Mark Rosegreen! ClincherLEICESTER UNITED 0 NUNEATON BOROUGH 3
LEICESTER UNITED 0 NUNEATON
LEICESTER UNITED 0 NUNEATON BOROUGH 3 DETERMINED Borough extended their unbeaten run to 21 matches last night when cruising to an impressive victory over Leicester United at Winchester Road in the Barclays Commercial Services Cup second round.
IAN Cottrill got George Rooney's men off to a flying start with a goal inside two minutes as Boro' continued where they left off at Kings Lynn last Saturday.
The stunning opener came from a Brian Mofgford corner which eluded top goal scorer Paul Culpin for COTTRILL to stab the ball home from 10 yards. It was the midfielder's second goal this season against United, his 90th minute effort in September setting Boro off on their current FA Cup run. Boro, without injured skipper Dave Whetton, looked to hold on to their unbeaten record this season and did not allow United to settle. The bitter cold had barely returned to numb the travelling band of Boro supporters when they were warmed by the Blues' second goal. A 13th minute cross from the left was headed on by Cottrill to ROSEGREEN who buried the ball in the net with a spectacular 'bicycle' kick from six yards. With the two-goal edge Boro's grip on the game increased and John Symonds in particular was in superb form, ripping through United on the left and linking well with Kevan Kane. Leicester had a chance to cut the deficit on the half hour from a header by midfielder David Tonge but Boro held firm and quickly broke back. With eight minutes to go to the half Cottrill had a chance to put Boro further ahead when a Symonds cross was knocked on by Culpin but the final touch wasn't strong enough to beat 'keeper Ian Marsden. Dangerman Mark Rosegreen needed treatment with seconds to go when he was chopped down by United's number five Chris Tonge who earned himself a booking for his troubles. Tony Simpson came on for Darren Bullock in the second half giving Boro extra width on the right. United started to put some nice moves together as the half wore on giving Boro some anxious moments at the back, Matt Tarry being involved in the thick of the action and getting in a telling through ball to Symonds on 67 minutes. Symonds's cross was picked up by Rosegreen whose shot from the edge of the box was scrambled away. A moment close a minute later as United pressed forward and it looked as though Boro would cave under the barrage, Alan Liquorish was unlucky with a close-range header that flew straight to 'keeper Peter Manuel. With two minutes to go Peter GREEN, replacing Rosegreen, put the seal on a fine night's work by the visitors, striking home the rebound after Culpin's acute-angled drive had struck the inside of the post.
'We're on our way!'
'We're on our way!'
'We're on our way!'
[Box caption:] Mark Rosegreen points the way after Paul Culpin scored his first and Boro's second goal
[Jersey on player in foreground reads:] BREW XI
Nuneaton Borough line up for their biggest match of the 1990s so far.
Nuneaton Borough line up
Nuneaton Borough line up for their biggest match of the 1990s so far.
Rosegreen's double keeps Boro bubbling
Rosegreen's double keeps Boro
Rosegreen's double keeps Boro bubbling
Nuneaton Borough ...2 Leicester Utd. ...0
TWO-GOAL Mark Rosegreen was the Borough hero, spearheading them to a vital Beazer Midland victory as they battled their way through the Manor Park quagmire.
Rosegreen gave Borough the comfort of an early lead and then put the issue beyond doubt midway through the second half as Nuneaton completed their third away win of the campaign over their Leicester visitors.
Goal man: Mark Rosegreen who struck in each half
Man of the match Mark Rosegreen fires Borough's second goal following a slick move which tore apart the home defence...
□ Man of the
□ Man of the match Mark Rosegreen fires Borough's second goal following a slick move which tore apart the home defence apart. JJ1620
Borough fans show their delight after Mark Rosegreen's 11th goal of the season while colleague Tony Simpson joins in...
□ Borough fans show
□ Borough fans show their delight after Mark Rosegreen's 11th goal of the season while colleague Tony Simpson joins in the celebrations. JJ1620
Deadly Rosegreen leads the way
Deadly Rosegreen leads the way
Deadly Rosegreen leads the way
BURTON ALBION 0 NUNEATON BOROUGH 3
BRILLIANT Borough bewildered Burton out of the FA Trophy in devastating style at Eton Park last night to book themselves a first round trip to County Durham to face the ambitious Gateshead — previously Morton.
Borough took total command from the outset and it was as though they always had it in their grasp to deny the Burton defenders in an excellent away performance.
Borough's pace was always evident throughout the game, their defence alert and Rosegreen was causing constant problems.
Borough matched them with the pace of the game — with pace and running that Burton simply could not live with.
Borough produced some fine running and Rosegreen proved himself after one corner — laying one on for the Borough score.
Tremendous
It was a post-goals threat when Jim Barron hit the crossbar and Andy Hollis the post during yet another hour's determined resistance from Burton — but that was their only danger during the whole 90 minutes.
But while Rosegreen rode the glory, it was Bradder who had to be thanked — laying on the first goal of the game from a corner and then whipping across one of the longest ever passes he'll ever make to set up Fitzpatrick and Rosegreen.
Littered
Chances were littered as both teams showed their quality throughout — the game and the occasion producing some fine football on both sides.
Clinical
Ian Bullions led the keeper through the Borough 90 minutes in place of a goal on the line — Clarke got it in the end.
– SPORTS EDITOR DEREK BROWN AT ETON PARK
BREWERS DROOP TO DAZZLINGDespite a full length dive from keeper Marsden, Mark Rosegreen's penalty puts the Boro in front
□ Despite a full
□ Despite a full length dive from keeper Marsden, Mark Rosegreen's penalty puts the Boro in front
Derby duel: Racing Club Warwick's Lennie Derby clears as Mark Rosegreen moves in for Nuneaton Borough
Derby duel: Racing Club
Derby duel: Racing Club Warwick's Lennie Derby clears as Mark Rosegreen moves in for Nuneaton Borough
Paul Culpin lying on the floor has thundered in an acute angled second goal, and Mark Rosegreen cannot disguise his joy
□ Paul Culpin lying
□ Paul Culpin lying on the floor has thundered in an acute angled second goal, and Mark Rosegreen cannot disguise his joy
Tribsport - The winning team every week of the year
Tribsport - The winning
Tribsport - The winning team every week of the year
MOSCOW
Nuneaton Borough striker Mark Rosegreen went into Saturday's FA Cup clash at Wembley fresh from a million pound deal in Moscow.
The 26-year-old from Dordon missed the 3-1 win over Congleton in the FA Trophy but had the perfect excuse for boss George Rooney.
An electronics engineer with Spark Tec Europe, the former England schoolboy and Southampton player was in charge of installing the "Brain" that will control steel production in a new plant opening in Moscow.
It was part of the largest East-West deal since the collapse of communism and German firm Sundwig have invested £400 million in the new plant.
Rosegreen has recently been promoted to project manager after four years with Spark Tec. They are one of only five firms worldwide to supply this kind of sophisticated equipment and Moscow is expensive.
"I have travelled to the USA, Germany and now Russia. There are also plans to sell the machines to Korea and Japan so I'm hoping to travel there too," said Rosegreen.
Brought up in the shadow of Coventry RFC's Coundon Road ground, the young Rosegreen was forced to play rugby before his school, Bar's Hill, would let him play soccer for Coventry schools and Warwickshire — no small achievement for a school with no football pitch. "I hated rugby and especially Bablake school which was nearby but it turned out to be quite useful later. I'm fairly well-built and I find I can shrug off tackles and hold up the ball while the rest of the attack arrives," he said.
Eventually he escaped the rugby tyranny, making his name at AP Leamington, playing for England schoolboys and being talent-spotted by Lawrie McMenemy, then boss at Saints, now assistant to Graham Taylor with England.
"I had a great year there, scoring lots of goals in the reserves, but I was too old by then to be an apprentice and they let me go at the end of the season although Lawrie said I'd done myself proud.
"I really thought I was going to be a professional footballer but my father persuaded me to retake my A levels and I went on to gain a HND in electronics and computing at Birmingham Polytechnic before starting work with Spark Tec," he said.
Like most footballers he moved around, playing for Alvechurch, Bromsgrove, Redditch and Kidderminster Harriers before becoming leading scorer at VS Rugby with 25 goals last season.
"I moved to Dordon by that time and the travelling was getting me down so when George Rooney came in for me I was only too happy to move. Boro are a big club that are going places and I think the start to this season has proved that.
"What is especially pleasing is the team spirit that exists and the presence of several players capable of scoring regularly which takes the pressure off.
He said that his first trip to Moscow had been "a major culture-shock."
"It was -13 centigrade and it didn't look like anything had changed for 50 years. The people are still mentally oppressed but they really opened up once they found out I was a footballer.
"Sport is the only thing they have and they are fanatical about it. They wanted me to play for the factory team but I didn't think George Rooney would have been too delighted if I had been injured so I had to turn them down.
"Once they knew us a little the people took to us and showed us with gifts. But I always felt a little ashamed, casually paying for drinks with a ten dollar bill when I knew that was a month's wages for most people."
Mark Rosegreen by ROBIN BIDGOOD
– MARTIN ROBERTS
Nuneaton Borough........3
Racing Club Warwick....1
Nuneaton Borough........3 Racing Club Warwick....1
ROLAND WILSON Evening Telegraph
TWO-GOAL Paul Culpin took his tally for the season to five in five games as Borough cruised to a comfortable win over Racing Club.
Mark Rosegreen was also on target as the Manor Park side maintained their unbeaten start to the season and moved up to fifth spot in the table.
Borough took command from the start and it appeared as though they would bury the visitors under an avalanche of goals to take full revenge for Warwick's shock win on their last visit to Manor Park.
However, despite holding a commanding two-goal lead at the break, they failed to press home their advantage in the second half as they allowed Racing to come more into the picture.
"It was a satisfactory performance for an hour," said Borough boss George Rooney. "But we lost our concentration during the second period.
"We should have scored a lot more goals and is was disappointing not to keep a clean sheet. But we have made a solid start and we are handily placed to make a determined bid for promotion."
Despite dominating the opening half, Borough had to wait 31 minutes before breaking the deadlock with Culpin on target from a twice-taken penalty after Racing keeper Mark Turk brought down Tony Simpson.
Ian Cottrill hammered the spot kick against the bar and when the referee ordered it to be re-taken because two Racing defenders encroached into the area, Culpin took over and scored from the rebound after Turk had parried his first effort.
Seven minutes later Simpson lost his marker wide on the right and his near post cross found the unmarked Rosegreen, who powered a header into the roof of the net.
Racing were unfortunate not to cut the deficit shortly before the break when Alan Dolby turned smartly on to Peter Quinn's low centre and his rising drive beat Richard Attwood but rebounded to safety from the bar.
Borough continued to call the tune after the restart but never carried the threat of the first 45 minutes although 12 minutes from the end Culpin added any hopes of a Racing fightback as he scored with a low right-footer that went in off the far post.
However, the visitors staged a spirited late rally with Quinn planting a header narrowly wide before substitute Loz Cairns granted a consolation goal four minutes from time.
VS ease home and keep up pressure on leaders
VS ease home and
VS ease home and keep up pressure on leaders
VS Rugby...........................2 Waterlooville......................0
MARTIN NEEVES / Evening Telegraph
WELL-TO-DO VS Rugby kept their Beazer Homes Premier Division challenge on the boil with an uncomplicated victory over relegation-threatened Waterlooville at windswept Butlin Road.
A goal in each half was enough to give Rugby the spoils in a contest that did little to ease the wind-chill factor.
A happy Jimmy Knox was content in the knowledge that his side had maintained the pressure on leaders Bashley, who played two points clear after beating Gravesend 3-0.
The observing Rugby boss admitted: "We knew it was going to be a battle in such conditions, and I was pleased with the commitment shown by the side."
With the gale-like conditions at their backs in the first half, VS totally dominated, and the only surprise was that they only led by a single Mark Boyland strike at the break.
With the recalled Mark Rosegreen always prominent up front, Rugby carved a number of gilt-edged chances with Ian Crawley heading the best of them over the top in the second minute.
The goal that put them in front after 34 minutes was simplicity itself. Goalkeeper Mick Martin's free-kick reached Boyland, and he turned and fired past Robbie Stokes from 25 yards.
Rather than sit back and defend against the elements, Knox's upwardly-mobile troops continued to take the game to Waterlooville in the second half and Crawley headed just over from Boyland's cross.
Waterlooville twice went close with one-on-ones, but Martin denied both David Boyce and substitute Colin Ball before Rosegreen wrapped it up with six minutes left.
Gary Fitzpatrick's sweeping crossfield ball gave Tom McGicty space and Rosegreen acrobatically smashed home.
On the ball: Mark Rosegreen surges forward against Waterlooville at Butlin Road on Saturday
BIRMINGHAM SENIOR CUP SOCCER — Birmingham v VS Rugby
Birmingham Senior Cup Soccer
BIRMINGHAM SENIOR CUP SOCCER — Birmingham v VS Rugby
Jubilant VS bag one trophy and eye another
Birmingham City VS Rugby
PHIL HORSEFALL — Evening Telegraph
STYLISH VS had really caused Birmingham City the Reds to tilt — their skill and enthusiasm as they swept to a first time victory built the Club's first cup tally of the year, secured around what everyone was calling "The Club's first cup" — perhaps not a failure too soon.
Pennant style is perhaps not a failure too long with the city.
VS had lined up by experience against them, and Birmingham proved a game that VS and their bigger players had proved — how VS had the side and they let far for the competition.
"Let go" — at the start when Mick Shearer slid-in to rob Gary Grogan after Anthony Ebony and the slipping Nigel Niblett were left standing by Keith Lockhart's pace.
"It was a good, fair tackle and I won the ball," said Shearer.
But more — and this was the important thing — the ball went in and Rosegreen drove the ball home from the penalty.
Doreen shot one who will placed, shortly before half-time — the box receiving another quality finish.
Larkins about VS Rugby's Ian Crawley — pictures this dramatic pass taken up by Birmingham's Nigel Larkins.
VS's Rosegreen drew cheers from the crowd.
A £21,000 signing from Cork City.