Rugby Town 1 Sporting Khalsa 3 - Report
IT WAS a job well done for Sporting Khalsa in the eyes of assistant manager Ross Millar, after a 3-1 comeback victory at Rugby Town put their New Year's Day woes behind them.
Five days on from their off-colour showing against Boldmere St Michaels, the Lions got back on the winning trail at Butlin Road, despite Justice Campbell's 16th-minute opener.
A recent addition to the first team, youngster Marvellous Onabirkhanlen, got Khalsa back on level terms before Robbie Bunn and Dilano Reid's inadvertent cross settled affairs after the break, leaving Millar beaming at the full-time whistle.
"Their goal knocked us a little, we went into our shell," he said, deputising for flu-stricken manager Ian Rowe.
"At half time we expressed that we can't stop playing and had to stick to our game plan.
"Once we got the second, we managed the ball and that was it, Dilano's might go down as an own goal but he'll be claiming that all day long."
Hosts Rugby are desperate in their search for points, so it came as a surprise when Justice Campbell dispatched after Ryan Sahota's mazy run.
Goalscorer turned villain on the half-hour mark however, conceding possession to Onabirkhanlen to rifle past the helpless Tomasz Bukowski.
Sporting shifted into another gear thereafter to take their tenth maximum this term, Bunn driving into the corner and Reid's cross inadvertently finding the net after the hour mark to seal victory.
"We had an influx of players in the summer, it took time for them to gel and some had to be patient, we've had some inconsistent periods," Millar added.
"But we like to think we can have a real go at it in the next few months now, starting with the AFC Wulfrunians in the Walsall Senior Cup - which we want to win."
