It's been said a few times before but this was probably the biggest win in the short history of Bromsgrove Sporting. If not it is definitely the biggest scalp seeing off the runaway leaders of the division with a double and inflicting their first home defeat of the season.
Like the rest of the country, Peterborough basked in warm sunshine with many of the crowd watching in shirt sleeves and they were rewarded with both a good quality and tense game of football.
Early pressure from The Turbines saw them gain a couple of corners and the first shot of the match from Lewis Hilliard but it went way over the bar.
Then on the 11th minute Charlie Dowd took a thrown in, not far the from home goal-line, Liam Spink lobbed over a delightful cross into the middle of the box and there was Jason Cowley to volley into the centre of the Peterborough net to give his team a welcome lead and for Cowley his 99th goal in a Sporting shirt.
A few minutes later Dowd's daisy cutter went wide of the left-hand post whilst at the other end, Turbines captain Richard Jones headed narrowly over the bar.
Much of the play remained in midfield until there was 21 minutes on the clock when Nathan Hayward hoisted a long ball up field that found Dowd to the left of the home goal, it looked as if he would shoot but instead he sent a pass to the unmarked Kieran Westwood on the other side of the box who easily tapped in from a few yards out.
Avelino Viera had the best effort to date for Peterborough four minutes later but Sporting were still on the hunt for a third with Cowley firing over the bar and Josh Quaynor's free-kick getting deflected for a corner.
The home side though always looked to be dangerous on the break and so it happened on the 33rd minute when Dion Sembie-Ferris picked up a pass just inside the away half possibly offside but no flag was raised, he ran goalwards beating Kyle Lincoln before rounding Jono Brown and easily slotting home from 10 yards.
The goal looked to have livened up The Turbines but further shots from Viera and Hilliard failed to trouble Brown whilst Westwood also scoffed a loose ball over the bar just before the interval.
Little happened in the early stages of the second half but with four minute gone, lively midfielder Joshua McCammon made a surge forward only to be tripped by Liam Spink in full flight. Cue for a 20 man melee and a far bit of argy-bargy. Once the dust settled referee Mr Dadley red-carded Peterborough's Paul Malone for a head butt whilst hardly surprising Spink got a yellow as did Aaron Roberts and Richard Jones.
From then on it was a tale of two defences who successfully kept each other out until full-time though Quaynor had a good angled shot saved low by Lewis Moat whilst Dowd was unlucky not to get on to the score sheet with a couple of minutes remaining after making a dazzling run through the home defence only for his low shot to be well-saved by Moat.
After four minutes of tense added time, Mr Dadley finally blew for the end prompting the best celebrations seen since winning the Midland Football League last season.
The win sends Sporting back to the top by two points but The Turbines have three games in hand. However there is still plenty of football to play this season.
Peterborough: Lewis Moat, Mitchell Griffiths, Johnny Herd, Paul Malone, Richard Jones (Capt.), Daniel Lawlor (James Stevenson 60 mins), Avelino Viera (Stuart Wall 53 mins), Joshua McCammon (Joshua Moreman 64 mins), Mark Jones, Lewis Hilliard, Dion Sembie-Ferris.
Substitutes not used: Abduramane Salo-Sani, Daniel Bucciero.
Goal: Dion Sembie-Ferris (33 mins).
Red: Paul Malone (51 mins)
Yellows: Richard Jones (51 mins), Mark Jones (87 mins)
Sporting: Jono Brown, Liam Spink, Jack Wilson (John Pykett 64 mins), Nathan Hayward, Aaron Roberts, Kyle Lincoln, Charlie Dowd, Josh Quaynor (Capt.), Jason Cowley, Cameron Peters (Jake Heath 70 mins), Kieran Westwood.
Substitutes not used: Tom Rankin, Dan O'Sullivan
Goals: Jason Cowley (11 mins), Kieran Westwood (21 mins).
Yellows: Liam Spink (51 mins), Aaron Roberts (51 mins), Jason Cowley (83 mins), Charlie Dowd (88 mins).
Referee: Mr R Dadley (Bedworth)
Assistants: Mr M Jackson (Sutton-in-Ashfield), Mr W Ottaway (Rugby).
Sporting MoM: Charlie Dowd
Crowd: 391
Weather: Warm, sunny.
Report: Phil Baker
Bromsgrove Sporting blew the title race wide open and returned to the summit after completing a double over Sports with this hard fought win.
The visitors were quickly out of the traps and took the lead on 11 minutes when a cross from the right from full back Liam Spink was turned home at the far post by Jason Cowley. Sports were poor in the opening stages, and seemed overawed by the occasion and it was no surprise when Sporting doubled their advantage on 21 minutes. The Turbines have an Achilles heel of conceding from their own corners, and Bromsgrove broke at pace before the influential Charlie Dowd fed Kieren Westwood to roll into an empty net.
The hosts slowly got a foothold in the contest with Mark Jones almost set clear, and then the Sports striker having a shot on the turn comfortably saved by Jonathan Brown in the Bromsgrove goal. The Trbines got themselves back into the contest on 33 minutes when Mark Jones put Dion Sembie-Ferris through, and the Sports front man cut inside Spink before sliding home. Sports went onto have the better of things up to the break, with Vieira heading a great chance over, though it was not that straight forward after the ball bounced up in front of him from a Malone header from a corner. Kieren Westwood blasted narrowly over from the edge of the box in injury time and the visitors were well worth their 2-1 interval lead which matched the HT score in the reverse fixture.
Early in the 2nd half Josh McCammon broke free but was stopped in his tracks by a diabolical tackle from Spink, who made no attempt whatsoever to play the ball. A 22 man melee ensued and the officials decided that Sports Paul Malone’s involvement was worthy of a red card – the Sports man can have no complaints as his intervention was naïve for such an experienced player. Richard Jones from Sports and Aaron Roberts from the opposition were also booked, and with bodies flying all over the place, other players can count themselves lucky to have not joined Malone in the slow walk off. The melee may have helped Spink, because the offence itself was only deemed worthy of a yellow. McCammon was well clear of him and at full stretch Spink managed to just make connection with his studs down the Achilles of McCammon’s trailing leg. It was reckless and endangered the safety of the Sports player, who received lengthy treatment and later was taken off, and whilst would have been a yellow 10 years ago, it should have been a red in the modern climate of protecting players from such tackles.
It made the ref the object of frustration from the home followers that represented about 50% of the league record attendance of 391, with the Bromsgrove following quite magnificent in their support of the visitors all game. In truth apart from this incident there were only a couple of decisions that went against either side that were debatable, but certainly nothing of any great importance and Sports got exactly what they deserved from the contest. The vocal support of the Bromsgrove fans must have given the team a significant lift as it would have felt like a home game, and it is difficult to understand how they have lost so many games on the road.
We will never know if the Turbines would have built up a head of steam in the 2nd period, and there was not a great deal happen after the melee. For Bromsgrove, Josh Quaynor nearly capitalised on a James Stevenson error in the box on 68 minutes and man of the match Dowd went on a mazy run from the left wing which ended with Lewis Moat being forced into a save with his legs, before Kyle Lincoln headed narrowly over from a corner.
A Richard Jones volley and a deflected shot from Mark Jones were the home sides best efforts, The visitors saw the game out with some ease, though Dowd & Cowley picked up cautions for kicking the ball away, as Bromsgrove tried to run the clock down, but in truth the Turbines rarely looked like forcing a draw.
Sports now move on with this tough run of games to Corby Town away next Saturday, who could also move above the Turbines with a victory before trips to 4th placed Didcot Town and 5th placed Thame United in the same week. The side will have question marks against them after this weak effort, but should take solace from remaining in control of their own destiny.
Peterborough Sports: 1.Lewis Moat (6), 2. Mitch Griffiths (5), 3. Johnny Herd (5), 4. Paul Malone (4), 5. Richard Jones (6), 6. Dan Lawlor (4), 7. Avelino Vieira (5), 8. Josh McCammon (4), 9. Mark Jones (5), 10. Lewis Hilliard (4), 11. Dion Sembie-Ferris (5).
Subs Used: James Stevenson (5), Stuart Wall (6), Josh Moreman (6).
Bromsgrove Sporting: 1.Jonathan Brown (6), 2. Liam Spink (5), 3. Jack Wilson (6), 4. Nathan Hayward (6), 5. Aaron Roberts (6), 6. Kyle Lincoln (6), 7. Charlie Dowd (9), 8. Josh Quaynor (8), 9. Jason Cowley (8), 10. Cameron Peters (6), 11. Kieren Westwood (7).
Goals:
Bromsgrove Sporting: Jason Cowley - 11 Mins Kieren Westwood - 21 Mins
Peterborough Sports: Dion Sembie-Ferris - 33 Mins
Attendance 391
Man of the Match - Charlie Dowd (Bromsgrove Sporting)
Referee: Robbie Dadley (6)
