Woodley United completed their first league double of the season and in doing so kept their first clean sheet since the opening day of the season.
The win also helped them move above Rovers on goal difference in the Combined Counties Division One table.
Rovers were under pressure from their kick off as Woodley pressed the visitors in their half with the opening chance coming in the fourth minute when Hubert Szczech saved well to his right from Bevan Van Wyk’s header to concede a corner kick.
The visitors settled with a long range shot comfortably handled by Andrew Walker in the Woodley goal and a close range shot which Walker was positioned to easily stop.
The 19th minute saw Rafa Brandao’s shot blocked with loose ball falling to Sykes whose powerful drive was turned away for a corner by the diving Szczech.
The resulting kick went across the visitors’ six yard box, where Gary Smith agonisingly failed to make contact, and the ball went out of play.
After this promising start the pace of the game slowed down with the teams entering half time goalless with either keeper troubled except for one United effort hitting the side netting.
The second half started as the first with Woodley enjoying good possession in the Samurai half but in doing so were susceptible to a counter attack by playing a high defensive back line.
United’s efforts were rewarded in the 63rd minute when Van Wyk found Brandao on the left winger whose low cross into the opponents’ penalty area found the unmarked Kaylum Barlow, who showed good skill to control the ball before shooting past Szczech to his diving left.
Rovers’ best chance to level came in the seventy fifth minute when Walker blocked a shot, following a corner, from close range and Stuart Birkett reacted quickest to divert the ball over the home cross bar from the follow up shot.
Following receiving two cautions in quick succession, Samurai were reduce to ten players with the sending off of full back Blessing Lama.
The game became an open one as Rovers looked to level leaving themselves exposed in defence. The closest Woodley came to extending their lead was when Seun Akintola was flagged off side when faced with only Szczech to beat while the last action of the game saw Walker catch the ball in a crowed penalty area from a free kick.
Woodley United: Walker, Gough, Salter, Birkett, Sykes, G Smith, Mill-Chandler (Swell), Van Wyk (Akintola), Besidonne (Carolan), Brando, Barlow (Monteiro), Sub not used: Betts
