A first clean sheet of the season and a goal from substitute Richard Gregory ensured Bromsgrove Sporting ran out 1-0 winners over Lowestoft Town on Saturday afternoon.
The goal, which came 18 minutes from time, came via Shaquille McDonald finding Gregory in the area, allowing him to unleash a strike past keeper Luis Tibbles and set the Rouslers up to leave a sunny Suffolk with all three points.
The game got off to an open start, with the first chance being a speculative 25 yard effort from Miguel Lopez, hit straight at Tony Breeden.
McDonald had multiple chances to open the scoring for Bromsgrove, including a fierce volley from the edge of the area, that drew a fine save from Tibbles and a shot from an acute angle smashed over the bar, following some neat interplay with Charlie Dowd.
Kieren Westwood skimmed the top of the net with an effort from range 32 minutes in, but Lowestoft had the game's best chance to that point two minutes later, as a blocked Dylan Williams free kick led to Jacek Zielonka having a golden one on one opportunity inside the box that he looped over the bar.
McDonald had further chances to break the deadlock as the second half got into gear.
His first opportunity of the 45 came courtesy of an attractive team move involving Will Shorrock hitting a smart long ball to Dowd, who cleverly found McDonald, but could only strike wide from inside the box.
This was quickly followed by him latching onto a blocked Westwood shot, with the outcome being a curled shot straight into Tibbles' grasp.
Shorrock had a huge chance with a one on one effort but could only find the keeper, whilst McDonald again found himself amongst the chances, this effort being a header that Tibbles was equal to.
However, the Sporting pressure would finally pay off 72 minutes in, as McDonald battled hard to win the ball, allowing him to tee up Gregory, who slammed home well from around 10 yards, sending the travelling Rouslers support into rapturous scenes.
Eight minutes later, Sporting should have been two up, as Leon Broadhurst found McDonald with a fine long ball; his shot with just Tibbles to beat was kept out, before hitting the rebound from a similar scenario over the bar.
Lowestoft's best chance of the half came four minutes from the end, as substitute Shaun Bammant produced a clever backheel from a corner that looped narrowly over the bar.
Sporting would hold out for the remainder of the game though, in a game where the Rouslers' defence deserve massive plaudits, providing a solid basis that helped secure Bren Kelly's side's second league win of the season. |