Groundhog Day, well at least for 40 minutes as Sporting once again struggled against a physical and well organised Blackwood team. As last season they had plenty of possession but few ideas of what to do with it and with Barnes and Hall in defenders' pockets took until the 36th minute to have a shot at goal. By that time Sporting were losing 1-0, conceding after 22 minutes when the dreadlocked Snape volleyed home from 12 yards from a left wing centre.
Blackwood snuffed out Sporting's threat but they themselves lacked creativity and a midfield stalemate ensued. Apart from Blackwood's goal the opening half hour is best passed over in silence. It was Jamie Rogers who had Sporting's first attempt on goal, shooting over after Odane Barnes laid the ball back.
As half time approached the Rouslers finally began to use the flanks to get in behind the Blackwood back four and Dan Wilkes wasted a good opportunity after beating the offside trap. However just a minute later Sporting were level. This was a good goal, a build up down the left flank releasing Hall whose cross was volleyed home at the far post by Barnes who finally escaped the Blackwood shackles. One-all at the break but Sporting needed to improve significantly.
Which they did. The second half, in complete contrast, was absorbing and entertaining. After Clarke had gone close with a near post header for Blackwood, Sporting reorganised with Nick Allen coming into central defence and Joe Brookes moving to left back in place of Zac Blood who had struggled and reverted to his normal position on the left side of midfield. Dan Wilkes moved to the right flank to replace the substituted Molesworth.
The team immediately looked better balanced and Hall and Barnes were both causing problems for the Blackwood defence. On 67 minutes Sporting should have taken the lead from the best move of the match. Barnes released Blood with a clever back heel and his low centre found Hall who shot straight at the keeper from close range. Sporting were to regret this miss. On 75 minutes Griffiths conceded a free kick in a central position with a clumsy lunge at an opponent and Millard hit the dead ball into the bottom left hand corner. Hill should have increased the lead shortly afterwards but shot wide from a left wing cross.
With time running out Sporting made a double substitution. Rogers and Hall were replaced by Siviter and, rolling back the years even if no longer combing back the hair, Mark Whitehouse. Within a minute Siviter's volley had brought a superb save from Mills. Sporting continued to press, Blackwood threatened on the break but there were no further goals.
So Blackwood remain a bogey team. They are a good side and have a particularly good defence but this cannot excuse Sporting's first half lethargy. On the basis of the second half performance it could be argued Sporting deserved a point, and they showed that Blackwood are as fallible as anyone else when put under pressure.
The harsh truth is that if you don't start playing until the second half you deserve nothing and that's what we got. We are at the Glades, Blackwood's next door neighbours, on Wednesday. Can the real Sporting please turn up?
Blackwood: Mills, Fitzgerald (Thorp 67), Hall, Clarke, Grant, Hill, Hemming (Tilsley 83), Bell, Snape (Ashley Griffiths 89), Milliard, Larmour
Sub Not Used: Matt Griffiths, Muntali
Sporting. Biddle, Lismore, Blood, Brookes, Griffiths, Curry, Molesworth (Allen 62), Jamie Rogers (Siviter 83), Barnes, Hall (Whitehouse 83),Wilkes.
Sub Not Used: Hicks-Kenward, Brighton
Today we welcomed Bromsgove Sporting to Field Lane, our old friends from division 2 and we expected a good game of football to follow.
With Blackwood holding the upper hand from the last meeting toward the end of last season this would be a good test to see where both teams have improved over the summer.
As the game kicked off a decent size crowd had amassed and all seemed in good spirits. Blackwood won the toss and moved the ball around almost effortlessly for the opening few moments as Bromsgrove looked sluggish and off the pace.
Blackwood looked sharper than they did on Wednesday as they looked to keep the ball moving around the team. Bromsgove backed off and allowed Blackwood to play, to the joy of the Blackwood midfield.
As Bromsgove did get possession Blackwood where on hand to force an error or regain the ball with some ease. The Bromsgove back four looked nervous and didn't appear settled as Snape ran the channels well and held the ball up to allow the play to catch up. With the defence of Blackwood looking so comfortable with the ball they we able to play passes into the wide areas or the forwards feet with little pressure.
The opening 20 mins saw Blackwood the much better side and they played the ball around with little organised pressure from Bromsgove. Snape continued to be the thorn in Bromsgove's side and his tireless running continued.
With some tight passing down the Blackwood left, Hall released a cross field ball along the Bromsgrove back four, finding Snape pulling off the shoulder of the centre half to hit a screaming right foot volley in the top left hand of the goal. A well deserved lead after dominating the game for the first 20 mins and a good reward for Snape's running.
After the restart Bromsgove started to get back into the game slowly as Blackwood backed off and stopped pressing the game as hard. This allowed Bromsgrove to start hitting long balls into the channels for their forwards to run on to.
Hemmings and Larmour continued to beat their men out wide and create real problems for the Bromsgove defence.
Bromsgrove started to regain some confidence and Blackwood looked to back off a little and allowed them back into the game. Almost right on the half time a hopeful ball down the Blackwood right found a player who played a quick ball across the box that found the Bromsgrove centre forward. The second half started more of a an equal battle, with Blackwoods passing game in contrast to Bromsgrove's long ball game, both teams looked for a winner. Blackwood started to get on top again, until Fitzgerald picked up an injury and Bromsgrove used that as the wing to attack on.
A ball from the Bromsgrove left wing found their centre forward one on one with Mills for Mills to make a hard save look easy. This was followed by another ball down the left for Bromsgrove to find a poor shot from the centre forward almost finding the top corner for Mills to deny him. Top class from Mills, who up until then had little to do. Seeing this Blackwood made a straight swap Fitzgerald off for Thorp. With the Blackwood defence looking more assured this gave the confidence to the wide men to get on the ball again as well as Hill in the middle to cause more problems.
Bell was back to his best in the air and on the floor and with Milliard coming deep for the ball Blackwood where winning the midfield battle again. Snape continued to work tirelessly and the only way that they could try and stop him was to hack his legs down from behind on the half way line. Grant continued to marshal his defence and along with A. Clarke, Thorp and Hall they looked in charge .
On the 75th minute another ball into Snapes feet was tempting enough for him to be brought down once again form behind some 25 yards out. With Milliard over the ball the stage was set for the winner. A sweet strike from Milliard found the bottom corner and the keeper flapping. An excellent finish. Bromsgove realising they where running out of time, elected to get the ball forward quicker and it was long ball after long ball against the Blackwood defence.
Blackwood started to look more and more comfortable with their goal advantage. with 10 mins remaining Hemmings was replaced by A. Tilsley. This was down to a tactical change, as Hemmings had run his man ragged all day.
Thorp winning the ball in his own half ran some 60 yards to gain a corner for Blackwood. with 5 mins remaining Snape was replaced with A. Griffiths. Snape came off knowing he had done his job and took the MOM award as well.
Griffiths did superb as he worked the back three of Bromsgrove and kept the ball to release the pressure off the rest of the team. The game ended with Blackwood keeping the ball for the final 4 minutes.
Dean Hall commented "I'm made up with the result today, as there was still pressure on us after our start. Bromsgrove came here today on the back of two wins and we knew we had to win today so to keep us in the mix. I'm happy with our play today in patches, but i would have liked to see us finish them off in the first half when we had the chance. I felt we gifted them the ball for their goal." "The lads are starting to look sharper and now the season is 3 game sin we are starting to look fitter. Our play at times and one and two touch football is excellent, I would just like more of it. I thought our goals today where top draw and its good to get our forwards scoring." "I'll be happy reporting this into Brogan now. Onwards to Tuesday".
