Referee Ray Green shows Rovers goalkeeper Adam Bullock a red card following a professional foul on Will Garnett. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0687973)

North 4, Rovers 0
AN opener after just 38 seconds gave North the belief they needed to defeat the Under-16 Development League leaders last night at Northfield.

Fullback Danny Cooley turned home an early corner to stun Rovers and the visitors never recovered.

On a quarter-of-an-hour, two minutes after Joe Alvarez had hit the bar, Mark Buddle nodded home a left-wing cross at the far post to double the lead and it stayed that way until the break.

The dominant hosts deservedly made it three less than five minutes after the turnaround with Buddle ramming home the rebound with authority after goalkeeper Adam Bullock had denied Will Garnett.

Bullock was shown a straight red card 10min. later for a professional foul on Garnett, who just beat the keeper to a through ball, and from the resultant free-kick, the excellent Tom de la Mare tapped home from a couple of yards to complete the scoring.

Rovers had the chance of a late consolation from the penalty spot after a handball, but Peter Mitchell did well to push Kane de Carteret’s piledriver onto the bar.