Royston inflicted a deserved first defeat of the season on league leaders Fairlands Youth with a strong, determined performance on Sunday.

 

The heavy pitch was adapted to better by the young Crows and they went straight on the attack to score in the first minute when Micael Vieira crossed for Ollie Wheeler to head in.

 

Fairlands equalised very soon after with a well worked goal down the right wind but Royston continued to win battles and play the better football.

 

They were rewarded just before half time when Owen Bentley was hauled down in the area and Mitchell Wooding blasted the resulting penalty kick high into the net.

Royston continued to press hard in the second half and ten minutes in Wooding headed in Ryan Omahony's corner.

 

Jake Booth was very unlucky when he blasted a ten yard volley onto the crossbar after a superb team move from defence but he wasn't to be denied as he completed the scoring late on with a scorching 16 yard drive low into the corner of the net.

 

Fairlands were reduced to ten players in the last fifteen minutes as frustration set in but despite applying some late pressure of their own couldn't find their way through a determined Royston defence.

 

Royston are now unbeaten in five league games and moved into the top half of the table with games in hand of everyone above them.