Crookham Rovers U23s bounced back from a heavy defeat last week and produced a spirited second-half comeback to claim a 5–2 victory over Curley Park in the League Cup first round.
Despite dominating early on, Rovers were wasteful in front of goal and went into the break trailing 2–1 after Harry Barber’s opener was overturned by two goals from Curley Park.
Manager Andrew Barber called for greater composure at half-time, and his words clearly hit home. Rovers came out with renewed energy and confidence, with Kial Elliott, Rovers' self-proclaimed N'Golo Kanté, leading the charge with a thunderous effort that nearly reached orbit, before Zach Hansell levelled the scores.
Barber then restored Rovers’ lead with his second of the afternoon, before Hansell added another to make it 4–2. Jamie Lavender put the result beyond doubt late on with a composed finish to round off a dominant second-half display.
Reflecting on the win in a post-match interview, Kial Elliott said: “The gaffer had a few words at half-time, and we knew we had to roll up our sleeves and show what we’re really about. We created plenty in the first half but just couldn’t put it away, it was one of those days. Credit to the lads though, we dug deep, kept believing and once that first one went in the second half, the momentum was all ours.
"The boys showed great character to turn it around, it was a proper team performance from back to front," he added.