Sun Sports 1 Rolls Royce 3                                  1989/90                                HCL Prem

Rolls overcome Sun to top table

Rolls Royce top the Premier Division table after their competent 3-1 victory at Sun Sports on Saturday.
Rolls took the lead on the stroke of half time and never looked back as Sun struggled to gain momentum as a team on their uneven pitch.
However, the homesters did have a number of youngsters on show, with Andy Woods making his debut, and Alan Langdale and Brian Ashby, who both played the whole match wearing a number eight shirt, showed glimpses of skill which bodes well for the future.
The game was always going to be a fast and furious tussle between the two rivals who finished in the top four last season and the ball certainly did not linger for more than seconds in each half early on.
Ray Longhurst won a free kick outside the area after he had beaten three defenders but not four and Richard Galvin fired the effort wide.
However in the first 20 minutes it did look as if Sun's more methodical approach might reap dividends over Rolls' more robust and direct approach as Rolls found it easier to reach the opposing half but all too often failed to make the right connection.
Richard Dale did well with a free kick that flew across the area but eluded all the waiting boots while at the other end it was Ashby who was creating the most problems.
On 38 minutes Darren Hardwick and Ian Lee combined well with the latter seeing an effort blocked on the line by Sun's Mark Goodman.
Sun's best move in the first half came when Ashby crossed to Tony Perks who laid the ball off to Darren Seabrook and his left foot volley flew over the crossbar.
Ten minutes before the break the only true pace of the half was provided by a small black mongrel who invaded proceedings at the Rolls end while the players were at the opposite sector of the pitch but he may have been the Rolls' replacement black cat as the visitors scored soon afterwards.
The Sun defence struggled with a Rolls' corner and the ball fell to Hardwick who made no mistake with an unstoppable shot that gave keeper Stuart Greaves no chance.
That was the incentive Rolls needed and they looked more settled and confident on the ball following the break.
Lee shot wide of the right post whereas the Sun attack appeared to have petered out to an insignificant level.
It was yet another County League game where all the action was centred down the centre with little going on in the wings but Sun, on occasions, did string together some lovely moves.
One such example was a delightful chip from Woods to Ashby who forced a save out of the rock solid Rolls keeper Bill Davis.
it was at the back where Sun had their problems and never more so than when Rolls' notched up their second goal.
Les McCormack's headed backpass failed to reach its advised destination and it was left to Galvin to nip in and almost nonchalantly score.
That was followed by a speculative chip from Lee from 30 yards that was not too far away and the player certainly did have a distinct interest in striking for goal with snap shots.
Sun were playing with three up front but still failed to make an impression on the resolute Rolls' defence and it was all over for them on 75 minutes when Chris Price handled the ball in the area and Lee beat Greaves with the resulting penalty.
It was inevitable that if Sun were to score that Ashby would be involved and it was he who scored Sun's consolation with a half volley on the turn from an Andy Woods cross.

Sun Sports: Greaves, McCormack, Price, Hows, Goodman, Langdale, T Seabrook, B Ashby, D Seabrook, Woods, Perks. Substitutes: M Ashby for Perks, Standering for T Seabrook.