Victory at Needham Market gave Royston successive league victories for the first time since October and now has them looking up the table at the teams above, as opposed to nervously over their shoulder at those scrapping below.

Two well struck efforts from centre forward Vance Bola proved to be the difference between the two sides, and deservedly gave the Crows all 3 points, as they avenged their FA Trophy exit and a league defeat from earlier in the season.

The away side were out of the traps fast and were rewarded in just the third minute with the opening goal. Luke Knight lobbed a high ball forward that looked to be a straight forward tussle between Bola and home centre half Keiran Morphew. Unfortunately for home skipper Morphew he lost his footing, enabling Bola to seize onto the ball on the edge of the area and fire a low shot into the corner of the net, giving Jake Jessop no chance in the home goal.

Royston continued to probe with Scott Thomas and Knight in midfield holding the upper hand on their opposing counterparts, but clear chances were proving hard to create as the game became a little scrappy and disjointed. Needham for their part defended stoutly, but offered little as a threat going forward, with ex-Crow Reece Dobson horribly slicing their best chance embarrassingly wide, failing to even have the ignominy of going out for a throw.

With half time coming and going without much goal mouth incident, the second half continued along the same vein, with Royston looking to be in control but needing a second goal to confirm the three points. The Marketmen were starting to become more of a threat as they recorded their first shot on target in the 60^th minute, as Joe Welch comfortably collected an effort from home substitute Jamie Griffiths. This sparked the best passage of play from Needham, as Luke Ingram saw a 63^rd minute effort well blocked by Joe Newton at the expense of a corner. The resulting set play saw Welch make an excellent tip over to prevent Ingram’s near post header recording an equaliser. The danger was not over for the Crows though, as from another well directed corner the ball fell at the feet of Adam Mills. Fortunately for Royston, the winger’s shot went just the wrong side of the post from the home team’s point of view.

With the Marketmen now getting on top and looking the more likely to score, the wind was taken out of their sails in the 67^th minute, as Royston scored the decisive second goal. Rohdell Gordon and Eren Kinali both had dribbles at the defence repelled and were forced sideways across the pitch, with the ball eventually finding its way to Bola on the edge of the box. Cutting inside his marker onto his left foot, Bola once again drilled a low effort just inside the post, to give the Crows a well-timed second goal that they were craving.

This goal completely knocked the momentum that the home side had been building up and with Thomas and Knight continuing to work hard and break up play in midfield, Needham were unable to find a way back into the game. It took until well into injury time for them to create any semblance of a chance and when they did Welch raced from his goal to deny Ingram with his legs and ensure successive clean sheets, as well as wins were recorded by a deserving Royston team.

Royston: 1-Welch, 2-Scott-Morriss, 3-Newton, 4-Thomas, 5-Parr, 6-Brathwaite ©, 7-Kinali (17-Muray 73), 8-Knight, 9-Bola, 10-Corcoran (12-Castiglione 55), 11-Gordon (16-Stanley 73)

Unused: 14-Newman, 15-Joseph

MOM: Vance Bola (selected by a slightly biased Jake Easley)