Rovers dominated for large parts of this game and should’ve been out of sight at half time, however a second half rally from the visitors made the game slightly more uncomfortable than it perhaps should’ve been. However, a familiar name returned to the scoresheet as Jake Newman popped up with his sixteenth goal of the season to put an end to Rovers recent poor run of results.

The game started well as Rovers had a re-shuffled pack, in search of a kick start. Seb Simpson was shifted to a midfield role alongside Kyal McNulty, both provided a terrific screen for the back four and allowed Ben Shepherd to roam freer up the park. There was a first start for Josh Crawley on his return to Hillgrounds, his first home game for the club since the win that sealed the UCL title. There was also a debut for Jordan Lee at left back after he had joined from Soham Town.

Rovers were in the mood and took the lead as early as the seventh minute, when a right wing corner was swung in a not dealt with by Ashford. Sam Johnson hooked the ball back across goal, where Crawley was waiting to nod in the opener. Less than a minute later, it was two nil as the same two players combined. Johnson beat his man on the right and put the ball across goal in the ‘corridor of uncertainty’, where Crawley was waiting to flick the ball over the keeper and in. With barely fifteen minutes gone, it could’ve been more, as two chances in quick succession fell to Newman, the first from a clever free kick on the edge of the box hit the side netting, the next a flick header off a Shepherd cross glanced the post on its way behind. On the half hour, Crawley was fed through by Johnson; the forward took the ball around the keeper on the edge of the area and chose to square the ball to Newman rather than shoot. It proved to be the wrong choice as Newman was flagged offside. Two minutes before the break, Ashford got a goal back. Winger Beadle pulled the ball back for Larada, who saw his initial shot saved by Martin Conway, he made no mistake with the follow up. There was a chance for Rovers to restore the two goal cushion in first half stoppage time as Newman crossed, but Johnson couldn’t quite stretch a leg out to divert the ball into the net.

Just before the hour mark, Rovers thought they had a penalty, when Ben Shepherd saw his long shot saved and spilled by the visiting keeper, Jake Newman was quickest to react. He was about to pull the trigger when he was felled from behind by a desperate Ashford defender. Corner was the descision from the referee. Shepherd was lucky to escape a booking for a vociferous protest at the call. The corner was headed just wide by Robbie Goodman. Ten minutes later, with Ashford’s first real attacking of the second period, they levelled the scores. A corner from the left was allowed to bounce in the area, before being scrambled clear, Rovers re-set to defend the next corner. Visiting defender Will Boye rose high to get on to the second set piece with a meaty header for the equaliser, somewhat against the run of play. Rovers dug in and found a winning goal nine minutes from time, Shepherd seized on a poor clearance from Tobin in the Ashford goal and looked to shoot with the keeper stranded, his effort deflected and found its way to Newman, who showed enough composure to step inside his man and then flick the ball with the outside of his left boot into the corner of the net. Unfortunately for him, his exuberant celebrations with the Kempston Colts players behind the goal earned him his fifth yellow card of the season and a one match ban. Ashford attempted to put some late pressure on the Rovers goal, the closest they came was in the fourth minute of seven added, as the visitors set up a free kick, their keeper made his way forward to try and salvage a point but it came to nothing and Rovers had their first win in over a month, much to the joy and relief of all the fans.

Rovers don’t have a game this weekend, but travel to bottom of the table Arlesey Town next Tuesday, 7:45pm kick off. The Development side are in action on Saturday, they travel to the other side of the river to face Queens Park Cresents at Allen Park (access from Old Ford End Road, MK40)