Stone the Crows, Royston hit six

The game was played on the much cliched cold, wet night at a rural setting in Royston. The kind of night that you imagine Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn’t fancy.

Rovers started brightly and forced a few early corners, but Royston soon found their rhythm and forced Martin Conway into a save on ten minutes to deny Ingrey. Four minutes later, however, the hosts were in front. A slick move involving Potton, Ingrey and Castiglione ended up at the feet of Scott Thomas, for the midfielder to slip the shot under Conway. The lead was doubled around the twenty minute mark as a long ball over the top was won by Ingrey, who beat Seb Simpson for pace and finished low into the net. On the half hour, it was three nil. Castiglione worked the ball in from a wide position and the lively Ingrey was quickest to react to tap home. Kyal McNulty earned his fourth yellow card of the season late in the half for blocking a run down the wing.

Robbie Goodman had an early chance in the second half, but his shot under pressure went wide after being set up on the edge of the area. Jake Newman saw a shot deflected wide soon after, but it was in the sixty seventh minute that Royston extended their lead. A ball over the top was superbly brought down and finished in the area by Potton for four nil. With twenty minutes left in the game, Royston made it five, a surging run from the impressive captain Bridges found Corcoran in the area to score. In the seventy eighth minute, Bridges got the goal that his excellent midfield display deserved, played in on the edge of the area before dispatching the shot low for six nil. George Boland and Nathan Tshikuna registered decent efforts on goal, the latter needing a full stretch diving save by Welch, before Rovers registered a consolation goal in the dying moments. Jamaine Ivy put a ball through for Michael Lyon, who superbly lifted the ball over the on rushing keeper with a fine composed finish. The referee was clearly in no mood to hang around and blew the whistle a minute early.

Royston go through to the third round in January. They have improved significantly on the side that we faced last season, where we earned a 4-4 draw. Captain Scott Bridges stood out as the most influential player on the field for Royston as they went about their task clinically and professionally – and of the four sides from the Southern League Premier that we have faced in various cups this season, they are the only one to have truly out played us.

Egham Town’s 5-3 defeat in extra time in the FA Trophy tonight means that our fixture with the Sarnies will go ahead as scheduled on Saturday.