DMW March 11, 2000

GOAL-DEN boy Peter Sutton continued his dazzling run of form against arguably the best side Rovers have played this season.

With just 20 minutes to go and the visitors nestling snugly on their slender lead, the ex-Walsall youngster chased down a panicky back pass to 'keeper Matthew Lowe.

His woefully short clearance was bundled home at the second attempt for Sutton's seventh goal in nine league games.

In an instant, the face of Saturday's game at the Victoria Ground changed completely as Rovers grew in confidence and 'Nall were forced onto the defensive.

Kevin Jinks's 40-yard rocket narrowly missed its target and an unmarked Sutton inexplicably headed wide when he met Mark Benbow's right wing cross six yards out.

Five minutes from time, tensions increased when Darren Simkin crudely pulled Sutton back just outside the box. The last man, Simkin was reprieved by referee Trevor Parkes, but can consider himself very fortunate.

Lying fifth in the table, Blakenhall fielded several familiar faces, including ex-Rovers men Richard Gardner, Chris Smith, Ian Cooper and Leon Jackson.

The Bloxwich-based side certainly impressed early on with some neat attacking moves linking defence and attack, but Nore Gabbidon in the home goal was rarely under threat.

Lofty striker John Muir, a target for the Greens last season, thought he'd scored on 20 minutes, only for Quentin Townsend to boot his goalbound effort off the line with Gabbidon beaten.

But Smith wasn't to be denied. When Rovers dilly-dallied after Scott Colcombe's 40th minute corner, he fired home from close range to break the uneasy deadlock.

For their part, Steve Daley's side failed to match their impressive performance at Cinderford last week and were continually thwarted by a mean offside trap.

Andy Biddle's long range header prompted an early save from Lowe and Tom Davies send the visiting 'keeper scurrying towards his left hand post with a well-struck drive from the edge of the box on 36 minutes.

The star man, however, was Ryan Daley, who never stopped running and supplied the best cross of the day, a 53rd minute beauty cruelly spurned by both Sutton and Biddle.

Rovers: Gabbidon, Townsend, Ulfig, Ashley, Bowater, Jinks, Davies, Benbow, Sutton, Daley, Biddle. Subs (unused): Brown, Humphries, Winstone.

Attendance: 505. Rovers man of the match: Ryan Daley.