Kempston give Uxbridge the blues

Rovers made the perfect start to the game as Nathan Tshikuna surged into the box and squared the ball back to Sam Johnson, who had the presence of mind to lay the ball across goal to Robbie Goodman arriving unmarked at the back post to tap in to the unguarded net from a handful of yards in the fifth minute. After the goal, the hosts pressed but could not create significant danger. Rabess had a tame shot easily smothered by Martin Conway before Joe Wright wasted two glorious chances when through on goal, blazing one over and skewing the other well wide. Rovers weathered the storm and created half chances of their own, Goodman headed wide and Johnson put a delicious cross into the box but too deep for the advancing Jake Newman. With five minutes remaining before the break, Uxbridge defender Chevy Hart was shown a yellow card for a clear foul on Newman, the free kick was cleared for a corner. From the corner, Ben Shepherd whipped the ball in toward the six-yard area where it was met on the run by Alex Stoyles, who powered a header into the net for two nil.
Kempston started the second half on top and had half chances when Newman couldn’t stretch to connect with a floated Shepherd cross and then again when Johnson crossed in and Tshikuna missed his kick when lining up a volley. The first major flash point of the second half came in the sixty third minute, when Damon Herbert was chased down by James Burgess, who was convinced the Rovers full back had tripped him, the two went toe to toe. Several other players became needlessly involved, including Uxbridge keeper Paul McCarthy who ran forty yards to input his opinion. The referee restored order to proceedings and showed the yellow card to both Herbert and Burgess. With fifteen minutes left on the clock, there was a break in play as the referee required some treatment to an injury. Kempston managed the game well into stoppage time and were well in control, Uxbridge’s chances of any sort of comeback were dashed in stoppage time when Hart pulled back sub Wigg-Booden when he was going clear on goal. The defender was shown a second yellow card for the offence and left his side to see out the game with ten men. In the seventh minute of stoppage time there was a further yellow card shown for a very late tackle on Jamaine Ivy by Uxbridge sub Cabdalla, but no further action on goal. Rovers saw out a significant victory and move into Monday’s home match with table topping AFC Rushden & Diamonds in positive mood.