Bromsgrove Sporting vs Nuneaton Griff
Bromsgrove Sporting's succumbed to a well-executed game plan on Saturday afternoon, as they lost 1-0 to Nuneaton Griff in the Midland Football League Division One on Saturday afternoon.
Substitute Luke Shorthouse's 68th minute goal, together with a gameplan that prohibited the Rouslers and prevented them from expressing themselves, resulted in Sporting falling further behind leaders Coventry United.
The first thirty-five minutes were rather cagey, with Bromsgrove's Nathan Walker having two free kicks and a long-range effort test goalkeeper George Woodward, whilst Griff's Alex Naughton had a shot blocked on the line by Craig Jones.
The half really came alive inside the final ten minutes. A Will Tibbetts corner found the head of Jones, who had his effort cleared away before a delicious Aaron Roberts cross fell invitingly to the feet of Sean Brain, who could only put his one-on-one effort straight at Woodward.
A minute later, Liam Spink had a shot palmed wide and Brain had a close range effort hit the post.
Just before the half time whistle, Nuneaton had numerous opportunities to take a lead into the break. The lively Josh Ruff was able to stroll through a static Sporting defence and unleash a drive that was well saved by Chris Jay, the rebound scuffed wide by Naughton.
Ruff had another chance when his effort on the edge of the area hit the post, only to bounce off Jay and back towards the goal. Luckily for the Sporting stopper, he managed to get two grateful hands on it before it crept over the line.
The second half began as the first one finished; Danny Edmond blazing wide from close range for Nuneaton whilst Jones had yet another header cleared off the line for the home side.
The 63rd minute saw Brain have a header saved from a Tibbetts corner and unfortunately for Sporting, these missed chances were to prove costly, with Shorthouse being allowed to turn and shoot into the bottom corner, leaving Jay with no chance.
The game became stodgy following the goal, with Griff players becoming increasingly physical and their ill discipline continuing. Their final effort of note came twenty minutes from home, when Edmond squandered a gilt-edge chance with only Jay to beat.
Unsurprisingly, the away side were running down the clock and time wasting whenever possibly but this was not clamped down on and it certainly stunted any shoots of creativity from the home side.
Sporting looked to have equalised ten minutes from home, as Walker's twenty yard effort skimmed across the ground and clipped the inside of the post, only to skid across the goalmouth and out of harms way.
Sporting substitutes Dale Edwards and Kyle Turner provided the team's last chance, as Edwards' cross found the head of Turner, who could only guide his effort well wide.
A frustrating afternoon for Sporting and the fracas caused by over-zealous Griff players after the whistle did not help matters. Not the dazzling force they usually are but this was largely down to Nuneaton Griff's expert tactics of hassling and harrying them.
The defeat has put a major dent in Bromsgrove's title hopes, as they failed to capitalise on leaders Coventry United's draw against Hinckley and now find themselves five points adrift having played a game more.
BROMSGROVE SPORTING 0 NUNEATON GRIFF 1
14 Feb, 2016
Griff have been noted for their giantkilling this season, and none comes any bigger that at Bromsgrove against a team on the end of a ten game winning run in front of a large 364 partizan crowd. With a squad reduced in numbers the visitors set their stall out with Darren Eggleton and Ryan Slinn coming into the line-up in place of Ashley Wilks and Dave Barnett and Luke Shorthouse came off the bench to notch up his twenty seventh goal of the season!
The Heartlanders defended the slope first and it was Sporting who threw them back early on with Nathan Walker curling a free-kick just over and George Woodward pushing one shot away and then tipping another shot over the bar. Griff were defending deep and hitting on the break and it almost worked as Danny Harris and Josh Ruff worked the ball to Alex Naughton but goalkeeper Chris Jay saved well.
The post came to Griff's rescue as Sean Brain flicked a corner ball on but then Bromsgrove had two let-offs as the visitors ended the half on top, Josh Ruff weaved through but with just the goalkeeper to beat his shot was well saved. On the half-time whistle it was Ruff again who beat Jay but the ball hit the inside of the post and the keeper managed to grab it before it crossed the line.
An exciting half was followed by another in this no-ends-barred contest, Kyle Baxter cleared off the line from a Craig Jones header and on the break a Danny Edmonds shot was diverted just wide.
On sixty eight minutes Griff took the lead, Mark Williams cleared to Ben Ashby who found Luke Shorthouse and the big man turned his marker to fire a low shot into the far corner. They should then probably have doubled their lead as Edmond went through one on one with the Rouslers goalkeeper but it was Jay who came out on top!
Sporting threw everything at the visitors in the final ten minutes and came close to gaining a point when Dale Edwards worked the ball well out wide and when he pulled the ball back it was Nathan Walker who fired in a shot which hit the post, the fourth time it had happened in the game, two each side!
The Nuneatonians held out to the end with Ryan Millerchip earning Star Man billing. he and Darren Eggleton were the big rocks in the heart of defence upon which the Sporting attacks floundered.
Nuneaton Griff:
Woodward, Harris, Astley, Eggleton, Millerchip, Williams, Slinn (Ashby 57), Baxter, Naughton (Shorthouse 57), Edmond (Brennan 90), Ruff. Subs not used: Aston, Gilks.
Bromsgrove Sporting:
Jay, Roberts, Kelly (Edwards 74), Walker, Jones, Wilcox, Tibbetts, Hewitt, Collins (Wills 59), Spink (Turner 59), Brain. Subs not used: Fisher, Hanks.
Referee: Tom Reeves (Coventry)
