Needham Market 1 (Miles 3')
Bromsgrove Sporting 3 (Matt 30', Jervis 35' P, Harrison 67')

Bromsgrove Sporting got their season off to the perfect start on Saturday, with victory at Needham Market.

The Rouslers' afternoon began horrifically, when Ryan Miles' strike gave the Marketmen a third minute lead, before goals from Sporting strikers Jamille Matt and Jake Jervis gave Tim Flowers' men the upper hand going into the interval.

A header from Ollie Harrison midway through the second half was enough for Bromsgrove to seal all three points on the opening day.

Needham went one up after Miles' shot from just over 20 yards found the net, despite Sporting stopper Tony Breeden getting a hand to it on the way in.

Marcel Lewis had chances in the ninth minutes to double the lead, but saw one shot blocked before his effort from the rebound went narrowly wide - at this point, it looked as though the side that missed out on last season's play-offs so agonisingly on the final day would be putting their visitors to the sword.

However, Sporting slowly grew into the game, with Jervis having a golden opportunity saved from close range in the 25th minute. Bromsgrove would eventually equalise after half an hour, as a defensive calamity from Needham saw Dan Trickett-Smith tee up Matt, who managed to find the bottom corner from inside the area.

And former Walsall man Matt would be involved in Sporting's second - after being fouled inside the box, Jervis stepped up from 12 yards and coolly sent James Bradbrook the wrong way 35 minutes in.

The visitors rode their luck somewhat inside the opening 15 minutes of the second half; Liam Pearce saw his 51st minute strike hit the crossbar before Breeden frantically cleared the ball away, before a ball into the box sent Bromsgrove into panic mode, with an attempted hooked clearance clattering the upright before eventually the danger disappeared.

The lead was doubled 67 minutes in, as a pinpoint Jak Hickman corner was confidently headed home by an unmarked Harrison, who was captaining the side in the absence of fellow centre back Chris Hussey.

The lively Trickett-Smith had a couple of shots saved in quick succession with 15 minutes of normal time remaining as the Rouslers hunted for their fourth, with Needham unable to muster any chances of real note thereafter, as Sporting went on to claim a very big three points.

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Entertainment Rating: 3/5
Reporter's Player of the Match: Dan Trickett-Smith (Bromsgrove Sporting)
Attendance: 345

Sporting Player of the Match, as chosen by Sporting fan Harry Boorn: Dan Trickett-Smith

Report: Max Banner