ROVERS COME FROM BEHIND TO DEFEAT HULLBRIDGE

Goals from Locke, Gordon, Topliss & Martin saw the Rovers come from behind to defeat Hullbridge at Burroughs Park to keep their Essex Senior League play off hopes alive.

This game came into between the two semi final legs against Worcester City, they had lost the first leg 1-0 at the weekend so was all to play for in the coming second leg at the weekend with a sell out crowd of around 1,400 expected at Burroughs Park.

Hullbridge had not actually scored in five games in all comps lately, but it took them less than two minutes to score. On their first real attack Artmeladze did well on the left hand side before sending a cross into the box and found Jon Evans who took a touch and volleyed a wonderful effort into the top corner, catching the Rovers out.

However, Hullbridge could only hold that lead for four minutes as the Rovers levelled with five minutes on the clock as Harry Talbot did well down the left, and he squared a ball to Dom Locke who applied a lovely finish and level the game up.

Hullbridge had created the better opportunities in the remainder of the half but could not capitalise, and they were punished for this three minutes before the break when Jake Gordon, on for the injured Hafeez Elegushi, found himself with his back to goal on the far side, and he swivelled and fired a cross into the box, but saw it sail over keeper Bradley Davison and perfectly into the far corner, and it meant the Rovers found themselves ahead at the break.

HALFTIME: ROVERS 2-1 HULLBRIDGE SPORTS

The Rovers couldn’t have asked for a better start into the second half. Barely two minutes into the second half, a long throw in by Imbert-Thomas found Harrison who glanced a header over the Hullbridge keeper into the far corner to make it 3-1 to the Rovers.

Hullbridge continued to miss openings as they looked for a route back into the game, and the Rovers were playing on the counter and trying to punish the visitors for pushing men forward in search of that route back into the game, had Hullbridge taken some of their chances then it could have been a different outcome, but the Rovers were looking dangerous when they countered, and with twelve minutes left they did find a fourth to seal the game. Substitute Tony Martin bursting through after a great through ball from Jake Gordon took the ball around the keeper before slotting home and give the Rovers fans behind the goal more to cheer.

FULLTIME: ROVERS 4-1 HULLBRIDGE SPORTS

That win means the Rovers climb five places to seventh and are ten points off the top five with five games in hand.