Rogalski scores twice as Marlow go fourth with victory over Met Police

Dawid Rogalski

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Dawid Rogalski scored twice as Marlow ground out their fourth victory in a row with a 2-1 win at Metropolitan Police on Tuesday.

Rogalski fired the Blues in front after only eight minutes and then grabbed the winner in the 74th minute to take his tally for the season to 15 goals in all competitions.

Manager Mark Bartley admitted afterwards his side hadn’t been at their best, but they found a way to win and that surely bodes well for their promotion hopes this season.

It lifts the side to fourth in the table, three points behind leaders Raynes Park Vale with a game in hand and a superior goal difference.

Marlow have responded well to the setback of losing 4-1 to Southall earlier in the month. They bounced back to beat the leaders 2-1 on their own turf before getting the better of Northwood 3-1 in a routine victory. The Blues sat out the following weekend’s games as rivals stole a march on them for automatic and play-off places, however, this week’s wins over Ashford Town (3-1) and Met Police (2-1) have put Bartley’s side right back in the mix.

For the second time in as many games Rogalski found the net in the eighth minute to give the visitors the lead, but the Blues lost their way a little either side of half-time and Alex Body drew the home side level in the 55th minute. Met Police then asked Marlow some ‘real questions’, but the Blues answered them with solid defence and Rogalski clinically fired them to a fourth-straight win with his second of the night in the 74th minute.

Bartley posted: “After a great start we got ourselves in front but seemed to lose our fluidity during the middle of the game. We then conceded an equaliser and were asked real questions by our opponents.

“They say good teams find a way, and tonight we did, to secure three points on the road.”

Marlow now face a couple of home matches as they look to cement their impressive start to the season. Fifth placed Leatherhead are the visitors to Oak Tree Road on Saturday, followed by eighth-placed Uxbridge on Tuesday (October 31).

On Saturday, first half goals from Rogalski and Rhys Harper put the Blues on course for another routine win at Ashford Town.

Rogalski’s eighth-minute opener got the visitors back in the groove after an 11-day lay-off and Harper doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time. Jack Arnold pulled a goal back for Ashford in the 76th minute but Benjamin Mulley sealed the points with a third for the Blues in the 85th minute.

Afterwards Bartley posted: “Professional job today from the boys, picking up 3pts on the road. The conditions and the pitch made for hard going, but there was no debating we were the better side overall. Good days work, now on to Tuesday.”