Bromsgrove Rovers 3 Hednesford Town 2 (friendly)
MANAGER Rod Brown enjoyed a good day at the office as he watched his new look Rovers team out play Hednesford in an entertaining first pre-season friendly of the summer at the Victoria Ground on Saturday.
The Rover boss fielded several new signings and would have been pleased at the energetic and disciplined manner in which his team performed.
Against Hednesford he started with four of his new additions, handing debuts to defender Carl Heeley, Mark Taylor, Nathan Lamey and Richard Burgess. Brown also included Daire Doyle, who enjoyed a small loan period at Rovers from Redditch United, in the side.
Rovers gelled immediately, producing a dominant display in every area that had hapless Hednesford chasing shadows for much of the game.
Up front Lamey and Burgess looked lively and caused Hednesford a host of problems, while Rovers' midfield quartet of Kevin Banner, Wayne Dyer, Doyle and Taylor kept the ball and moved it about with pace and precision.
Even more encouragingly was Rovers' centre back partnership of John Snape and Carl Heeley, who joined two days before from Hinckley United, which looked solid.
Rovers stalwart Banner almost stole the limelight from the club's array of new signings in the first minute. He collected Dyer's through pass and jinked past a defender but blasted over the bar.
The effort set the tone for the match as the home side probed for an opening. It came in the 11th minute from Banner's free kick.
Lamey rose highest to get a head to it and Snape volleyed it into the roof of the net at the far post.
Four minutes later Rovers roared to 2-0 when Burgess collected Lamey's excellent slide rule pass and scored.
At half time Brown made seven changes, handing debuts to midfielder Stuart Skidmore and former Stourport Swifts goalkeeper Craig Ladek.
The home side looked in control until Phil Handland took advantage of some poor marking from a corner to slot the ball past the diminutive Ladek in the 76th minute.
But Rovers stretched their lead to two goals five minutes later. Delton Francis latched onto a poor back header and despite being brought down by Hednesford 'keeper Flloyd Croll, he showed determination and strength to power through the challenge and slot the ball in at a tight angle.
Despite Steve Brannan taking advantage of some poor Rovers defending to score from a corner late on Hednesford could not ruin Rovers' day.
Rovers: Clarke, Snape, Smith, McHale, Heeley, Doyle, Dyer, Taylor, Lamey, Burgess, Banner. Substitutes used: - Erraji, Francis, Benbow, Lloyd, Skidmore, Ladek, Williams.
Hednesford Town: Croll, Huckerby, March, Ridley, Johnson, Marshall, White, Smith, Dyer, Hadland, Jackson. Substitutes used: - Brannan, Franklin, Jellicoe, Walters, McGhee.
Referee: Mr A Watt (Kidderminster).
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