Kempston step up their preparation

Kempston Rovers named three trialists in their starting line up to face Hertfordshire side Sandridge on a balmy night at Hillgrounds.

The home side took the lead after just ten minutes when a corner from one of the trialists was powerfully met by Lewis Jones to find the back of the net. The trialist nearly made a name for himself less than ten minutes later when he rattled bar after shooting from long range. The referee, who shone through the game, allowing play to flow and not tolerating any false cries, stopped play midway through the half for a much needed water break. Following the re-hydration, Sandridge found their second wind and should’ve levelled the scores but their forward couldn’t find his feet to divert a right wing cross into the net. Kempston held on to lead at the break by a single goal.

Ten minutes into the second half and the woodwork again came to the visitors rescue, when Cameron Hyde unleashed from the angle, only to see his effort flick wide off the near post. Five minutes later, on the hour mark, Rovers did double their lead. A cross played in from the right from one of the trialists that had come off the bench, found a fellow trialist, who managed to flick the ball over the defender he was holding off and volley into the net for two nil. The scored stayed the same until ten minutes from the end, when a corner wasn’t cleared properly by Kempston, allowing seventeen year old Louie Roberts to smash a volley into the net from around the edge of the box to halve the deficit. In the dying moments, another of Kempston’s small army of trialists forced the Sandridge keeper into a full stretch diving save to keep the score at two one.

Next up for Kempston is another home fixture against Baldock Town on Saturday with a three o clock kick off. The reserves are also in action on Saturday, at home to Unite MK on the artificial pitch at Hillgrounds.