Marlow, is it me you’re looking for?

The game started with a bang as the hosts took the lead in the sixth minute, lively winger Kameron English made headway down the right-hand side before putting a cross into the box. Unfortunately for Kempston, the cross took a deflection and looped over Martin Conway for the opening goal. The hosts then began to press, Charlie Samuel guilty of several tame long shots throughout the game had his first attempt on the quarter hour. With half an hour gone, Rovers rattled the woodwork as a Sam Johnson corner was met on the full by Robbie Goodman. Shortly afterward, Conway had to go full stretch to keep out Samuel. Kempston thought they had levelled the score ten minutes before the break as Johnson crossed to find Jake Newman, the forward danced around his marker before lashing the ball home only to be denied by the flag. A minute later, Newman caught Gallimore in possession and advanced into the area, his cut back found Ben Shepherd whose low shot was tipped past the post by the fingertips of Simon Grant. Late on in the half, Seb Simpson was shown a yellow card for a tangle with Jordan Brown. Rovers were behind at the break, but should’ve been level.
During the half time break, the skies were the thing to watch as several impressive Red Kites swooped and soared over head, not quite vultures circling but symbolic of those in red being on the hunt for the second half. Sure enough, Rovers upped their work rate for the restart and were nearly rewarded in the fiftieth minute as Jake Newman was put through on goal, he shot wide, perhaps had the ball fallen to his favoured left foot he may have broken his mini-goal drought. Moments later, a Johnson corner was flapped at by Grant, the ball fell to Goodman but the defender hooked over the bar. Ten minutes into the second half, Curtis Chappell was cautioned for the hosts for a foul on Shepherd. Shortly after the hour mark, Rovers made a double change. Introducing Adam Moussi and Luke Heneghan to create more chances. Heneghan making his second debut for the club having re-signed in the week. Shortly after the changes, a Sam Johnson cross nearly repeated the hosts opening goal, but this time the cross bar came to Marlow’s rescue. In the 67th minute, however, the hosts luck ran out, a long Johnson pass found Newman bearing down on goal, the forward was bundled to the ground as he entered the box, the ball ran loose and there was Heneghan arriving at the perfect time to slip the ball under the advancing keeper for the equaliser. Less than three minutes later, Marlow’s chances suffered a blow. Michael Lyon received the ball on the left flank and surged forward, only to be scythed down by Chappell. The referee was left with little option than to show the full back a second yellow card and reduce the hosts to ten men. With ten minutes to go, Marlow captain Brown was also shown a yellow card for a petty trip on Conway. In the eighty first minute, Rovers made the decisive move. Marlow failed to clear their lines properly and the ball fell to Ben Shepherd, who bent a shot beyond Grant and into the net from the edge of the area. Rovers had the lead and the man advantage but Marlow, unbeaten at home so far this season, pressed forward for an unlikely point. In the dying moments, they swung a corner into the box and the goal bound header was blocked on the line by a sea of yellow and red. Kempston stood strong in the face of the late Marlow pressure and held out for a hard-earned win. Next up for Rovers is a home date with Aylesbury United on Tuesday.

Kempston manager Jimmy Stoyles picked out George Boland as his man of the match, but also gave special praise to Seb Simpson.