Saturday, September 6, 2003

RUGBY United were deserved victors at the Victoria Ground against a Bromsgrove Rovers side that lacked passion and imagination.

George Rooney's side turned in a very disappointing performance in front of a healthy 525 crowd last Saturday.

They relied far too heavily on the pace of Marcus Jackson who was expected to chase long balls from defence all afternoon.

After early Rugby pressure, the visitors took the lead on 13 minutes. Justin Marsden's pace down the right allowed him to centre the ball for an unmarked Robbie Beard to give Paul Wyatt no chance from 12 yards with Bromsgrove still trying to establish who should have been marking him.

Worse followed five minutes later when a woeful attempt to clear from a Rory Squire left wing corner gave Marsden the opportunity to drill a low shot home through a crowd of players from the edge of the area.

Rugby should have scored their third on 20 minutes when they totally split the Bromsgrove defence, but Wyatt excellently saved at the feet of Beard.

Jamie Williams earned the only booking of the game on the half hour for clattering into Mark Benbow off the ball with referee Cook pulling back play on a rare occasion when Jackson was running at the Rugby defence.

A brief glimmer of hope for the hosts came on 32 minutes when Chris Dawson's shot was deflected past Jason Pearcey for 2-1.

But this only lasted three minutes as Rugby regained their two-goal advantage when Beard, unmarked 25 yards out, lashed a shot into Wyatt's goal.

Danny Scheppel tested Pearcey straight from the kick-off to win Bromsgrove a corner and on 53 minutes Jackson forced the Rugby goalkeeper into claiming a shot at the second attempt.

Substitute Peter Sutton hit the side netting minutes later but Rugby were in total control of the game and Pearcey was never seriously tested again.

ROVERS

Wyatt 6, Frost 5, Hillman 5, Pope 6, Hill 5, Benbow 6, Jackson 7, Scheppel 4, Tomkins 4 (sub Atkinson 69 mins 5), Dawson 5 (sub Sutton 46 mins 6), Banner 5. Subs not used: Beckett, Ruck, Gandy.

Att - 525.

Report by CHRIS FOX.