Our hosts started the brighter and Carl Knox had to be alive and alert to block a one on one chance against former Kempston forward Danny Watson within the first eight minutes. Two minutes later, Barton did take the lead from the penalty spot after a clumsy challenge from Knox on the Barton full back who had managed to get into the area. The spot kick was put away, just beyond Knox’s dive, by Barton top scorer Connor Calcutt. His twenty eighth of an increasingly impressive season for him. The lead lasted ten minutes, as Kempston clawed themselves level with a tap in from Jake Newman. Good build up work down the right led to a Robbie Goodman cross, missed by everyone but put back across goal by Munashe Sundire for Newman to tap in from a couple of feet. Just on the half hour, Kempston had a golden chance to take the lead, a Heneghan corner was whipped into a dangerous area only for no one to leap and make contact for what would’ve been a certain goal. Into first half stoppage time and Barton thought they had another penalty, their winger Jimmy Hartley surged into the area and appeared to lose his footing under a Kempston challenge. He stumbled and fell after a further couple of steps. This was enough to convince the referee to give a free kick and a yellow card for the apparent dive. The half time whistle was blown from the resulting free kick, one all at the break.
Eight minutes into the second half and Barton were ahead again, a break away on the right saw Danny Watson square the ball to Hartley, who cut back into onto his right foot and squeezed a tidy finish under Knox and across the goal. Barely a minute later and Kempston were awarded a penalty, Sundire had a shot from outside the area which was spectacularly parried away, unfortunately for our hosts, it was full back Hall that made the save. Ash Fuller tucked the penalty away for his sixteenth goal of the season. On the hour mark, Barton re-took the lead for the third time; a soft free kick was conceded on the edge of the Kempston area, which was taken by Hartley. He hit the post, but Calcutt was there to nod the rebound into the empty net, with Knox having fully committed to the original kick. Kempston then decided to make a double change, Sam Johnson and Shane Bush, just back from his nasty head injury, came into the fray. Almost immedietly, Bush was involved in an altercation, where he challenged for a header and led with his elbow. He recived a yellow card for his trouble when a red may have been warrented. Kempston pressed for a third equaliser, but were restricted to half chances and long shots by a very well organised Barton defence, led by the superb Tommy Smith in the middle.
The result, coupled with others elsewhere has dropped Kempston to seventh place in the table, leaving next Saturday’s task very clear. Win and hope that others slip up.

Rovers line up
1 Knox, 2 Goodman, 3 Sundire, 4 Boland, 5 Stoyles, 6 Simpson, 7 Heneghan, 8 Shepherd, 9 Newman, 10 Ivy, 11 Fuller
Subs – 12 Fryer, 14 Johnson, 15 Bush
Attendance 201
Rovers man of the match, Seb Simpson