Rovers made four changes from Saturday’s defeat at Aylesbury United and were nearly opened up in the second minute. Liam Molesworth forced a smart save at the near post from Carl Knox after neat work on the right hand side. Nathan Tshikuna had the best of Kempston’s early chances, seeing a spectacular overhead kick dip just over the bar after being set up beautifully by Ben Acquaye’s surging run down the left. it was the visitors who broke the deadlock on ten minutes, a powerful run down the left channel saw the ball played across goal where Reece Leek was on hand to toe end it beyond Knox. Josh Crawley lobbed an effort wide after great set up play from Mason Spence, as Rovers looked to level immediately. Just before the half hour, Molesworth and the impressive Leek combined again but the latter’s final shot was tame. On the half hour, Rovers were level. A corner swung in by Crawley was met by Shane Bush and headed off the goal line. In the ensuing scramble, the ball was worked back to Crawley, who fired low through a clutch of players to score at the near post. The parity was short lived however, as moments later a cross into the Kempston box found Joe Smith unmarked. His flick finish beat Knox and restored the visitors’ lead. Rovers looked to level again through another Crawley corner, hit deep to the far post, Bush headed back across goal, where it fell to Seb Simpson. The defender’s shot was charged down and cleared to safety. Coleshill thought they had extended the lead when Leek had the ball in the net again on thirty nine minutes, but the assistant referee had already raised the flag for offside. Leek did have the last word of the half, though, as he surged forward after stealing possession and finishing low into the net to send the visitors in to the break three one up.

The second half began with both sides putting dangerous crosses into the box, but on both occasions there was no one in the middle to capitalise. Captain Kyal McNulty found himself in the book in the early minutes of the half, sliding in from behind on his man. Just after the hour mark, Josh Crawley was put through by Ben Shepherd, but couldn’t wrap his foot around the ball enough to trouble the keeper. In the sixty seventh minute, Rovers halved the deficit as Ben Shepherd fired a shot from the edge of the box, taking a huge deflection to wrong foot Hathaway in the visitors’ goal to make it three two. Ryan Edmunds could have put the result beyond doubt with fifteen minutes to play, his shot agonisingly coming back off the post straight into the hand of Carl Knox. Coleshill didn’t have to wait much longer for their fourth goal, three minutes later, Giovanni Dainty ghosted in unmarked to head home a right wing cross. It would get worse for Kempston, as in the eightieth minute, sub Matt Gardner, only on the pitch for two minutes, tapped in a fifth. The game finished amid ugly scenes. A free kick was awarded to Kempston for a clear foul, but shortened tempers got the better of a lot of the players and the referee had a lot of pushing and shoving to sort out. A yellow card was awarded to the visitors’ George Washbourne for the foul and a straight red card to Mason Spence who had shoved an opponent in the back, which started the handbags.

The result lifts Coleshill to third in the fledgling table, one of five sides to have won both their games. Rovers two defeats leave them at the wrong end at present. Rovers next action is in the FA Cup, away at Desborough Town on Saturday, before a trip to Kidlington on Bank Holiday Monday.