Added March 25th 2008 -

Rothwell Town 0 - 2 Sutton Coldfield

British Gas Business League Division One Midlands

Friday 21st March - k/o 7.45pm

Those who thought this Southern League Division One Midlands game would turn into a nightmare on Cecil Street for Rothwell Town had their pessimism misplaced.

True, the Bones lost the game as Sutton Coldfield moved up to second in the table. But, aside of the final 15 minutes of the first half, there was little to choose between two sides seperated by 46 points and 16 places at the start of play.

In the end, it came down to the finishing of one man - Royals top-scorer Justin Howe. His double took Sutton to 82 goals this season - making them the division's leading scorers.

Howe had threatened sporadically in the opening half an hour but he needed a stroke of luck to collect a simple goal on 31 minutes. A clipped ball over the top would have caught Howe offside had it not glanced off the top of Bones defender Andreas Kattus' head to leave Howe in the clear.

However, if his first goal owed a little to luck, his second five minutes before half-time was brilliantly all his own work.

Again Kattus was the unfortunate defender involved as he was sharply turned by Howe who then lashed a rocket into the top corner, beating a stunned Tom Smith at his near post.

Inbetween both goals, Rothwell had demonstrated the difference in luck for those at the top and those at the bottom. While a deflection had given Sutton a goal, when Steve Purton's 33rd-minute shot clipped team-mate Adam Cunnington, the bar intervened to save the beaten Royals keeper.

During the interval, the weather worsened and the strong wind - as well as some over-fussy officials - ensured the second half was a non-event.

But Rothwell showed enough fight and resolve to suggest Monday's home clash with Barton Rovers could yield better rewards.

Rothwell: Smith, Tolton, Bridgeford, Rice (sub Greasley, 79 mins), Kattus, Bewers (sub Koriya, 90 mins), Difante, Boyle-Chong, Cunnington, McInally, Purton. Sub not used: Ritchie-Smith, Blakie, Stead.

Sutton Coldfield: Gemmell, Dodd, Daniels, Male, Booth, Watkins, Quiggin, Moran (sub Owen, 86 mins), Rowe, Beckley (sub Thomas, 73 mins), Doughty. Subs not used: Jackson, Wilson, Hughes.

Referee: Mr M Hair

Goals: Howe (31 mins, 0-1), Howe (40 mins, 0-2)

Bookings: Purton, Moran (both fouls)

Attendance: 127

Man of the match: Steve Purton (worked hard down the left)

Match Rating: 6