Jordan Rogers and Johnny Gorman scored either side of the half to give The Robins a 2-0 win over Staines Town, their first league victory since October.
Frome’s side showed a lot of changes from recent weeks with Ollie Knowles absent, Kane Simpson departed, but new and fairly new signings Josh Morgan-Williams, Johnny Gorman, Jordan Rogers and Tristan Plummer all taking their place in the starting formation, and on a day when heavy rain had demanded a pitch inspection by the referee and against the rock bottom side in the league, a victory was demanded by the home fans.
Frome should really have taken the lead in the first five minutes as first Alex Monks shot past the post after 32 seconds, then Marcus Mapstone fired over from close range after Louis Dixon had fumbled a cross under pressure from Jordan Rogers and then a Frome free kick was cleared off the line.
However, Staines somehow survived and even entered a period of possession around the quarter hour, and as the match settled, there wasn’t a lot to choose between the two sides, and in the 16th, Mapstone did well to get back and just get a tackle in on Luca Charles-Valentine, allowing James Carey to come out and intercept the cross before Matt Campbell-Mhone pounced on the chance.
Staines continued to hold their own, and only a good save from Carey prevented Campbell-Mhone from scoring as he cut in from the left and hit a sharp right foot shot, and with Charles- Valentine bring another save from Carey in the 30th, the crowd were starting to get a little restless.
Slightly against the run of play, Frome opened the scoring in the 32nd as a ball from the right wing found Sam Teale on the far side, and his first time right foot shot from the edge of the box was touched past Louis Dixon by Jordan Rogers to give Frome the lead, and they could conceivably added to their lead before half time but were also thankful to the body of Connor Roberts blocking a goal bound shot just before half time.
The heavens opened just after half time, and with Frome generally mastering the conditions better, they nearly doubled their lead in the 47th as a Mapstone header from a corner hit the back of a defender, and with a stooping Rogers header hitting the side netting from the resultant corner, they were getting closer.
Rogers had a golden opportunity to increase the lead in the 51st as a slip from Mack Miskin allowed him a clean run through on goal, but as Dixon came to meet him, his shot cleared the bar by a country mile.
As the rain teemed down from an oddly pinkish sky, Frome did get the second goal in the 72nd as the dangerous Rogers broke, and as he was taken out by a desperate slide tackle, the ball broke to Jonny Gorman on the right and the Northern Ireland international finished well with a cool left foot shot that curled unerringly into the far corner from just inside the box.
Frome replaced Morgan-Williams with Ryan Bath in the 76th, and by now the game was an end to end affair with both sides struggling in the slippery conditions, and both sides were creating chances, but Frome never really looked in any danger of relinquishing their lead, and with Carey saving well in the 80th and Frome almost carving their way through in the 90th, the match never really petered out, but in the end the better side on the day won and the three points are most welcome.
Today's Man of the Match was Connor Roberts.
FROME TOWN: Carey, K Miller, Teale, K Scott (Mehew 62'), Mapstone, Roberts, Gorman, Monks, Rogers, Morgan-Williams (Bath 77'), Plummer (Mannings 45').
SUBS NOT USED: R Scott, Brace.
The Robins are back at Badgers Hill on Boxing Day as we face Merthyr Town. Get your tickets at https://www.weareba11.com/tickets. (Kick-off: 1pm)
Comments