matthew Barnes-Homer gave the visitors an injection of pace, as Rovers pushed Willenhall back. The winger had a header saved in the 70th minute and a call for a penalty ignored when John Newall pulled him back in the box.

Rovers' penalty woes continued this season, when Dyer missed their third of the season in the 78th minute, after Myers brought down Matt Johnson in the box.

Dyer made up for his miss with ten minutes left, when he side footed Banner's excellent corner from the right in at the far post.

Bromsgrove scented a late equaliser and Mitchell saw his overhead kick go wide. But wobbly Willenhall held on as Rovers continue to wait for their first away victory.

Rovers: Evans 3 (s/o nine mins), Johnson 7, Williams 6, MALE 8, Geogahan 7, Hadland 7, Benbow 6 (Mitchell, 45mins, 7), Dyer 6, Curtis 6 (Barnes-Homer, 60mins, 7), Smith (Erraji, 13mins, 7), Banner.

Willenhall: DeBont 6, Platt 7, Vaughan, 7, Khela 7, Newall 6, Holland 6 (Sheppard, 60mins, 7), Campbell 7, Myers 6, Quilt 6 (Danks, 16mins, 6) 16mins), Hay 6 (Rochester, 78mins, 6) Rowe 6.

Referee: Mr Richard Smith.

By Peter McKinney