Herts Senior County League

DESPITE outplaying their hosts for much of the last hour, Sandridge Rovers were unable to repair the damage of a lacklustre opening as they went down 3-1 at title hopefuls Sun Sports.

Rovers found themselves two goals down inside 20 minutes as first Andy Wood converted from the spot and then Ben Cowen doubled the lead after awful defending in the Rovers' back line.

The second half reversed the pattern of the first, as Rovers forced the home team on to the back foot, with the deserved breakthrough coming early after the restart. Daryl Smith's strike found the top corner from 20 yards, and three minutes later parity was only denied them by a matter of inches, after left back Jimmy Ryan hit the woodwork.

With six minutes remaining, Bradly Anderson was unfortunate to have a goal ruled out for offside and Smith and Kevin Grey were each close before the end.

However, in somewhat cruel circumstances, it was second-placed Sun that had the final word as Cowen struck his second four minutes into injury time.

St Peter's, meanwhile, continue to make a good fist of it in the Premier Division and made another step forward on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against Elliott Star.

It was, though, a game the Saints might have won, and but for a succession of squandered chances from one-on-ones, would have done so.

"The finishing was poor," St Peter's co-manager Andy Goodchild said. "We would've won comfortably otherwise. They (Elliott Star) never looked like scoring."

St Peter's might expect to extend their undefeated sequence with an away day at Chipperfield at the weekend.

December 13, 2001 14:30