Fehmi and Collins maintain Crows’ 100 per cent start

Southern League Division One Central

Royston Town 2

Daventry Town 1

TWO stunning goals from Kaan Fehmi and Ross Collins helped the Crows come from behind to maintain their winning start to the season on Saturday.

Daventry Town have been talked about as being one of the favourites for promotion this season and their last few results had been impressive going into the weekend. However, despite having the momentum in the first period they were largely outplayed by Paul Attfield’s side in the second and Royston were unfortunate not to notch a couple more goals before the final whistle.

Will Norris was back in goal having missed the last couple through illness while 18-year-old full-back Taylor Parr, previously of Ely City, made his debut in place of Lewis Endacott.

It was the visitors who controlled proceedings in the opening half an hour with the Crows a little slow in most areas of their game. The ball spent far too much time in the air which was only going to the suit a bigger, more experienced side but despite Daventry’s early dominance there were no real clear chances created.

The opening goal came from the penalty spot on 15 minutes when the Crows failed to clear a ball into the area, before Nat Liburd converted the spot-kick.

Royston kicked into gear from the half-hour mark and equalised out of nothing on 37 minutes. Fehmi picked up the ball on the right of the area, eluded a couple of defenders and curled a quite delightful 20-yard shot out of the keeper’s reach into the far top right corner. At this stage the goal was scantly deserved but once again showed the side are capable of scoring at any given moment and the sides went in level at half time.

Royston were awarded a penalty of their own 10 minutes into the second half, but Fehmi wasted the chance to double his tally with a tame effort that was easily saved by the Daventry keeper.

Tom Malins and Matt Standen were introduced giving added liveliness and the side were rewarded on 76 minutes with a stunning deciding goal. A moved down the left was half cleared to skipper Collins some 35 yards from goal, and without breaking stride the midfielder crashed a dipping volley into the top corner. Not many better goals would have been witnessed at Garden Walk for a good number of years and it was fitting it should be the decider.

A late surge by the visitors in the form of awarded free-kicks and a couple of corners attracted high balls and pressure with the visiting keeper venturing forward but the determination of the home side to deny these advances outweighed what the visitors could offer and the full-time whistle signalled a well-deserved victory.

With Godalming Town victorious at Rugby Town by a 3-0 scoreline, the Crows drop to second place on goal difference.

Royston Town: Norris, Parr, Wilson, DeLaSalle, Bradshaw, Collins, Edwards, Lockett (Malins), Fehmi (Standen), Ingrey, Robins.