Rovers roar to victory (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Rovers roar to victory

Bourton Rvrs 5, Broadwell Ams 4

THE majority of the spectators wandered away from Rissington Road last Saturday scratching their heads at the events they had just witnessed.

Among them were the visiting supporters, who must have travelled back to the Forest of Dean wondering just how their side had contrived to throw away three points.

In a match littered with enough defensive mistakes to last for a whole season - a case could be made for all the visitors' goals being gifted to them - Rovers showed great bounce back ability, with four second half strikes, including three in the final 12 minutes.

The game turned midway through the second half due to wholesale substitutions by stand-in manager Neil Teague. The switch of seasoned predator Matthew Winter from centre-half to his accustomed role up front and the never-say-die attitude of captain Stuart Hughes, whose non-stop running literally dragged his side back into the game.

The newly-promoted Cotswolds side now sit proudly at the top of the Northern Senior League while Amateurs arrived still looking for their first point.

However, they were controlled in possession and faster into the challenge, while Bourton were one-paced and shambolic. It was no surprise then, when Broadwell took the lead early in the game when Gary Clark thrashed the ball into his own net after a shot had hit a post.

Andrew Herbert made two excellent saves before the keeper also had a rush of blood and clattered into the pacy Steve Belfitt for the clearest of penalties that was easily converted.

It was soon 3-0 and Broadwell were running amok. Graham Newhook mirrored fellow full back Clark's unhappy afternoon when he stumbled over a clearance, allowing Mike Stevens to score.

Just before the interval Bourton grabbed a lifeline when James Luney's whipped cross was perfect for Tom Chanin to convert.

If Bourton used the interval to regroup and sort out some of the defensive frailties it didn't show and the three-goal cushion was quickly re-established with Clark's under hit back pass proving costly.

Teague resorted to just three defenders, pushed Winter up front and introduced Ryan Newhook, David D'avanzo and Tim Hudson into the fray, and it was the latter who quickly pulled a goal back on the hour when he cut in from the left to fire a high drive that slipped through the keeper's grasp.

Still Broadwell looked comfortable, but they became more unsettled when Hughes drove through into the penalty area to finish with a low deflected strike.

Panic the truly was truly set in when Winter pulled off his marker to chest down and score from D'avanzo's perfectly weighted cross.

The momentum had swung entirely and it seemed inevitable that Bourton would go on to grab the three points. And so it proved as Luney showed great composure to find enough space and curl in the winner from eight yards.

With Tony Spedding back from his marathon jaunt to Poland, Rovers travel to Shortwood United Reserves on Saturday looking to continue their 100 per cent record - their best ever start to a Northern Senior League season.