DMW April 15, 2000

GOALS from Ryan Daley, Peter Sutton and Mark Benbow earned Rovers their first win in seven league games at soggy Coles Lane on Saturday.

While their hosts missed a hatful of chances, Steve Daley's men finished in style to deservedly post three points.

The homesters made the early running on a heavy pitch, with two opportunities going begging, but Rovers rode the storm.

As the half progressed, they gained in confidence. Youngster Graham Brown headed over when well placed and Sutton beat the offside trap, squaring to Brown whose shot was smothered by 'keeper Matthew Ford. Tom Davies pounced on the follow-up but fired wide.

Daley made no such mistake on 23 minutes, heading the Greens in front after good build up play by Sutton and Davies.

The home side rallied, forcing Davies to clear off the line, before Sutton squandered a glorious opportunity right on half time, firing wide of the mark with only Ford to beat.

After the break, Sutton tested Ford on two occasions and, at the other end, Mark Holden should have done better after a promising mazy run.

Rovers doubled their slender advantage on 66 minutes. Skipper Mark Bowater supplied the hefty forward pass, Ford misjudged the bounce and Sutton gleefully stroked the ball home for his 11th goal of the season and the first in four games.

Richard Hamer missed a great chance to level when he headed against the bar from Holden's free kick and matters were made worse for the home side six minutes later when Holden was dismissed for retaliation after a 12-man scuffle.

With their opponents in disarray, the Greens extended their lead ten minutes from time. Sutton played the ball through to find both Brown and Mark Benbow onside. The hard-working ex-Hereford United man skipped past Ford to place the ball into the net despite a defender's desperate attempt to clear.

John Humphreys nearly added a fourth in the dying minutes while Leon Mitchell and Craig Dutton both missed late chances on a day the home side were happy to forget.

Rovers: Jones, Townsend, Ulfig, Turpin, Bowater, Biddle (sub Humphreys 85), Davies (sub Pincher 88), Brown (sub Jinks 81), Sutton, Daley, Benbow.

Attendance: 147. Rovers man of the match: Mark Benbow.