BROMSGROVE Sporting moved a step closer to securing promotion from the Midland League Premier Division with a 3-1 victory over Haughmond.
All the goals came in the first half for Brendan Kelly’s men who now only need a point against Loughborough University on Saturday to guarantee a top two-spot after Coleshill Town were held to a 1-1 draw away to Westfields this afternoon.
Sporting got off to a disastrous start in front of a 950-strong crowd at the Victoria Ground, falling behind after eight minutes when Tom Hewitt was on hand to head home Carl Rogers’ long thrown in from the left-hand side.
However, the lead lasted just four minutes as Sporting equalised when a long ball over the Haughmond defence landed at the feet of Richard Gregory who rounded keeper Sam Jones and tapped into an empty net to bring up 100 league goals this season for the Rouslers.
Jason Cowley almost nosed Sporting ahead in the 19th minute when he rounded Jones but with the angle against him, he could only find the side netting.
Midway through the first half the Shropshire visitors came within a whisker of regaining the lead as Jamie Hyne capitalised on some miscommunication between Marcel Simpson and Drew Canavan but he could only flash a powerful drive just wide of the far post.
And that miss proved costly when four minutes later Sporting took the lead as Canavan showed neat skill on the far edge of the area and cross to an unmarked Cowley who glanced a header into the far corner.
Sporting then grabbed their third with 12 minutes of the first half remaining when Josh Quaynor’s corner was cleared only as far as Aaron Roberts whose deep cross was missed by Mond keeper Jones which allowed Simpson to fire into an unguarded net.
Playing their fourth game in a week, the tired legs told in the second half as Sporting laboured to a 3-1 victory.
However, they did have chances to add to their tally.
Cowley somehow managed to direct a shot from point-blank range wide of the mark after connecting with a cross from Guy Clark who had stormed into the area while Rogers had to head Canavan’s curling effort off the line just past the hour mark.
Jones then had to save with his feet to deny John Pykett while Harry Harris watched a curling effort from the edge of the area go straight at the visitors’ No.1.
Haughmond had a flurry of corners late on as they went in search of reducing the arrears but they failed to trouble Reece Francis as Sporting closed out the win.
Report courtesy of Craig Gibbons (Bromsgrove Standard)
