Tuesday 24 th January 2006
errea (Southern League) Cup 3rd Round
Bromsgrove Rovers 1   King's Lynn 0
By Phil Baker

At half-time there was a sense of déjà vu about this game. Outplayed a team from a higher division and did everything right except score. How many matches have we seen this season where this has happened? At least on this occasion it had a happy ending with Paul Moore getting the vital winner eleven minutes into the second half.

Despite playing a full-strength team King's Lynn never really got into this game and although the home team had to defend a slim lead for 34 minutes, they never looked in danger of conceding an equaliser let alone a winner, such was their dominance throughout the match and the confidence of the defence.

Manager, Rod Brown made a few forced changes compared to the team that took the field against Hemel with Exodus Geohaghan returning to the centre of defence after his one match suspension. This left a surplus defender so with Kevin Banner rested after taking a knock three days before, Steve Hillman played left mid-field. Jimmy Smith made his debut up front replacing Neil Davis and Anthony Maguire replaced John Snape next to Wayne Dyer in the middle.

Rovers best chances in the first half came from Paul Moore on the 22nd minute when he forced the Lynn 'keeper into a good one-handed save then again nine minutes later when his shot glanced across the face of the goal. Matt Johnson hit the bar with a well-struck free kick four minutes from the interval.

The visitors best two chances went to former Norwich City player and French under-21 international, Cedric Anselin but apart from those the home defence frustrated most attempts by the Norfolk men to get the ball into the box and when they did Tim Clarke provided a reliable last line of defence between the sticks.

Neither team came out guns blazing at the start of the second period when conventional wisdom suggested scoring a quick goal and defending it. Instead they both moved the ball around neatly and quickly and eventually this worked to Rovers' advantage when the King's Lynn defence only cleared a Matt Johnson corner out to Paul Moore who seized his chance hitting a short strike into the bottom left-hand corner.

King's Lynn did manage to up their game and threaten the Rovers net on a few occasions with 3 and 4 having good chances saved by Clarke. Their best opportunity was in the 66th minute when at close range, 4 forced a good stop from Tim Clarke who palmed the ball on to his own bar, 3 attempted to drive home the re-bound but failed to connect with an open goal at his mercy.

With the temperature dropping below zero and the ground hardening, Matt Barnes-Homer and Ben Porter came on to try and extend the lead but apart from a couple of late chances, Rovers had to be content with a single goal.

Rover last won this competition in 1985 so a repeat is long overdue. Having beaten four teams from higher up already this season there is no reason why they cannot do it three more times to bring some much-needed silverware to the Victoria Ground. We shall have to hope the draws are kind to them.

Rovers: Tim Clarke, Matt Johnson, Mark Benbow, Gavin Hurren, Exodus Geohaghan,
Joe Williams, Anthony Maguire, Wayne Dyer, Jimmy Smith (Ben Porter 58 mins),
Paul Moore (Matt Barnes-Homer 61 mins), Steve Hillman. Subs not used: Kevin Banner, Lee Evans.

King's Lynn: Aaron Benstead, Dean West, Stephen Harvey (Luke Fell 70 mins), Sam McMahon, Matt Peters, Adam Jones, Mark Camm, Cedric Anselin, Jack Defty, Danny Bloomfield (Mark Heath-Preston 58 mins), Matt Nolan (Danny Hammond 80 mins).
Subs not used: Duncan McAnally

Referee: Mr A Williams (Hereford)
Attendance: 135

Baker's MoM for Rovers: Exodus Geohaghan.