BIGGLESWADE T 1 (D Bowgett) ROYSTON TOWN 3 (D McMurrough 2, E Kitenge) DAVE McMurrough was on target twice as Royton s long wait for a victory came to an end at Bedford last Wednesday. McMurrough struck after just 14 seconds to end an 11 game streak that

BIGGLESWADE T 1

(D Bowgett)

ROYSTON TOWN 3

(D McMurrough 2,

E Kitenge)

DAVE McMurrough was on target twice as Royton's long wait for a victory came to an end at Bedford last Wednesday.

McMurrough struck after just 14 seconds to end an 11 game streak that had seen the Crows collect just three draws.

It was a deserved victory against a side who are currently homeless and look set to struggle against relegation.

With youth team goalkeeper Sam Booth unavailable, Westmill stopper Chris Chambers became the fourth player to pull on the orange shirt in as many games, and the Crows' seventh keeper of the campaign.

The visitors made the perfect start as a poor back pass saw McMurrough nip in and slide the ball past a helpless Lee Robinson from an acute angle.

Neither side were able to take control of the game after the opener, although Kojo Oforie did see an effort go wide.

It was the diminutive Oforie who set up the second goal, in the 20th minute, when his inswinging corner was missed at the near post, allowing Ely Kitenge to fire through a crowd of players and put Royston 2-0 up.

That two goal advantage lasted 12 minutes before the Waders pulled a goal back.

A defence splitting ball from John Mills found Danny Bowgett in space, and he slotted past Chambers from 12 yards.

McMurrough entered the referee's notebook for a late tackle, and the Crows were forced to defend a series of corners shortly before the break as they reached half-time in the rare position of leading.

Lee Rogers went close during the opening minutes of the second half before Royston scored what proved to be the clinching goal in the 54th minute.

Kitenge played the ball through to McMurrough, and with hosts appealing for offside, he produced a sublime finish to bury the ball in the net.

The home side never looked capable of coming back, with Rogers firing into the side netting and McMurrough missing a golden opportunity to complete his hat-trick when he just failed to connect with a perfect cross from substitute Carl Edwards.

Adam Hutchinson replaced Kitenge and Ryan Cannon came on for Chris Geldart, but Chambers was only tested once as he brought off a good save from Kevin Randle.

Clark also went close for the home side with a 40-yard screamer which dipped just over the bar, but Royston comfortable held on to finally record that first elusive win under manager Phil Snownde.

Royston: C Chambers, P Chappell (C Edwards), C Geldart (R Cannon), S Snowden, A Reid, J Nash, K Oforie, D McMurrough, E Kitenge (A Hutchinson), L Rogers, J Lavell. Unused subs: J McMurrough, L Revell.

Royston Town Res 5

Brimsdown Rovers Res 1

THE Crows' first midweek game of the season, saw them produce a display that was undoubtedly their best of the season to date.

In a fixture that on paper looked like it might be a close encounter, but Royston tore into the visitors from the outset, never allowing them to settle and secured their third win in a row.

With confidence soaring the hosts took a two nil advantage in at the break with goals from Adam Stokes (penalty), and a delightful strike from Ben Bowles, bringing the ball down before deftly beating the keeper.

Any thoughts of a Brimsdown comeback were rapidly ended with a awesome second half display, which saw the entire defensive unit marshalled by Michael Baker rarely put a foot wrong.

Further goals came from centre back Laurence Revelle, another long distance strike from Matt Hayden, and a second for Stokes, again from the spot, that was lashed home high into the net.

The visitors snatched a single reply with a free kick that went through the wall.

Loughton Orient Res 1

Royston Town Res 6

A FINE second half performance saw the Crows power to a deserved victory and secure top spot in the league.

Fielding a slightly different line up to the previous game, an indifferent first half display saw the visitors go in at the break with two to one advantage, their two goals from Rob Rollinson, who appears to be revelling in his new role up front.

The hosts grabbed one back with a fine strike just before the break.

Expecting the hosts to come out with everything they had it was the visitors who started by far the more dominant.

Stamping their authority on the match within minutes of the restart, with Danny Miles powering home his shot following a fine 50 yard run.

This goal effectively sealed the win for Royston.

Further goals from Greg Jackson, and two more from the in form Rollinson creating a scoreline that justified their dominance.

Vintage Dundee 5

Royston Town Vets 4

IN A high-scoring encounter at Letchworth on Sunday a Town side missing key players were unlucky to lose to a last-minute winner scored by hosts Vintage Dundee.

Brian Cannon and Kevin Flack were back from holiday but with Mark Saggers, Paul Lewis, Mike Jackson and Nick Humphries unavailable for various reasons Town welcomed Nick Riding for his debut and Paul Williams for his first game of the season.

The game was closely contested in the first quarter of an hour with neither side threatening the goal.

Town took the lead when Dickie Harris, who was again outstanding in midfield, latched onto a loose ball and hit an unstoppable shot from 35 yards that sailed over the keeper's head into the goal.

The lead lasted for only five minutes as Vintage Dundee caught the visiting defence square and beat keeper Merv Chaffey with a lob.

As the game flowed from end to end it was Darryl Quinn who gave Town the lead again when he jinked into the box and eluded challenges from the home defence to score from close range.

The hosts equalised again before half-time when a long ball was headed on by their centre-forward and the right winger nipped in to score.

Vintage Dundee enjoyed a good spell early in the second half and took the lead for the first time when again their excellent centre-forward was too quick for Town's defence and volleyed past Chaffey.

Town levelled at 3-3 through Nick Riding who capped a fine debut performance when he raced clear of the defence to coolly fire past the keeper.

The game continued to be open and entertaining and it was no surprise that the home team took the lead again when a fierce shot from the right-edge of the box was almost saved as Chaffey got his finger tips to the ball but could only help it into the top corner of the net.

Royston battled back once more and fully deserved to level the score when Paul Williams was at the far post to head in an excellent right wing cross from Harris.

Town were given a glorious opportunity to go ahead when the home defence was penalised for hand ball in the box but Kevin Barthrop's penalty kick was pushed onto the post by the keeper and despite a desperate attempt by Brian Cannon to knock in the rebound the ball was cleared for a throw-in.

Two close-range great saves by Chaffey kept Town in the game but in the last minute of a rollercoaster of a match Vintage Dundee scored the winner.

A right wing cross eluded the Town defence and was knocked back across goal and as it wrong-footed Chaffey all that he could do was push the ball against the post and watch it rebound into the back of the net.

Royston Town A 9

Elizabeth Allen A 0

TOWN picked up on the pace from the previous week with this mauling at home on Saturday.

Despite a late kick off due to travelling complications the home side set about the task in hand with a ruthless air of confidence and had struck both posts and the bar before Lee Bates rounded off a fine move to open the scoring.

Robby Gwynne doubled the score for his side on the stroke of half-time with a low drive.

Within three minutes of the restart Town had breached the opposition defence and notched a further two goals both from Bates, who not content with a hat-trick added another on 55 minutes, converting a penalty after Arash Kowkabzadheh had been hauled down.

Next on the scoresheet was Kowkabzadheh, who this time went through un-checked and avoided the keepers lunge to slot home, this goal really ripped the heart from the visitors and a 10 minute period saw them go further behind.

James Merideth created and finished an intelligent goal when he sprang the offside trap, ran 50 yards and slotted home.

The impressive Bates added his fifth with a fine header from a Mark Evans cross

Understandably Royston took their foot off the pedal but still had another goal to come when the hard working Pete Hodgson converted a cross-shot from Bates.