By Chris Ponter:
Hinton Reserves 1, Ledbury Town Reserves 3
Ledbury Town Reserves achieved the same 3-1 win this week from the last time they played Hinton Reserves in Division One of the Herefordshire FA County League back in early November, although with three different goalscorers as opposed to the Tom Skittery brace and additional goal from Callum Blackmore-Davey scored last time around as Alistair Holder, Curt Williams and man of the match Kieran Loveridge found the three marks on the scoresheet at a bright and breezy Broomy Hill.
It was touch and go at times for David Butcher’s squad, bolstered on the day by first teamers Williams, Pete Jeynes and George Walker owing to Ledbury’s senior side having a fortnight off following their crucial second Herefordshire League Premier Division victory of the season over current second place holders Hereford Pegasus Reserves at Old School Lane when a Tom Boyle brace netted the same scoreline, particularly during a very even first period of play which saw Hinton gain a number of early chances from set-pieces.
The Ledbury second string found the breakthrough on the 20thminute when Williams’ exquisite free kick was nodded home by Alistair Holder, even if the hosts remained very much in the game come the interval as the black and white shirts knew that their single-goal advantage was extremely fragile.
Sure enough, it took only ten minutes into the latter half of play for Jordan Mann to find the equalizer, even if Williams’ 64thminute goal was swiftly followed by Loveridge lobbing opposing goalkeeper Liam Hill just six minutes later to put the visitors firmly in the driving seat, during an enjoyable encounter in the chilly conditions which also witnessed three yellow cards being produced by referee for the day Joshua Marchant.
The earlier kick-off on account of Hinton’s first team playing third place Herefordshire League Premier Divison holders Hereford Lads Club Reserves home later on that afternoon began with hardworking Ledbury captain Jai Smallwood producing a defensive header over the touchline, giving the hosts an opening corner ball which was punched clear by visiting keeper Zak Bonfield.
A free kick for the red and black shirts, taken not far from the same corner flag was then palmed away again by Bonfield, even if the young Ledbury goaltender couldn’t quite manage to recapture the ball as his defence was left to make the clearance.
A further free kick from the Hereford-based outfit on the ninth minute was struck beneath the leaping three-man wall of visiting players Sam Booth, the aforementioned of the Holder twins and brother Matti to see the ball come off the foot of an opposing attacker near Walker as the ball was cleared away by the latter of the Holder siblings, even if a frustrated Butcher made his feelings very clear from the dugout over Hinton being given so many set-pieces inside the opening ten minutes of play.
A great run from visiting striker Jake Mecke down the near wing with three Ledbury defenders in hot pursuit saw his effort from a tricky angle at the far post blocked by the outstretched foot of Bonfield, before a further Broomy Hill forward put the ball well wide from twenty yards out on the follow-up from the visiting keeper’s deflection.
William’s terrific spot kick was then struck past the three-man wall of opposing defenders to see Alistair Holder capitalize and put the ball away to break the deadlock, only for Hinton to respond immediately with a threatening assault around the box which was well-covered by both Smallwood and Jeynes out towards the near corner flag, even if the cross which was still produced just missed the head of a Hinton forward in the box as one of his team-mates went on to fire the ball harmlessly over the woodwork.
Bonfield then made a brilliant save with Booth being on hand to nod the resulting corner ball clear, with the hosts choosing to make a first substitution on the 25thminute as Smallwood continued to lead by example in dealing with a number of advances from the opposition at the edge of the box.
Jake Bramley was then shown the first yellow card of the day from Marchant for dissent, before a free kick from Loveridge on the half-hour mark, after his pass to Walker saw the twenty-year-old first teamer obstructed and taking a tumble over a Hinton defender on the edge of the box, was nodded on by Skittery but without any of his team-mates being available to perform the finish.
Ledbury continued to ride their luck when the hosts put the ball just shy of the far post, before some good defensive work from Matti Holder saw the regular visiting defender clear the ball away from towards the near corner flag.
Bonfield then dived to confidently claim the ball on the ground just in the nick of time from a rapidly-advancing opposing attacker, even if the Hinton striker clipped the Ledbury goaltender’s arm in the process, before Butcher’s squad retired to the sideline over the break knowing that they still had much to do if they were to secure the three points.
The second period began almost immediately with the hosts threatening right in front of goal upfield, even if the threat was halted by an offside flag being raised by regular visiting skipper Nick Bolton running the near sideline, ready to return to the action after suffering from a popped hamstring incurred in the 2-1 win away at basement boys Bartestree during the Ledbury second string’s first league game of the year, before Williams charged in to fire the ball well over the target after a cross from Loveridge came off Bramley in the box back downfield.
A 25-yard free kick from Williams flew over the group of visiting forwards in the box and on past the near post, before a second offside flag from Bolton was followed by the ball landing for Walker in the box, whose pass to Bramley was intercepted by an opposing defender.
Alistair Holder protested to Marchant after an apparent handball offence from Hinton in the box went unpunished by the official, with Ledbury frustrations being further compounded when the hosts took full advantage of the moment of controversy to race away upfield and put away their equalizer through Mann.
A Broomy Hill midfielder then picked up the first of two bookings incurred by his side that day for committing a foul against Walker, with the resulting free kick from Williams being struck over another three-man defensive wall to be very well-saved by Hill, getting a hand to the ball to palm it off the near post.
Sam Branch came on to replace Bramley on the 60thminute in a first substitution from Butcher’s well-staffed subs bench, before Alistair Holder slid in and just missed the finish at the far post as the opposing outfit went on to receive a second booking from Marchant.
The tide began to turn back the visitors’ way when Williams coolly slotted home, before a Hinton free kick was struck over the Holder duo and Loveridge forming the Ledbury wall to sail well wide and over the frame.
Loveridge then lobbed Hill from twenty yards out, with the ball sneaking in just between the head of the home goaltender and the bar to give the visitors a valuable two-goal cushion, before George Hackman, goalscorer in Ledbury’s second league victory of the season over Bartestree the previous weekend, immediately entered the fray on in exchange for Alistair Holder as quarter of an hour stood between his side and the points.
Skittery then couldn’t take advantage of an open goal, being unable to prevent the ball from escaping over the touchline past the far post while Hill was off his line, before both he and Walker retired with ten minutes to go to see both Bolton and Kai Davis take to the field for the remainder of the game.
One final superb volley from Hinton was then met with an equally-impressive diving save from Bonfield to leave Butcher’s buoyed squad with the mere case of closing out the game, going on to celebrate a well-deserved third league win on the bounce which keeps them at a strong seventh position in the table, four points behind Ross Juniors HCL in fourth.
Butcher was more than satisfied with his side’s latest performance, although admitted there were shortcomings to improve upon:
“I thought the lads battled well all through the game, and we deserved the win. We did ride our luck a few times however, letting Hinton have a number of chances even if, luckily for us, they didn’t get converted into goals.”
“We are in good form now with three wins on the bounce, and we are starting to play some quality football which is enjoyable and entertaining to watch.”
A busy March for the Ledbury second string sees them face Burghill Rangers at The Copse this weekend (KO 2:30pm), after Burghill moved up one position in the table to ninth following a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Holme Lacy Reserves at home on the same day as the game at Broomy Hill, with a brace from Liam Watton and additional goals from Jed Mann and Matthew Quinsey buying a comfortable win.
Butcher’s team then look set to entertain current second place holders Worcester United in an evening fixture at New Street on Wednesday 16thMarch (KO 7:30pm), before hosting fifth-placed Tenbury United three days later (KO 2:30pm).
The fortunes of the Ledbury second string against Burghill are quite mixed this season, with a 1-1 draw resulting at home during the very first game of the season back in early September, when Alistair Holder found the sole goal for the visitors with Watton again scoring for the Rangers.
An 8-5 goal fest to Burghill’s advantage then occurred in the quarter-finals of this season’s Ross Cup in early December at The Copse, as star reserves player Bramley notched up a first hat-trick at senior level football to go with goals from Skittery and Matti Holder, with Watton scoring a treble and Louis Mann picking up a brace for the Rangers.
Mann and substitute players John Brandie and Harry Bosse also found the net for Burghill, although not without Chad Bryant receiving a yellow card from referee for the occasion Mark Hays.
A 3-3 draw then occurred away at Martley Village Hall for Butcher’s squad when they last played Worcester in early October, when a further brace from Skittery and a goal from Jack Dandy levelled the goals scored by home strikers Matthew Gardner, Rhys Turberfield and Arron Windsor.
The same scoreline resulted against Tenbury at Palmers Meadow in the Ledbury second string’s penultimate game before the Christmas break, as Skittery and sixteen-year-old Jake Clueit scored either side of an own goal from United, with Ryan Morris picking up a brace for the hosts and Michael Wood also on target for the blue and yellow shirts, even if team-mates Will Clutterbuck and Aaron Morris were booked by referee J. Cairns.
Butcher’s team will then end the month with a first visit of the season to the Brimfield and Little Hereford Sports Club to face current eighth place holders Tenbury Town, whom they are yet to lock horns with this season after their scheduled first meeting of the season at New Street was postponed a fortnight ago due to a waterlogged pitch caused by Storm Eunice.
Lads Club hit five against Swifts
Ledbury Town Swifts 1, Hereford Lads Club Colts 5
Following a spirited narrow 1-0 defeat against Herefordshire FA County League Division Two leaders Ewyas Harold Reserves at the Ledbury Rugby Football Club Ross Road ground last weekend, Ledbury Town Swifts were brought back down to earth with a bump this week, suffering a 5-1 defeat to current third place holders Hereford Lads Club Colts in front of a good-sized crowd at a sunny if chilly New Street.
Despite only narrowly losing out 4-3 to Lads Club back in early December at the County Ground, when Andy Abbot picked up a brace with Thomas Burton and Harry Holmans also on target for the hosts as Alex Berry, Will Brandreth and substitute player Dan Fish found the goals for the Ledbury third string, the Colts scored twice within the first period of play on this occasion, even if Brandreth kept the Swifts in with a fighting chance by pulling a goal back just before the interval.
Lads Club reclaimed their double-goal advantage on the 53rdminute, with home caretaker manager Nick Blakeway, man of the match during the game against Ewyas Harold over the road seven days previously, continuing to lead by example in performing a superb save at the far post as the Colts struck the side of the net on the follow-up.
Brandreth then missed the finish as the ball landed for him in the box, before two consecutive well-taken corner balls from Berry on the 70thminute still couldn’t close the Ledbury deficit.
Blakeway was then caught off his line, with the Swifts defence trying desperately to clear the ball away only for stand-in referee in the absence of scheduled official Mark Hays to give the visitors a penalty which was confidently struck into the centre of the net as Blakeway dived to the left.
The city-based outfit hit five on the 74thminute when a strong effort deflected off the palm of Blakeway into the net, with Jasper Wilce then putting in some excellent sustained defensive work back downfield, battling hard against two opposing defenders to win the ball on the touchline.
A foul committed by Lads Club with ten minutes left on the clock gave a free kick to Berry which was fired well over both the four-man wall of Colts defenders on the edge of the box and the bar, before the same home player was pulled down by his shirt towards the far corner flag, with a spot of fisticuffs then threatening to break out between the Ledbury youngster and a group of visiting defenders before the free kick nevertheless given to the Swifts was flicked on by Dave Feakins in the box to be saved by the opposing keeper.
The Lads Club goaltender then beat three home forwards including Feakins to the ball, with one final Ledbury corner ball being nodded wide by lofty home player Khayd Saxelby, using his considerable height advantage in leaping up above the group of Colts defenders in the box.
Owen Gosling’s brace was accompanied by further goals from Andy Abbott, Joe Manns and substitute player Gabriel Calomfir to seal the sizeable win for Lads Club, with sixteen-year-old central midfielder Harry Millis being named man of the match for the Swifts for an energetic display throughout the game.
The final scoreline perhaps doesn’t reflect the noble effort put in by the young hosts against one of the league’s better sides however, with Blakeway himself summing up the game quite concisely: “It just wasn’t our day sadly.”
The Ledbury third string, second from bottom in the table although only a point behind Credenhill following a three-point deduction for the current ninth place holders after failing to fulfil a midweek fixture back in early January, have the luxury of two further home games this month, beginning with a fixture against sixth-placed Woofferton this coming weekend, and then current holders of the second spot Worcester United Reserves (both games KO 2:30pm at the Ross Road ground).
The Swifts will be hoping for an improvement over the 3-0 loss suffered the last time they played Woofferton at the Brimfield and Little Hereford Sports Club in only the second league game of the season played back in September, when Jack Lewis found a double for the hosts with Adam Lewis scoring the third.
The Ledbury third string then narrowly lost out 3-2 to Worcester at the Jewry Field back in early November, when a Harry Lock brace and a goal from substitute player Kieran MacDonald overcame the two goals for the Swifts scored by Nat Dunk and substitute player Clayton Hodges.
