Football - Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division 1 (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Football - Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division 1

Bourton Rovers 2 Broadwell Amateurs 4

In a game that changed as startlingly as the weather conditions that accompanied it Rovers contrived to snatch a sour tasting defeat from the jaws of, what would have been, an excellent victory.

The game began and ended in bright sunshine and was interrupted mid flow by a blizzard of artic proportions. But it was a Broadwell attacking blizzard in the last fifteen minutes that stung the home side the most.

For the first hour the home side were cruising, two nil ahead, and other than the odd lapse of concentration well in control of this Northern Senior League match. Winter had shot them ahead mid way through the first half. The Rovers talisman springing the offside trap with a perfect timed run as he was played in by Hudsons delicate flick.

Having quite literally weathered the storm Harvey put them two goals to the good at the start of the second period with a bullet near post header from Davansos inswinging corner.

First Odom and then Hudson could have made it three, but neither could convert and those missed were to prove costly.

A scruffy looking goal after a desperate scramble gave the Amateurs a lifeline. Skipper Harvey unable to make it a hat-trick of goal line clearances in the space of seconds. The equaliser, from the next attack, was hotly disputed. Goalkeeper Herbert leant into a forward as the ball was running harmlessly out of play and it was deemed sufficient contact to have the referee pointing for a spot kick.

Bourton capitulated forthwith, and worse was to follow. First, and again controversially, a corner was taken from Herberts grasp, and with barely time for the home side to cry foul another corner led to a defensive mix up and a trickled fourth.

Despite the worrying manner in which Rovers surrendered this game full credit has to be given to their young Forest opponents and their stubborn reluctance to give up on the cause.

With just two points taken from the last fifteen, the Cotswold side will be looking to halt the slide when they visit Stroud side Kings Stanley this Saturday, 3pm.

Falcons 1 Bourton Rovers Reserves 0

Rovers came back empty handed from the short journey to Charlton Kings, when a second half goal was the only thing that separated the two sides.

A much changed Rovers side saw Luneys charges turn to experience, and there was no shortage of it, particularly with a 40 something Tony Spedding putting in a rare appearance in a warm up for the restart of the over 35s floodlit champions league on Wednesday night.