The Rovers front man ran on to a pass from fellow substitute Cody Frazier to round keeper Clements and slot home from a narrow angle, despite the close attention of two backtracking Brandon defenders.

The visitors had started sluggishly against a sharper-looking Brandon team that only just avoided relegation from the Anglian Combination Premier, a division effectively two lower than the Ridgeons Premier.

Rovers began with new signings, forward Craig Cutts, central defender Jim Hollingsworth and midfielder Mark Abbs all in the unfamiliar looking line-up and on six minutes the latter of the three crossed for Paul Jenkin to put a free header over the bar.

On nine minutes Brandon target-man Danny Brown rattled the crossbar with a header from a free kick as the Rovers back four struggled to deal with his bustling presence.

Just two minutes later the hosts should have gone ahead after a terrible Gareth Thomas pass was intercepted and the ball played into Brown who, having rounded keeper Jamie Smith, failed to convert from a tight angle, the ball coming out off the upright.

Jamie Challis saw a 20-yard shot rebound off the post before the follow-up from Cutts was chalked off for offside on 16 minutes. Jenkin teed up Abbs for a shot that the keeper pushed away on 28 minutes.

At half-time Rovers’ manager Larry Billings introduced Ryan Holder and captain Paul Abbott at full-back in place of Brad Deeks and Lee Hurkett, with Richard Heller and Stokes replacing Jenkin and Cutts up front.

The changes gave Rovers’ a more solid and composed look as they retained possession better, while Abbs became progressively more influential in the middle of the park.

Despite looking more comfortable in the second period Rovers rarely troubled home keeper Joe Clements, although he was at full-stretch to push an Abbs strike round the post after 55 minutes.

Against the run of play Brandon went ahead on 83 minutes after Ian Bethell beat Holder to a loose ball to lob home from the edge of the box before Stokes’ dramatic intervention with practically the last kick of the match rescued Rovers from defeat.

ECHO MAN OF THE MATCH: Marc Abbott. Mr Dependable from last season again retained possession well, just beating new-boy Abbs to the award.

ROVERS: Smith, Deeks (P Abbott 46), Hurkett (Holder 46), Jim Hollingsworth (Holmes 64), Gareth Thomas; Mark Abbs, Jamie Challis (Frazier 58), Marc Abbott (Kent 77), Joe Harvey; Paul Jenkin (Stokes 46), Craig Cutts (Heller 46).