Bromsgrove Sporting 2, Alvis Sporting 1

ROOKIE striker Sean Brain bagged the winner as Paul Smith's side recorded a third straight victory at the Victoria Ground.

Brain may have only joined from Pershore Town last week but he has made an immediate impact.

After bagging a goal in last Tuesday's 6-0 rout of Pelsall Villa, he made an even more important contribution.

The Rouslers had been trailing to Aaron Cheshire's first half strike before Chris Conway had bagged a 62nd minute leveller.

But Brain headed home the winner 12 minutes later from a Danny Ludlow cross.

After defeats to Littleton and Uttoxeter at the Victoria Ground this season, there were some doubts by fans over their home form and Smith's side were not at their best in the first half.

Brain put an effort over the bar while Ryan Mahon and Jack Wilson should have done better when in good positions.

Brain finally got a shot on target on the 25th minute only for the Alvis keeper Jack Hartopp to tip it over.

But Alvis took the lead with their first serious attack of the match when Cheshire headed home.

Sporting hit back and Reece Hewitt saw two efforts cleared off the line in the 34th.

Hewitt also hit the angle with a 20 yards shot.

With Scott Smith limping off early in the second half, Conway came on and linked up well with Brain.

Conway received the ball wide out on the left, took a few strides then unleashed a perfectly floated shot over both defence and keeper into the top left hand corner of keeper Jack Hartopp's net to give the home side an equaliser.

The Rouslers continued to press forward for the lead with Conway this time acting as the supplier of a first rate cross after dummying two defenders only to find nobody in the goal area to tap home.

However, the pressure finally paid off on the 78th minute when the hard-working Ludlow put a ball in the box that Brain comfortably headed home into the top of the net.

Despite having four strikers on the pitch, Sporting preferred to defend the lead rather than risk extending it and for the remaining minutes the only incident was for Luke Doughty to get a second yellow card after a rugby tackle on Jozsef Jakab and go off for an early shower.

After the match manager Paul Smith said: "I was disappointed with our performance in the first half but we played our get out of gaol card in the second half and at least gained a win."

Sporting: Bedford, Duggan, Wilson (Jakab, 74), Fitter, Jones, Smith (Conway, 50), Tibbetts (Wills, 74), Hewitt, Brain, Mahon, Ludlow.

Subs not used: Almond, Sockett.

Alvis: Hartopp, Doughty, Martin, Evans, Cheshire, Basham, Virk, Kimberlin (Mills, 83), Healy, Green, Palmer (Layfield, 46).

Sub unused: Odusoga Referee: J Cox (Rowley Regis) Attedance: 241 Sporting Man of the Match: Sean Brain