Chalfont St Peter 1 Royston Town 2 South Midlands Premier Division ROYSTON gained a massive scalp by beating second placed Chalfont St Peter in Buckinghamshire on Saturday. After last week's 4-2 defeat at Tring Athletic the challenge of playing the league

Chalfont St Peter 1 Royston Town 2

South Midlands Premier Division

ROYSTON gained a massive scalp by beating second placed Chalfont St Peter in Buckinghamshire on Saturday.

After last week's 4-2 defeat at Tring Athletic the challenge of playing the league's most in-form team would have appeared quite daunting but a controlled performance saw the Crows deservedly pinch the three points with two goals in the last 10 minutes.

The first half wasn't blessed with many scoring opportunities with both midfield units vying for control and as a result both defences were left largely untroubled.

The one opportunity that fell Chalfont's way was duly dispatched by Lee Thompson from six yards after Ryan Lockett had given the ball away just before the 10-minute mark, and although Royston passed the ball around the pitch they rarely got on the ball in key areas of the Chalfont third.

The support to lone striker Ricky Young was often wanting, and this wasn't helped by the early withdrawal after 16 minutes of Royston winger Luke Robins to injury.

The Crows had to wait until 41 minutes before registering a decent chance when Lockett drilled a low 25-yard free kick past the wall but not past Mark Oliver in the Chalfont goal.

Royston controlled the second half in terms of possession with Lockett pushed further forward to support Ricky Young but they still struggled to unlock a very well drilled defence.

Chalfont only seemed likely to score from a lack of concentration at the back for Royston, and one such lapse from Arin Fehmi allowed Charlie Strutton in only for Jorden Gibson to block his shot.

Sensing his team could get something from the game, boss Paul Attfield replaced Young with Terry Lock and with 15 minutes to go Tom Malins saw a looping header from Lewis Endacott's free kick headed off the line.

With nine minutes remaining Royston deservedly levelled from another set play as once again Endacott caused havoc with a free kick and Lock was shoved in the back for a clear penalty.

Fehmi stepped up and sent the 'keeper the wrong way to make it 1-1.

With the hosts appearing stunned by the leveller, Royston took advantage and pushed forward and got their reward on 88 minutes when Carl Edwards played a great ball over the top of the home defence which Lockett raced on to before smashing a shot past the oncoming Oliver.

Strutton had another great chance but fired wide from 12 yards soon after but it was deservedly Royston's day as they moved back into the top six.

Attfield said: "Last week I heaped some criticism on the players but today they deserve every bit of praise going. We worked hard at training during the week on our collective defending and the lads took that into the game and looked a lot stronger unit.

"I felt we were the better team and certainly the more adventurous and we thoroughly deserved the win against a very good side who are in good form.

"Wins like this should create good confidence and for me it shows that when we concentrate and play hard enough we can compete and beat against the top sides in this league."

Royston: Gibson, Endacott, Fehmi, Jones, Cain, Malins, Edwards, Bronti, Young (Lock), Lockett, Robins (Morriss) Unused: Dolan.