St Mary's Hospice Midland Football Combination Premier Division - Saturday 3rd May 2014, 3:00 p.m. kick-off
Bolehall Swifts 1 (1) Bromsgrove Sporting 3 (2)
Sporting finished their league campaign with a useful if not totally convincing win against Bolehall Swifts. With several absences and a two-week gap since their last match, manager Adie Mander had to shuffle his side around and it took a few minutes for them to find their rhythm and a pattern of play. Lewis Clarke returned to the team after a brief spell at Lye Town whilst Will Tibbetts also returned taking his place on the right-wing.
Swifts started the stronger and after putting a couple of good efforts over the bar, they took the lead on 11 minutes when Chris Cowley beat the offside-trap and after side-stepping Bromsgrove 'keeper Jake Bedford fired low into the bottom corner of the net. Unfortunately for Cowley, he had to go off a few minutes later with an arm injury.
The home side then contrived to miss three gilt-edged chances that would have put the match beyond Sporting with striker Chris Sturridge-Packer the offender missing two open goals then firing a weak header straight into Bedford's arms.
Sporting took advantage and got back into the match on 38 minutes. Brett Mander made a good run up-field from right-back and hit an inch-perfect cross into the box that Lewis Clarke gratefully headed into the top right-hand corner.
Craig Jones then became the second casualty of the afternoon when he went off just before half-time in some pain with a strained calf muscle to be replaced by Richard Taylor. Sporting though had enough time to take the lead two minutes into added time. Danny Ludlow was fouled just outside the box, Clarke took the resulting free-kick to Mark Bellingham whose shot rolled along the goal-line to Matt Poyner who finished off the move by blasting home.
The Rouslers then had the better of the play after the break and their well-organised defence stopped Bolehall from having any real chances in the second half. The third goal came on 72 minutes following a Danny Ludlow corner that nearly went straight in. Swifts' poor clearance off the line went out to Matt Poyner who easily shot home from short range.
Poyner nearly got his hat-trick a couple of minutes later when his shot hit the underside of the bar and bounced out to Danny Ludlow who put the ball in the net only to see the linesman flag for offside.
Referee Mr Kerrigan played just one minute of added time before blowing for the end of the league season for both clubs.
After the match, coach Les Palmer said, "It was a typical end of season match. We were a bit fortunate to be 2-1 up at half-time but we played much better in the second half stopping them from scoring and I thought we deserved the win".
Bolehall (yellow shirts, yellow shorts, yellow socks): Tom McNulty, Nick Heath (Capt.), Charlton Davis, Joseph Obi, Adam Goodby, Scott Goodby, Steven Day, Lewis Chadwick, David Yonwin, Christopher Sturridge-Packer, Chris Cowley (Simeon Smith 19 mins).
Subs not used: David Harwood, Brett Larkins.
Yellows: Steven Day (84 mins), Nick Heath (89 mins)
Goal: Chris Cowley (11 mins)
Sporting (green/white shirts, shorts, socks): Jake Bedford, Brett Mander, Jack Wilson, Lewis Clarke, Joe Cole (Capt.), Craig Jones (Richard Taylor 44 mins), Will Tibbetts (Sam Wilkinson, 61 mins), Matt Poyner, Mark Bellingham, Sean Williams, Danny Ludlow.
Sub not used: Ryan Andrews
Scorers: Lewis Clarke (38 mins), Matt Poyner (45+2, 72 mins).
Yellow: Sam Wilkinson (86 mins)
Referee: Mr J Kerrigan (Cannock)
Assistants: Mr C Beecham, Mr P Jeffrey
Crowd: 86
Weather: Warm, sunny.
Sporting Man of the Match: Jack Wilson
Reporter: Phil Baker
After Monday nights excellent performance in winning the Floodlit Cup, this final home game of the season against the divisional runners-up Bromsgrove Sporting who travel with a large crowd for Midland Football Combination standards was always going to be a difficult game.
Wilson was the first to test Tom McNulty in the Swifts nets, but he dived down to his left to parry the ball away for a corner. The Sporting goal machine that is Mark Bellingham was denied when McNulty was quickest to react from the resultant flag kick, collecting the ball off Bellingham's feet. At the other end Swifts own 38 goal scoring machine released a snapshot that just cleared the Sporting bar after a good run and cross from Cowley.
Just 12 minutes into the match Swifts opened their account when Adam Goodby lofted a ball over the square looking Sporting defence where CHRIS COWLEY had timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap. He steadied himself and finished with his left foot giving Bedford no chance in the Sporting nets. A long ball out of defence was latched on to by Wilson but he shot wide after 15 minutes. Swifts should then have doubled their lead. Sturridge-Packer like Cowley before him beat the offside trap but his right foot effort to lob the ball over the advancing 'keeper Bedford went well wide of the target. Unfortunately Cowley had to leave the field with an arm injury and Simeon Smith himself injured the previous Saturday and not fully fit replaced him.
Just 20 minutes into the game and Smith should have scored for Swifts. Yonwin who had now been moved to the left wing to replace Cowley sped up the left pulled the ball back to Smith but he somehow contrived to steer his shot from close range the wrong side of the post. These two misses indie 5 minutes of each other would prove to be costly for Swifts.
With 5 minutes of the half left, a cross from the right was well met by defender Lewis CLARKE and he slotted home from within a crowded Swifts penalty area for the equaliser. In injury time of the first half, POYNER was set up by Bellingham after he had won a ball from a free kick conceded just outside the Swifts area. The Sporting striker scored with barely enough time to restart the match.
The second half was a non event for Swifts who seemed to be carrying too many injuries and lacked the fitness of their Bromsgrove opponents. The third goal came when a corner from the right was met by POYNER once more and he slotted home again from close range. The visitors had the ball in the net again after it had hit the cross bar, but the assistant flagged off side and Swifts who rarely troubled Bedford in the second half had to settle for second best and a 4th placed finish between Nuneaton Griff who finished 3rd and Atherstone who also lost on the day and ended up 5th.
Nevertheless, Dave Haywood and his Management Team can look back on good season with a Trophy in the cabinet the first in 12 years at this level and a good 4th placed finish.
