FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
Stourport Swifts (1) 2-2 (2) Bromsgrove Sporting - AET
Bromsgrove and Stourport will do it all again on Tuesday night at the Victoria Ground after an entertaining 2-2 draw at Walshes Meadow.
Sporting started brightly, and were ahead after 4 minutes when a poor shot from Sam Wills looked to be heading safely into the hands of Stourport 'keeper Brendon Bunn, when it inexplicably rolled over his shin and trickled into the net behind him to the delight of the travelling Sporting contingent.
Sporting continued to look threatening, in particular the lively Gary Hay up front, and almost scored a second when he received the ball on the edge of the area and squared the ball to Wills who on this occasion was not assisted by Bunn, who managed to hold onto the ball.
Hay was involved again when he received the ball on the edge of the area, and cut inside the outstretched leg of Stourport defender, Michael Briscoe, before confidently striking the ball towards the near post, with it passing agonisingly wide.
After this, Stourport began to boss the game in the midfield creating a number of chances before a well placed cross was put past Sporting 'keeper Jake Bedford by Lewis Pountney who rose impressively above the Sporting defence to head powerfully into the net.
Stourport were now in the ascendency, and a well struck free-kick by Michael McGrath from 30 yards out would've gone in, had it not been for the outstretched fingertips of Bedford.
There was yet more drama before half time when Sporting were awarded two penalties, the first for a foul on Gary Hay by Kevin Spencer. Simon Fitter stepped up to take the penalty, firing it into the crossbar. The second was awarded just before half time for a similar foul, again by Spencer but this time on Sam Wills. The Stourport players surrounded referee Phillip Lindsey, claiming Wills had in fact pulled down Spencer but they were waved away. This time, Wills himself stepped up to take the penalty, and subsequently sent Bunn the wrong way making it 2-1 to Sporting at half time.
In the second half the game became more stretched. Whilst this made for an entertaining spectacle, it was not pleasant viewing for Sporting fans hoping their team could hold on for the win. Chris Duggan's introduction on 74 minutes saw the team change from the 3-5-2 formation they were employing to a more defensive and conventional 4-4-2 with Will Tibbetts pushing up from right wing back to right midfield and Duggan himself slotting in behind him.
However, Stourport continued to create chances, including a free kick from substitute Calvin Dinsley which deflected off Pountney and was neatly saved by Bedford.
Sporting now had their backs against the wall and just after Swifts had hit the post, referee Lindsey awarded a penalty for an alleged push in the area. Dinsley struck the spot kick past Bedford, and in the process sent the game into extra- time.
Sporting looked more likely to score, but there were a distinct lack of clear cut chances. Both sides looked jaded after a very physical match. Sporting substitute Jozsef Jakab saw his shot trickle past the post after a neat knock down from Hay and Tibbetts looked lively on the right wing but neither Sporting or Swifts could find a winner, meaning a replay on Tuesday night at 7:45 at the Victoria Ground.
This result and the two games against Coleshill show that Sporting now have the quality to compete with teams towards the top of the league in the division above and this can only bode well for their tital pursuit this season.
