ROVERS showed signs of further improvement with an excellent 2-1 win over early league leaders Halifax at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

A dramatic late winner from Harrison earned all the points but the Gas were fortunate to secure the victory after a below-par second half performance.

The first half was very positive as everyone in the team played their part in a committed, vibrant display. Defensively we looked solid with Trotman catching the eye and Mildenhall producing a couple of outstanding saves, although Lockyer is struggling in the right back role at the moment.

The midfield, led by the industrious Mansell, fought hard and looked up for the contest.

There were clear signs of far more hunger, desire and commitment than we saw throughout last season which shows a good team spirit. We looked lively in attack as Martin provided the width we have been lacking for so long and put in some decent crosses.

Cunnington gained his reward for a hard working display by giving the Gas a deserved lead.

The second half was a different matter, however, showing there is still much work to be done before we can be considered a force to be reckoned with. The Pirates sat back as Halifax piled on the pressure and it was no surprise when their equaliser eventually came.

Heads did not drop though and Rovers continued to battle until the end in search of the winner, which came from substitute Harrison in the 90th minute, sparking scenes of jubilation as we held on for a valuable win.

The Shaymen had won all five games before their trip to the Mem so beating them was no mean feat and will give our confidence another welcome boost.

Rovers have now taken seven points from a possible nine and have moved to a more comfortable mid-table position.

We now need to step up our efforts to close in on the top five by maintaining the performance level we saw in the first half.

Another three points from Saturday’s trip to Braintree should be targeted to continue our march up the table.