Royston Town Res 3 Risborough Rangers 1 THE Crows maintained their promotion push with a comfortable win against fellow hopefuls Rangers. The home side controlled the early exchanges, but it was Risborough that broke the deadlock. The Crows failed to cl

Royston Town Res 3 Risborough Rangers 1

THE Crows maintained their promotion push with a comfortable win against fellow hopefuls Rangers.

The home side controlled the early exchanges, but it was Risborough that broke the deadlock. The Crows failed to clear their 18 yard box and the Rangers striker poked home the loose ball with seven minutes remaining of the half.

The second half started much the same as the first with Royston forcing the play in to their opponents half.

Their persistence paid off when on the 55 minute they won a corner which was beautifully taken by Paul Still and despatch by Lee Bates for his first of the game.

Royston now started to dominate the centre of midfield with Ben Bowles and Mark Saunders imposing themselves on the game.

Bradley Jackson's tireless work on the left and Paul Stills' neat but affective play on the right made it difficult for Risborough to make any inroads on the game. This was now the platform that Royston needed to move the game forward and press for the winner.

That came in the 73rd minute when Bates collected a good through ball turned and hit a low shot to the visitors goalkeepers right which took a deflection before going in.

Risborough now needed to up their game and they did so by making a couple of tactical changes from their bench, but the Royston defence stood firm in particular Richard Lowden and captain Danny Miles had a near perfect game.

Royston now made some changes of their own as players started to tire from their hard work .

One of these had a dramatic affect on game as it entered into its final sages.

In the 84th minute Royston won a throw midway into the visitors' half and on thier right flank. Not content to settle, Royston took a quick throw which was headed on and into the path of Matt Lewis, he watched it through the air and hit the sweetest half volley which left the goalkeeper rooted to the ground as the ball nestled in the far corner for number three.

Baldock Town 2 Greenbury United 1

CAMERON Brawley made the first goal and then coolly tucked away a spot-kick 16 minutes from time to put the Reds in the Herts Junior Cup final.

The home side came from behind in front of a crowd of 150 to seal a place in the final on Good Friday where they will meet Kings Sports at the County Ground in Letchworth.

Neither side created much until the 29th minute when a Lee Rusbridge corner was headed back to him and his short pass found Lowden who fired over from 18 yards.

Baldock began to give the visitors defence a serious examination, when first Nunn brought a terrific save out of the keeper as he hit a powerful effort on the turn.

Brawley went close seconds later, when a cross came in behind him in the box, but he managed to tee the ball up before overhead kicking wide.

Greenbury managed to contain the late first half onslaught though to go in at the break goalless.

The visitors felt they had weathered the storm by the break and shooting down the slope in the second period would give them the advantage.

They must have had these thoughts even more so when they took the lead in the 47th minute.

A long clearance up field was chested down well by a forward into the path of his strike partner who hit an unstoppable low drive past McEwan from 25 yards.

Baldock's response though was immediate. Good work down the Baldock left found Brawley. In full flow he went bursting through the Greenbury defence before unselfishly squaring for the unmarked Nunn to fire in the leveller.

The equaliser seemed to spring the Reds into life, but Baldock were denied what seemed a clear-cut penalty on 63 minutes when Brawley got round the keeper only to see a defender fall on the ball and appear to handle on the line. Despite a huge appeal from the players and supporters only a corner was given.

The Reds were awarded a penalty 16 minutes from time when a visiting defender was judged to have handled in the box.

Cameron Brawley stepped up and confidently placed the ball in the right hand corner to give Baldock a deserved lead.

Greenbury very nearly sent the match into extra time when a cross from the left saw McEwan fumble into the path of a Greenbury forward, but somehow the ball went wide.