Match Reports – New Year Weekend Saturday 31 December 2011 and Monday 2 January 2012

Sporting enjoyed a productive New Year weekend with a 7-1 Cup victory at home to Inkberrow on Saturday and a 4-0 away win in the league at Northfield on Monday.

Things started well with a Mikey Stewart goal as he beat Inkberrow’s offside trap on 18 minutes but it was 20 minutes of struggle before they got the second but that was effectively game over as the goal came as a result of a penalty and sending off as defender Tom Whitehead handled a goal bound shot, on the line.  Joe Brookes scored the first of two penalties and Sporting added two more through Chris Conway and Karl Fellows before the break.  Unfortunately, the Sporting team appeared to leave for half-time a minute or so early as they allowed the 10 men to score a consolation through Chris White on 45 minutes.

The second half was very much one way and Sporting added three more through another Brookes penalty, this one taken twice as the referee spotted encroaching forwards first time, Nick Martin and Mikey Stewart’s second.  The win puts the team into the semi-final of the Evesham Hospital Cup.

On Bank Holiday Monday a solid performance at Northfield saw a rare Sporting away win and an even rarer clean sheet as they dominated proceedings. Jon Rogers scored twice, although could have had four or five, and opened the scoring on 15 minutes as he was first to a rebound from the keepers hand’s after a shot from the edge of the box.  Almost on half time, Rogers created the second as he outpaced the defence and rolled the ball across for Draper to tap in.  Half-time’s 2-0 scoreline became 3-0 on 56 minutes as Pete Jenvey finished a move through the middle started by a great Joe Brookes pass.  Despite more chances and a lack of threat from Northfield it was the last minute before the fourth goal went in as Jon Rogers got his second after beating the offside trap, although it was mightily close, and scoring from a tight angle.

Sporting will hope they can maintain the impetus from the Christmas period over their last 11 league games as they feel they cannot afford a defeat between now and the end of the season if they are to maintain a realistic promotion challenge.

Next weekend is a Cup game at home to Shirley Town in the Smedley Crook Challenge Trophy.

Bromsgrove Sporting Supporters Society Boots and Beers Walk.

Bromsgrove Sporting Supporters Society would like to thank everyone who took part in the fund raising ‘Boots and Beers Walk’ on Tuesday 27^th

 December 2011. 

The walk was an eight mile circular route starting and finishing at The Victoria Ground home of Bromsgrove Sporting Football Club.  The walk took in parts of the countryside and woodland surrounding Dodford and Bourneheath, calling in at the Dodford public house and The Nailers public house.

This fund raising event raised a grand total of £120.00 towards Society funds.

Bromsgrove Sporting 4 (3) v (0) 1 Fairfield Villa

Mid Com Division 1 Monday 26 December 11.30 a.m.

Christmas comes but once a year and sometimes you have to wait until Boxing Day to get your presents.  Thankful recipients of a woeful Fairfield defensive performance, Steve Frost excepted, Sporting were grateful to get back to winning ways.

Fairfield started on the front foot but should have gone behind to Sportings first attack when keeper Hancock did well to save from Banner but Keith Draper should have scored when the defence cleared the ball to him inside the box but he took an extra touch and the chance went begging.

Sporting’s first gift on 6 minutes came courtesy of an own goal as they scrambled a corner clear to the edge of the box and Draper hit a shot that was going wide of the left hand post but hit a defender and bottom right corner of the net.

It was 2-0 on 20 minutes as Turkington slipped when trying to control the ball on half-way and was robbed by Banner who ran 40 yards and slotted home.

Three nil soon followed on 24 minutes as Jon Rogers stretched out a foot and diverted a Draper cross from 8 yards.

The thing was that apart from the goals the teams were pretty evenly matched and it was only a better defensive display that gave Sporting the 3 goal half-time advantage as defenders cleared three Fairfield goal bound attempts off the line.  The first half took an age to complete as there was a stoppage for a clash of heads between Conway and Pratt with the Fairfield defender unable to continue.

Fairfield did get back into the game briefly as O’Connell had a free header from a corner to make it 3-1 on 57 minutes but Rogers beat the defensive high line again on 66 minutes to seal the 4-1 victory.

Sporting had time to rest Banner and Wilkes as Bright and Jenvey made substitute appearances and Sporting will hope to press on from here and improve upon their 6^th place in the league.

Next Saturday sees Sporting in Cup action at the Victoria Ground against Inkberrow with a 3 pm kick off

Sporting line up: Savage, Fellows (Molesworth), Harris, Martin, Thurbon, Brookes, Draper , Wilkes (Jenvey), Conway, Rogers Jon, Banner (Bright).

 Bromsgrove Sporting 5 (2) v (1) 2 Hampton FC

Mid Com Division 1

Today’s match was preceded by a perfectly observed silence respecting the late Gary Speed. On reflection, after 90 minutes fans had witnessed the kind of game Speed would have loved being in the thick of with no quarter asked or given by either side.

That Sporting came out 5-2 winners was due to their commitment to the cause which ultimately earned them the right to get the ball down and play some good football.

It all looked different early on when Hampton caught out Sporting from a Sporting defensive throw when Dan Wilkes tried to dribble the ball out and was caught in possession on the edge of his own box.  Hampton capitalised and took full value as Mansell beat the advancing Biddle to put the visitors a goal up.

It took only 2 minutes for Sporting to level with a debut goal for new signing Conway as he scored with a sublime flick from a precise layback from Kev Banner.

By half-time Sporting were in front as another piece of quality from Banner saw him score direct from a free kick into the bottom corner.  His shot was a joy to behold from behind the goal as he waited for the wall to move just a foot to its left and slotted the ball exactly where the defender had come from to make it 2-1.

Some robust challenges and a referee who seemed to struggle to control the tackles made this a robust contest and Sporting would have been pleased to come back in the face of such a challenge when in previous games they might have crumbled.

Certainly, Hampton’s central defenders seemed to enjoy the opportunity to wind up the home fans and Sporting supporters felt there was some justice in the Banner goal as Hanmpton’s number six had made a few gestures to suggest where the crowd might want to go to whilst the referee sorted out the melee before Banner stepped up to score.

On 71 minutes the game should have been over as a contest as Bradley Williamson dispossessed  Mansell and played in Conway for his second to put Sporting 3 – 1 up. Unfortunately, Sporting’s Christmas spirit showed again as keeper Biddle gifted Williams a goal as he let a shot from 30 yards through him and into the net.

Hampton threatened to get an equaliser a despite Banner hitting a post and Hampton clearing a shot off the line it required Conway’s third on 83 minutes to finally end the visitors resistance.  The Sporting faithful were rewarded with a final goal from substitute Hendry with his first shot to make the scoreline 5 – 2 in the home side’s favour.

Going forward with Banner putting in a great performance on the left and Conway and Williamson working hard for the team Sporting looked irresistible but if they are to be in the shake up at the end of the season they have to cut out the defensive errors.

Sporting team: Biddle, Lismore, Harris, Jones, Brookes (Cpt), Wilkes (Rogers G), Banner, Rogers Ja, Conway (Hendry), Williamson (Shaw), Draper. Subs not used: Allen, Lodge