Saturday, February 28, 2004

JUST 48 hours after being involved in a car accident, Paul Szewczyk scored twice as Bromsgrove Rovers beat Swindon Supermarine 3-0.

Szewczyk, Rovers' top marksman this season, escaped with bruises after rolling his car on black ice last Thursday.

Yet he declared himself fit to play against Swindon last Saturday, scoring in each half before Steve Pope headed the third.

Manager George Rooney said: "I am just glad the lad's alright. He wrote his car off. He hit a patch of ice and ended up in hospital. He was badly bruised and shaken."

Szewczyk's decision to play paid immediate dividends when he turned in Mark Benbow's cross on 42 seconds, the fastest goal seen at the Victoria Ground since Les Palmer struck after just six seconds two years ago.

Further drama was added after Chris Dawson was clattered in the ribs, an incident that contributed to nine minutes of second half added time when an ambulance was called.

It was just as well Rovers got off to such a start as they allowed Swindon, who only avoided relegation last season with a final day victory against Rovers, to take control.

Had their Wiltshire visitors been more accurate they may have taken a lead into the break. Justin Miller, Dave Toomey and James Blastland all had chances to score.

Rooney's side doubled their advantage six minutes after the interval when Szewczyk chased a long ball, held off the challenge of Steve Bennett and stuck the ball past Tom King.

And Rovers were out of sight 11 minutes later, Kevin Banner's corner superbly met by the head of Pope from 10 yards.

A gradually more physical game was stopped for five minutes following a challenge on Dawson. The acting right back took a hefty knock in the ribs from the earlier-booked Simon Futcher and had trouble breathing. Dawson, himself booked in the first half, was replaced by Mark Atkinson and taken to hospital.

The hosts could have added more goals with Banner and Atkinson both finding themselves in good positions while Szewczyk's hat-trick went begging when he was denied by King seven minutes from time.

Swindon were restricted to one half chance and Toomey wasted that after Wyatt had misjudged a clearance.

ROVERS

Wyatt 6, Dawson (sub Atkinson 73 mins) 6, Hillman 6, Pope 7, Benton 7, Beckett 7, Jackson 7, Collins 6, SZEWCZYK 8*, Benbow 8, Banner 6. Subs not used: Douglin, Gandy, Lennon, Tomkins.

Att - 341.