Rokermen back on track

Arlesey got their season back on track with a convincing 2-0 win against Aylesbury United last weekend. After four consecutive losses, Arlesey needed a good performance to not only to boost their points total but their confidence rating. The Rokermen fai

Arlesey got their season back on track with a convincing 2-0 win against Aylesbury United last weekend.

After four consecutive losses, Arlesey needed a good performance to not only to boost their points total but their confidence rating.

The Rokermen faithful certainly got more than they bargained from the moment Matt Waldron was reshuffled to a holding midfield role as their side went on to dominate proceedings.

Shane Brown came in from a central position to fill in for Paul Bloss on the left while there were recalls for Matthew Kimani, James Dillnut and Matthew Clark from the midweek defeat at Hitchin.

Home nerves were jangling early on as The Ducks forced five corners in the opening fifteen minutes and only a brilliant stop on the line by keeper James Russell prevented Hawkins form opening the scoring.

The home side came more in the game and Richard Pringle missed a good chance in the 31st minute when he held off two defenders to shot narrowly wide of the near post.

A free-kick from Waldron then caused panic in the Aylsebury defence with the ball eventually arriving for Tawid Junjea whose stabbed shot was saved by Vincent.

James Dillnut failed to appear after the interval and was replaced by Cameron Facey, who put in a powerful second half performance.

Within five minutes of the restart Arlesey had taken the lead after a move started by Waldron found Clark, who played the ball between the covering defenders for Jamie Osborne to score with a low shot.

Five minutes later Arlesey added a second after Aylesbury could only scramble away a corner from as far as Matt Kiman, whose shot from the edge of the box beat Vincent at his near post.

Aylesbury were now totally at sea in attempting to contain the home attack which threatened to overwhelm their defence. The home corner count was certainly mounting with players foraging from midfield.

The best opportunity for the visitors came in the 71st minute when a shot from Marsh took a deflection but Russell was equal to the task pushing the ball away for a corner.

Aylesbury pressed forward but all they had to show for their efforts was a brace of corners as the Blues earned a well deserved victory that made their recent defeats more perplexing to their management.

Attendance: 162

Man-of-the-match: Paul Russell