Bromsgrove Rovers 2 Stourport Swifts 1

Southern League Division One West

By Peter McKinney

MIDFIELD dynamo Mark Benbow bagged a late, late winner to clip Stourport Swifts' wings and lift some of the gloom at the Victoria Ground on Saturday.

Bromsgrove Rovers' second half substitute chested Kevin Banner's cross past goalkeeper Tony Breedon.

Rovers bagged two goals in the final five minutes after Craig Pountney had put Stourport ahead. Victory sealed Rovers first home win since beating Thame United on March 11 and silenced the boo boys at the Victoria Ground.

Manager Rod Brown has been under increasing pressure from the fans at home after a poor run of results.

The team went into the game in buoyant mood after an impressive performance at Hitchin in the Errea Southern Football League Cup final in mid-week.

But Rovers' crisis of confidence at home was exposed as in-form Swifts took advantage.

The visitors were in control from the start and former Rovers player Richard Burgess shot over the bar in the first minute.

Rovers escaped a penalty after referee Mr Hamilton did not blow when Matt Johnson scythed down Mark Hands in the box in the fifth minute.

Breedon saved Steve Hillman's shot in the tenth minute and Banner could only put his rebound over the bar.

Rovers struggled to cope with Stourport and Pountney volleyed Burgess's cross wide in the 14th minute.

Hillman, playing in a midfield three, shot wide and Davis had the home side's best shot in the 23rd minute. Banner sent in a probing cross and the striker's header was tipped over by Breedon.

But the visitors went 1-0 in the 33rd minute. Lee Williams slipped the ball forward, Pountney rushed past Joe Williams and scored.

Rovers came out guns blazing in the second half and Hillman shot wide in the 50th minute.

From Banner's corner in the 55th minute Davis headed towards goal but Hands cleared off the line.

John Snape curled in an accurate cross and Davis's header was just off target.

As the game wore on Swifts seemed to coming back into the game.

However, the arrival of substitutes Benbow and Delton Francis made the difference.

Davis had his shirt nearly pulled off him by Daniel Harvey while reaching for Banner's free kick. From the resulting penalty the winger calmly slotted it into the right hand corner in the 86th minute

The goal changed the game and gave the home support something to cheer about.

The hosts went in search of a late winner. Francis laid the ball off to Banner on the left and he delivered a cross that the late arriving Benbow chested past Breedon at the far post in the 92nd minute to give Rovers' fans something smile about on Easter Sunday.

ROVERS: Evans 6, Johnson 6, WILLIAMS 7, Dyer 6 (Benbow, 70mins, 6), McHale 6, Snape 6, Hillman 6, McDonald 6 (Smith, 6, 70mins), Davis 6, Reynolds 5 (Francis, 65mins, 6) Banner 6.

SWIFTS: Breedon, Byrne, Robinson, Knight, Harvey, Webb, Hands, Findlay, Pountney (Burgess, 71mins), Burgess, Williams.

Referee: Mr Hamilton.

Attendance: 314.