Royston Town 7-1 Broxbourne Borough

ROYSTON Town scored six second half goals to brush aside Broxbourne Borough on Tuesday night.

Bobby Dance helped himself to a hat-trick while captain Ross Collins scored two and Ricky Young and Paul Klein each got singles.

The kick-off at Garden Walk was delayed by 30 minutes after an electrical problem caused a floodlight failure.

When the match finally did get going both sides found it difficult to create any early chances but the visitors went ahead on 25 minutes after a lapse in concentration in the Crows defence. A throughball picked out an unmarked and onside Rory Brien who took a touch before prodding a low shot past Jorden Gibson from just inside the box.

Things got worse for Royston minutes later when influential midfielder Martin Standen was forced to go off injured with a leg injury with centre-half David Cain coming on in his place.

However they scored the equaliser while they were down to 10 men on 37 minutes when Jack Bradshaw’s hopeful looping ball into the box was met by a downward header by Collins at the far post who did well to beat the ‘keeper from an acute angle.

The talking point of the first half ensued just before the break when a rash tackle by Bradley Drisdale on Ashley Grinham sparked a mass brawl involving all outfield players. Despite all players getting involved and a number of punches and kicks being thrown, the referee decided to show straight red cards to only Drisdale and Grinham when in truth he could have brandished a few more.

It didn’t take long for Royston to utilise the extra space in the second half and they went ahead in the 51st minute. Dance somehow managed to keep the ball at his feet just outside the Boro box despite having three players kicking at his heels and he squared to Glen Lamacraft whose deflected shot fell kindly for Young who slid the ball past ‘keeper Adam McWeeney from close range.

Gibson produced a fine save minutes later by tipping a fierce free kick onto the post before Dance scored the home side’s third on the hour mark with a 25-yard effort that flew into the top corner giving the ‘keeper no chance.

It was four 10 minutes later with a Dance penalty which had been won by Bradshaw who was tripped after showing great skill on the left wing.

The visitors were now just counting down the minutes until the final whistle but Royston weren’t finished and their fifth arrived on 81 minutes with Dance completing his hat-trick with a tap-in after Glen Lamacraft produced a teasing cross from the right byline.

Boro had already capitulated and it was six a minute later when Collins raced onto a cross-field pass from Dance before coming inside from the left and beating the ‘keeper at the near post from just inside the box.

Arguably the biggest cheer of the night came when assistant manager Duncan Easley was introduced with five minutes left for centre-back John McGrandles.

The rout was completed with just second remaining the tireless Young played in the equally hardworking Klein who slotted past the ‘keeper at the near post.

The seven goals mean Royston are now the league’s top goalscorers with 90 in 37 games – an average of 2.4 a game.