Saturday, December 29, 2001

BROMSGROVE Rovers kept their Midland Alliance title hopes on track with a well-deserved 3-1 win at Knypersley Victoria.

Many of Rovers' 100-strong travelling support missed the first half because of major traffic chaos on the M6.

With just two minutes gone an unmarked Wayne Atkinson met Lee Horton's cross for the home side, but somehow his glancing header missed the target by inches.

Rovers awoke from their sluggish start to score on 12 minutes. Les Palmer intercepted a loose ball outside the penalty area, advanced past a flat-footed defender and skipped round Vics 'keeper Kevin Taylor to slot the ball into an empty net.

Rovers continued to press home their advantage and 10 minutes later went further ahead. Grant Beckett fed a ball into the right wing, Melvyn Blake accelerated to the by-line and crossed for Beckett to fire home.

Taylor easily saved a Blake free-kick and then produced a brilliant save soon after to keep out Palmer's powerfully-directed header.

At the start of the second-half Kevin Banner saw an effort sail wide for Rovers and then crossed from the left for Palmer's header to be saved by Taylor. Knypersley offered little with Taylor sending a free-kick over the bar.

Vics captain Steve Griffiths made an excellent saving tackle on Blake, who had been put clear by Palmer, and Blake then put Beckett's cross wide, but Rovers were attacking in numbers and it was only a matter of time before they went further ahead.

The third goal duly arrived on 76 minutes, Beckett again putting in a cross from the left which eluded both Palmer and Blake, but Joe Licata arrived at the far post to drill the ball home.

The home side responded well with an all-out assault on the Rovers goal. Caretaker boss Jon Ford cleared Craig Redgate's header off the line before Vics got a goal back on 82 minutes, Scott Burge poking the ball in following an almighty goalmouth scramble.

Matt Lowe then produced an excellent double save to keep out efforts from James, but Rovers then welcomed Sam Bowen back into action and the substitute first hit the bar with a free-kick and then fired a shot just over the bar near the end.

Bromsgrove: Lowe, Lloyd, Banner, Frost, Ford, Kavanagh, Coppin (Bowen 83), Beckett, Palmer, Blake, Licata. Subs not used: Lynch, Derry.