JEZ McMurrough s 83rd-minute goal was enough to send the Crows into the East Anglian Cup second round on Tuesday evening. McMurrough lobbed the home keeper after a perfect through-ball from Bradley Jackson as the Crows ended a month without a game with a

JEZ McMurrough's 83rd-minute goal was enough to send the Crows into the East Anglian Cup second round on Tuesday evening.

McMurrough lobbed the home keeper after a perfect through-ball from Bradley Jackson as the Crows ended a month without a game with a deserved victory.

However, it was Jackson's younger brother Gregg who was the hero for Phil Snowden's team.

Jackson was due to get his first full game in attack for a depleted Royston side, but when goalkeeper Chris Chambers was forced to pull out of the game because of a family bereavement, the youth team player was forced to make his third appearance in goal for the Crows.

He went on to make several key saves as Royston recorded only their second cup victory in eight attempts this season

Despite fielding their youngest side since Snowden took over as manager, the Crows controlled the early stages of the game, with McMurrough, Ryan Cannon and debutant Rob Gwynne all going close for the visitors.

Michael Bloss also went close with a header following a Lee Rogers free-kick, and the home side's only real chance came with a 25th minute shot which flew just wide.

Lee Bates and McMurrough went close to breaking the deadlock with good efforts early in the second half, while at the other end Jackson brought off a fine save.

Gwynne and Bates were replaced by Jason Nash and Kenny Blair with 15 minutes remaining as Royston searched for the winner.

But it was the other substitute Bradley Jackson who eventually ended fears of extra time on a bitterly cold evening, with a fine pass for McMurrough to finish clinically.

Eynesbury nearly grabbed an equaliser as the game went into injury time when a forward fired over when it seemed easier to score, but the Crows had done enough to progress in one of two cup competitions they are left in.

They will now hope to return to league action after five weeks inactivity with a trip to third placed Leverstock Green on Saturday. The two sides met at Garden Walk in September, with Green winning 3-1.

Royston: G Jackson, P Chappel, R Cannon, S Snowden, M Bloss, A Eeid, J McMurrough, C Edwards, L Bates (K Blair), L Rogers, R Gwynne (J Nash (B Jackson)). Unused subs: J Moule.

- Buntingford Town also returned to action on Tuesday evening, winning 5-1 at Wormley Rovers in the Herts Floodlight Cup.

Two early goals from Will Turl set Paul Attfield's team on their way, but Rovers reduced the arrears in the 33rd minute following a foul in the box by Jamie Babbage.

The second half was completely and ruthlessly dominated by the Town side with Wormley very rarely advancing into the visitors' defensive third.

Town's important third goal arrived in the 48th minute when Turl headed in a Luke Robins corner for his first senior club hat-trick.

Robins then hit a sublime free kick that was superbly saved, and Matt Turl headed a corner inches wide before Town completely killed the game off with another double strike mid-way through the half.

Turl added a fourth goal for himself and his team when he stabbed home a loose ball following a floated free kick, and Mark Wright scored a deserved goal when he latched on to a through ball.

Attfield's team hope to return to Herts County League action on Saturday when Wormley visit The Bury, while on Monday evening Wodson Park are the visitors to Norton Road, Baldock, for another Floodlight Cup tie.