Ridgeons League Division One Ely City 2 Godmanchester Rovers 0 HIGH-FLYING Ely City, who are looking odds-on favourites to return to the top flight of the Ridgeons League next season, were made to look second best for long periods of this match. Rovers ha

Ridgeons League Division One

Ely City 2 Godmanchester Rovers 0

HIGH-FLYING Ely City, who are looking odds-on favourites to return to the top flight of the Ridgeons League next season, were made to look second best for long periods of this match.

Rovers have only themselves to blame as they failed to convert good chances and were guilty of not making the most of a one man advantage for the last hour of the match after Ely's Russell Flitton was dismissed for a head butt on Hayden Beasley.

Like so often this season, Rovers dominated for long periods but failed to hit the mark.

The first half was nearly all Goddy - Paul Bass picked up a weak goal-kick but fired wide and Beasley's header beat goalkeeper Lee Pacey but dropped agonisingly onto the roof of the net.

Ely's best chance was a free-kick by Andy Chatters which disappeared high over the bar. Just before the half hour Bass looked to have scored after a great through ball by Lee Boon, but Bass was controversially ruled offside.

With Rovers still in the ascendency, Nicky Hurst found space for a shot following a corner but an alert Ely defender managed to block the goal-bound effort.

Almost immediately there was an off the ball incident and the assistant referee drew attention to the fact that Beasley had been head-butted by Flitton, who was promptly shown a red card.

Now playing with a one man advantage, Goddy should have looked the more positive side but it was Ely who took the game to the visitors and both Mark Paul and Robbie Mason squandered chances to open the scoring before the break.

In the first minute after the restart there was disaster for the visitors with the very harsh award of a penalty kick. Rob Stamper came diagonally across the penalty area to rob Mason and appeared to win the ball cleanly but Mason tumbled over his leg and the referee some way behind play pointed to the penalty spot.

Stamper was booked and Mark Kirby stroked home to put Ely in front. Stephen Hurst replied with a low shot just wide of the far post but this was a rare attempt on goal by the visitors.

Play became confined in midfield for long periods with the Rovers strike force being well marshalled by the home defence.

With less than 15 minutes remaining the home side made the game safe with a well-constructed move out of defence.

Chatters sent in a cross to the near post and Robbie Mason outpaced his marker and produced a stunning volley across Gavin Armitage to break the visitors' limited hopes of any reward.

Immediately but too late to be effective Godmanchester adopted a more attacking approach and the best shot of the match from outside the area by Paul Bass rebounded from the crossbar with Pacey beaten.

n Rovers visit Gorleston on Saturday.