WASTEFUL Rovers rued missed chances as they crashed out of the Worcestershire Senior Cup on a freezing night at the Grove on Tuesday.
Bromsgrove created the game's best chances but sloppy defending allowed Aaron Daniels and Davion Hamilton to knock them out of the cup.
Rovers manager Rod Brown gave some of the squad a chance to prove themselves and rested key players such as Nathan Lamey, Carl Heeley, Mark Taylor and Kevin Banner.
advertisementThe home side had an early goal ruled out for off side as Rovers made a tentative start to the game.
Defender Rapinder Gill showed too much of the ball to Steve Hillman, who stole it off him, exchanged passes with Matt Lewis but his cross was cleared by Bromsgrove.
But Rovers grew stronger as the first half wore on and began to dictate the game.
Danny Scheppel's cross from the right pin-balled around Halesowen's box but Jason Powell cleared in the 16th minute.
Gary Hay, one of the few first team players who started, got free down the left and delivered a well weighted pass into the box for Neil Davies to chase, but 'keeper Chris Jay dived bravely at his feet to deny a certain goal on the half hour mark.
Halesowen started to settle and applied some pressure on Bromsgrove and Matt Lewis saw his shot saved by stand-in 'keeper Adrian Summerhill and then flashed a header wide.
But Rovers had the best chance late in the half when Gary Hay muscled Gary Knight off the ball and squared it to Danny Scheppel, who spooned it over the bar.
For all of Rovers good play this was a disjointed performance, characterised bad passing and the failure to get wide.
Widemen Liam McDonald and Paul Lloyd were guilty of not get getting crosses into the box and stifled decent attacks by passing back into midfield.
But the game's turning point came at the start of the second half when Jay made a double save. He did well to stop Neil Davies' shot and somehow got to Skidmore's goalbound header.
The goal shook Rovers' confidence and Daniel headed Hamilton's cross past Summerhill in the 66th minute.
Hamilton made it 2-0 soon after when he hooked Lee Williams' corner into the back of the net.
Rovers plugged away and Skidmore's volley beat Jay in the 93rd minute for a consolation effort.
ROVERS: Summerhill 5, Lloyd 4 (Heeley, 45mins, 6), Smith 4 (Skidmore, 45mins, 5), Gill 5, McHale 6, Scheppel 6, Doyle 6, Dyer 5 (Banner, 65mins, 6), Hay 6, Davies 5, McDonald 4.
HALESOWEN: Jay, Powell, Hillman, Williams, Knight (Amos, 55mins), Pierpoint, Daniels, Cooper (Hyde, 60mins), Lewis, Hamilton, Forsdick (Warner, 50mins).
Referee: Mr Jay Cox. |