Rovers so close to taking the sparkle out of Diamonds

The two sides lined up for this game with the Diamonds sitting pretty at the top of the fledgling table having won all their games in all competitions and only conceded the one goal so far and even that was in a seven one win. Rovers came out in determined mood, but were dealt a blow as early as the sixth minute when they failed to clear their lines following a challenge, allowing the ball to be played across goal for Joel Gyasi to tap in at the far post. Ben Shepherd, Robbie Goodman, Ash Fuller and Jake Newman all had chances either just wide or saved by the visiting keeper, Ben Heath, before in the twenty first minute, Rovers did find the net. A free kick, flighted in by Ben Shepherd, was nodded back across goal and tapped in by Jake Newman for his sixth goal in as many games. It was a special goal for Jake, as it was the first time he has scored against his former club. Shortly before the half hour mark, the referee stopped play and allowed the players to take on some much-needed fluid as the pitch-side temperature soared. Diamonds had the last clear chance of the half when a free kick caused confusion in the Rovers box, but the ball was eventually blazed over after three bites at the cherry.
Rovers made a change at half time, bringing Hateley Mercer on for Damon Herbert as part of a defensive reshuffle to cope with the pace of the Diamonds forward players. Diamonds thought they had a penalty seven minutes into the half when the ball was played against Alex Stoyles, the referee rightly agreed that the ball had come off his chest and shoulder and not the arm as was claimed. Stolyes was again in the thick of it when Diamonds forward Boateng was racing clear, Stoyles made up the ground and slid in with a perfectly timed challenge, saving Rovers from a clear goal scoring chance. Play was stopped with half an hour to go for another drinks break as players began to tire in the sapping heat, but it was Rovers who found their second wind. After being under pressure for much of the second half, a quick break forward was flicked on by Jamaine Ivy into the path of Newman, who in turn set up Ben Shepherd. The midfielder bore down on goal but was denied by a desperate challenge to put the ball out for a corner. Shepherd hit the bar with a free kick in the eightieth minute with Heath stranded in goal. Diamonds responded with two late free kicks of their own, Liam Dolman, once of Northampton Town as he proudly points out, curled one over the bar after a late challenge by Mercer, for which he saw yellow. And a second free kick tamely found the arms of a grateful Martin Conway. Rovers so nearly stole all three points when a ball floated into the area in stoppage time was met by the diving head of Grant Fryer, only to see the ball fly a whisker wide of the post. The draw was just about the right result in the end as both sides coped well with the hot conditions to produce a brilliant game of football.
Both sides move on to next weekend and FA Cup fixtures, Rovers play host to United Counties League side Wisbech Town.

Man of the Match, as nominated by our match sponsors Flinn Construction - your partner in building solutions, was Alex Stoyles.