Rovers went into this crucial league game against Black Boy at Gainsborough Road, knowing that a win would cement their promotion credentials. With Black Boy only 3 points behind them in the league, the game was of equal importance to the home side, who themselves were not out of the promotion race.
The Blues made several changes to the side that beat Pakenham Fox a week earlier,, with Geoff Green returning at left back for the missing Tim Jaggard, Rob Green replacing Jamie Davis in right midfield and Ally Clark coming in for the missing Ian Murfit. Jason Holmes made a rare appearence between the sticks for the Blues, deputising for the missing Wayne Pottle.
Rovers began the game very slowly indeed and had to endure a lot of early pressure from home side, as they came close on several occasions. Boy almost took the lead when Holmes was lobbed from 12 yards out but a fantastic goal line clearence from Richard Ford kept the score at 0-0.
It was 20 minutes into the game before Rovers could manage their 1st real purposeful attack and, very much against the run of play, they made that attack count when Micky Cross burst into the visitors box to hook the ball over the advancing Boy keeper and tap the Blues into a 1-0 lead.
This should have settled the visitors and hopefully helped them take control of the game but again Rovers failed to get the ball down and play their football and were guilty of panicing under pressure and begn to lose their discipline and were fortunate to go into the break with their lead in tact.
The 2nd half began with Rovers looking to up their game and put their woeful 1st half performance behind them but once again the home side piled on the pressure and looked far more of a threat than the lackluster Blues. Despite their dominance it was with a stroke of luck that saw Boy draw level, when on the hour mark, a deep cross from the home side's left midfielder, beat everyone, including Holmes, and dropped in just under the Blues crossbar.
Being pegged back finally seemed to spur the Blues into action and they began to find their passes with a little more acuraccy and ease and in doing so began to pose far more of a threat on the home goal. Rovers were able to get their noses back in front on 70 minutes, when a fine piece of individual brilliance and perserverance from front man, Tiernan Boland, saw him chip the ball over the keeper and into the empty net.
Boy then threw another man up front and tried again to break down the Blues defence, as they went in search of an equaliser, but Rovers were able to see out the final 20 minutes with relative ease after a reckless tackle on Jamie Feltner saw Boy reduced to 10 men and the blues held on to claim the vital 3 points.
The win sees Rovers move up to 4th in the table, only 2 points behind the league leaders and they can take some heart from not playing well but still being able to secure a win.
The Blues now have a break from league action as they again meet Black Boy in the Division 2 Cup at Hardwick Heath next Saturday.
