Rovers go down at Bury

TWO first-half goals condemned Rovers to defeat against Bury Town and ensured their league struggles continued.

Rovers returned to form with a thumping 5-1 victory over Thurrock in the League Cup in the week, with hat-trick hero Billy Johnson looking to find the net for the first time in the league.

But Bury were flying high as they looked to bounce back to the Ryman Premier League after last year’s relegation.

And it was the hosts that made the early running, with Justin Miller opening the scoring after just seven minutes.

Rovers were looking for a way back into the match but Tom Ranger, usually so reliable in front of goal, saw two efforts almost level the match and, in the blink of an eye it was 2-0.

Ollie Hughes struck past Adam Seal to really make it an uphill challenge for Dan Trenkel’s side.

And that task was made even greater when Johnson was withdrawn with a suspected hamstring injury.

New addition Jake Gordon entered the fray and he could have halved the deficit seconds into the second-half, but his chip was just over the bar.

Ranger saw another effort brilliantly saved, with Jacob Cleaver sending the rebound over but it is now six league games without a win for Trenkel’s side.