Rovers began well but allowed their hosts to find the net against the run of play and then failed to prevent them from scoring twice more as the season began with a defeat for the North Bedfordshire club.

Rovers had much the better of the opening exchanges as Ben Acquaye saw a goalbound shot blocked by Shane Bush after just ten minutes. Shortly afterwards, Ty Deacon, on his debut for the club, couldn’t latch on to a flick on to take advantage of the gapping net. Perhaps Kempston’s best chance came on twenty minutes when Nathan Tshikuna flicked the ball through to Bush, who found himself clear on goal, but his volley flashed wide. Bush then saw a header loop over the bar from a right wing cross. The impressive Ben Acquaye flicked the ball over the head of his marker to create space for a shot on goal, but dragged his effort wide. With their first effort on goal of the game, the hosts took the lead. With half an hour on the clock, Sonny French found himself ahead of the Kempston backline with just Martin Conway to beat. The Rovers’ stopper got fingertips to the forward’s lobbed effort but couldn’t keep it out. In first half stoppage time, Hateley Mercer was cautioned for a robust challenge on the hosts Ollie Hogg. On reviewing the match photography, Mercer made no contact with his opponent, making his exasperate scream and subsequent rolling on the floor a little irksome to football purists.

After the break, the hosts had the better of the game. Early chances for French and Sean Coles couldn’t find the net, but then just after the hour they extended their lead. Harry Jones was played through, beating the offside trap, and placed a composed finish low past Conway. For the second time in the game, Shane Bush blocked a goal bound effort from one of his own men. With little more than a quarter hour left, Aylesbury United sub Aaron Berry played in French, who dinked a finish over the on rushing Conway only to see it come back off the foot of the post before Alex Collard cleared to safety. United had several chances in quick succession, with Kempston throwing bodies in the way to keep the score at two nil. Their efforts were undone in the seventy ninth minute as Matt Peake-Pijnen latched on to some neat interplay and unleashed a low shot into the net for three nil. Rovers got themselves a consolation goal three minutes from time, Ben Shepherd finding the top corner of the net from a free kick just outside the area. Hopwood in the Aylesbury goal got fingetips to the ball but couldn’t deny Shepherd.

Rovers have an immediate chance to put right their bad start to the season on Tuesday night as they play host to league new boys Coleshill Town, who beat Aylesbury FC this afternoon.