Harpenden Rovers stayed two points clear at the top of Division 4 with a thrilling 4-3 win over Flitwick Eagles Silver, a Luke Robinson double inside two second-half minutes proving the difference in a game that swung back and forth before Rovers held firm. Second-placed Ashwell Academicals, who Rovers face next on 7 November, will have taken note of a contest that was anything but straightforward.

It was a nervy start for the home side. Inside two minutes, Rovers allowed an innocuous through ball to reach the Flitwick centre-forward who broke clean through the middle and finish unopposed, giving Tim Watson no chance — and from the restart, a further mix-up at the back nearly gifted Flitwick a second.

Rovers settled quickly, though, and were level by the fifth minute. James Haunch curled a corner from the left directly towards goal, the strong breeze helping it dip under the bar — the Flitwick keeper got a hand to it but could only push the ball into the side of the net rather than keep it out.

The game remained finely balanced, with Rovers the better footballing side — crisper in their passing and movement — against a Flitwick team happy to play long balls through the middle to their powerful, pacy centre-forward. That approach paid off again on 31 minutes, Rovers' midfield and defence once more exposed by a ball through the middle that let their forward break clear and finish across Watson into the corner.

Rovers responded in the very last action of the half. In first-half injury time, Haunch won the ball back in the centre and found William Mackie on the left wing, who showed excellent strength to beat two defenders and burst into the box, firing low into the near corner — the Flitwick keeper may feel he should have done better at his near post. It was 2-2 at the break.

The decisive moments came in a frantic two-minute spell during the second half. On 47 minutes, a Rovers won a free-kick in the Flitwick half. Haunch's delivery picking out Luke Robinson, ghosting in unmarked at the back post to cushion a fine finish past the keeper. Two minutes later, Lucas Kirk found Robinson just outside the box, who beat two players and finished into the bottom-right corner for his second goal in as many minutes — a spell that changed the course of the game and put Rovers 4-2 up.

Flitwick got one back on 61 minutes with a good finish lifted over the on-rushing Tim from just outside the Rovers box. The closing stages grew increasingly feisty. Having been stung by Rovers' game-changing burst, several Flitwick players lost their discipline, committing a string of cynical and dangerous fouls — including one from their No.2 that earned a yellow card but could easily have been a red. Credit to the referee for largely keeping control, and to the Rovers players, who stayed composed throughout and didn't rise to the provocation.

Rovers saw out the remainder comfortably enough, defending solidly after Flitwick's third and continuing to look dangerous on the break, with Tim Watson in composed form all afternoon — reading long balls well and coming to collect or clear outside his box, no easy task on a firm pitch in testing wind.

It was a particularly impressive outing for Seb Blake at left-back, who put in what may have been his best performance in a Rovers shirt — making countless tackles to repel the Flitwick threat and staying calm under pressure to find balls through to the midfield, instigating numerous Rovers attacks in the process. His display was rewarded with the player-of-the-match award.

THE NUMBERS

• James Haunch's two assists take him to 30 for his Rovers career — a new round-number landmark that extends his own all-time club record.

• Luke Robinson's double takes him through the 20-goal mark for his Rovers career, now standing at 21.

• Rovers remain top of Division 4, two points clear of Ashwell Academicals, who they face next on 7 November.

ROVERS (4-2-3-1): Watson; Barnes, Potter, Searing, Blake; Robinson, Haunch; Kanji, Chowdhury, Gowing; O'Connor (c). Subs (rolling): Kirk, Mackie.