BROMSGROVE SPORTING 2-2 BOLEHALL SWIFTS: match report by The Mowdog...

Sporting Stifled By Sterling Swifts

Bromsgrove Sporting 2 Bolehall Swifts 2

This was a tough encounter between two teams, which proved to be stubborn, stifling and yet offensively eager. Sporting overturned a first-half deficit, then led briefly and were in the ascendancy, but failed to grab the killer goal and were pegged back via a defensive lapse. Swifts were confident though and looked threatening near the end, despite Sporting’s efforts going closer. Both teams might have been awarded penalties by a referee who would not have enjoyed his evening, due to some erratic decisions, confounding both outfits, although Bromsgrove’s supporters would have more cause for anger over the ninety minutes, judging by their vocal protestations. Whilst Sporting displayed some ragged finishing, Swifts could point to some solid and sound defending too and by the closing stages of the second period, both teams were vainly searching for an elusive winner on a windy Victoria Ground evening.

The toss...

Swifts began positively and passed the ball well enough but gradually, the pace of Will Tibbetts on the Bromsgrove right began to cause concern for visiting left-back Jamie Abbott. Reece Hewitt soon drove a shot over the Bolehall crossbar but the left-sided attacker was to endure a largely quiet game, lacking any real distinction. Aaron Daniels then burst into the proceedings with a speedy run from the left flank, reached the byeline and was pulled back by a defender. The official didn’t award a penalty but allowed Daniels to pass inside to Sam Wills, whose falling effort bobbed wide of the near upright: no advantage there, then… Chris Conway’s angled right-footer from the byeline flew straight into goalie Paul Hathaway’s body, as Bromsgrove began to look the more dangerous crew but when Conway fastened onto the ball on the right side of the penalty-box, Hathaway simply blundered into the forward, knocking him over like a Baltimore Ravens’ linebacker taking out a Kansas City Chiefs’ running-back, but the referee simply offered the ‘keeper a goal-kick, with the home fans behind the goal leaping up and down in anger like irate characters in a Tom and Jerry cartoon…

Tyler Brownlees displayed a glimpse of his fleet-footed control on the Swifts’ left but mercenary midfielder Ryan Mahon, prowling midfield like a particularly aggressive Rotweiler, hacked him to the ground just 25 yards from goal but Adam Goodby’s free-kick attempt might have deflected off Hewitt to give the guests a corner, which was wasted. The hosts began to threaten more and more and when Simon ‘Quick’ Fitter fed Tibbetts on the right, Conway rose to head the winger’s fine centre at goal from just 5 yards but somehow, Hathaway reacted to make a fine stop. A defender nodded the loose ball to Wills in the melee but his low drive appeared to strike the stumbling Conway at the left upright and the danger was eventually cleared by Bolehall. Tibbetts sliced a shot wide of the right, near stick, Wills’ neat header set up Hewitt to cut inside from the left but he drove off target from 22 yards, then after another penalty claim by Sporting, they were awarded a corner instead. And soon the guests, who had been quiet for a while, moved forward and won a free-kick following yet another foul by Mahon. Bedford punched the delivery well, to some 30 yards from his goal, then moved forward again to thump the second delivery from deep right but he was baulked by Fitter, who jumped in front of him. The ‘keeper’s fisted clearance fell some 28 yards from goal however and Adam Goodby didn’t do badby, for his fine clipped left-booter floated over the retreating Bedford and into the gaping net. 

Daniels, like a terrier with a neighbour’s football, raced forwards from the restart and was unceremoniously fouled, 30 yards from goal, allowing Fitter, who strikes a ball so well, to try a shot but the defender’s effort dropped inches over Hathaway’s crossbar. Another speedy, tricky Daniels run brought a bad foul, but surprisingly no caution, then he was fed at inside-left by the deep-lying Wills and the striker’s 16 yard drive was turned round his right post by Hathaway, who dropped quickly to save well. A Tibbetts drive struck a defender to gain a corner and the flag-kick saw people jump together and defenders were heard screaming “Handball!”, like rooks disturbed by a red kite. The official responded favourably to the Swifts’ back-line. Crosses by Tibbetts and Daniels threatened and a Conway header flew wide, although an unhappy Michael Pollard was oddly cautioned, possibly for complaining about something. Following a couple of throws on the Sporting left, Daniels ended the half with a shot from left of centre but the effort rose way too high.

The interval was signalled, the Swifts had proved to be as resilient as unwelcome gatecrashers at a party, Bromsgrove had attacked smartly in spurts but there was always the dark threat of predators about Bolehall; more like buzzards than swifts and this would prove to be fatal for Sporting, following their own resurgence after the break.

Trying to keep warm...

Where's the ref'? Down the pub?

The officials were inexcusably late returning to the field for the second period, leaving 21 of 22 players blowing in the wind for several moments. Oddly, Dave Yonwin the Bolehall striker entered with the procrastinating officials but finally, the game restarted. Yonwin, who had received little change from Scott Smith and Fitter, who was soon cautioned, in the home defence thus far, managed a hooked drive off-target for the guests, then suddenly an astute Wills pass freed Daniels at inside-left and he poked a simple right-footer past the advancing Hathaway to equalise at last for the deserving hosts.

Daniels (8) is congratulated...

Immediately, Sporting were so nearly caught napping by a long booted clearance from their guests and only a slack first touch of the ball by David Boal allowed Bedford to snaffle it at 18 yards. Bedford is a commendably vociferous ‘keeper, which teams so need. Sporting were then awarded a free-kick on the right and whilst the visiting defenders fussed about like waiters at a royal buffet, Wills clipped the ball forward for Conway, who burst past two defenders, as if he was trialling as a tail-back for the San Diego Chargers and was leaving two defensive-ends in his wake, to fire past a surprised Hathaway. Cue joy. 2-1 really should have become 3-1, for Daniels was put clear at inside-left but after racing away from his markers, he steered a difficult angled shot past Hathaway but also the far stick. 

Spooks: but 2-1 anyway...

Rampant Sporting then attacked on their right through the pace and craft of the lively Tibbetts but Daniels, racing into the penalty-box, was unable to convert at the far post, nudging the low centre wide. Fitter and Daniels then combined to offer Wills a shooting opportunity from 25 yards but the low effort was collected comfortably by Hathaway. So, with Swifts dithering somewhat, it came as rather a surprise that Bromsgrove’s generally reliable defence should allow Boal in again, onto Hathaway’s long punt but the alert Bedford prevailed. There was a bizarre moment when Bolehall claimed that an opponent had handled and a swooping Swift picked up the ball, only to be whistled for, er, handball by the maligned official… Ryan Millerchip headed a very acceptable chance from a right-wing corner wastefully and straight at Bedford from 6 yards, as Bolehall began to make more inroads into the home defence but then Fitter responded with a beautifully placed free-kick but although Smith glanced the ball on, Conway had moved offside and his finish was negated. Shaun Brain replaced the ailing Conway for the hosts, yet Brain was not able to leap and use his head offensively, before Pollard, a busy midfielder for the guests, fired a long shot well wide. Although Sporting seemed the more likely winners of this energetic encounter, another brief defensive lapse occurred and Bromsgrove were breached, like Mousehole’s harbour-wall on a stormy night. A kick-out by Bedford was bashed forward again by Adam Goodby’s head and there was the opportunist Yonwin to break onto the ball between Fitter and Chris Duggan and slip a right-footer past the advancing goalie into the bottom right corner of the net.

Sporting await the restart but Swifts aren't swift to return...

Hewitt made a positive run inside from the left but his rising shot, which rose a long way over the crossbar, summed up his evening in all fairness. Wills pushed a short corner to the competitive and competent, brave and bearded Duggan and his delivery was nudged goalwards by Smith, only for Hathaway to fall onto the ball as he moved right. Tom Lapworth replaced Yonwin for the visitors and Lewis Clarke replaced Mahon for the home team, whose previous caution and general destructive demeanour had probably left him vulnerable to a second yellow card. So on the field of play we now had a Lewis and a Hathaway… You just can’t make it up.

Brownlees’ far post header from a left-side centre, after Sporting had sportingly squandered possession bounced off Smith for a corner, with Bedford diving like an overturned van in anguish and then, with Bromsgrove looking shaky, Boal drove wildly too high, as did the generally disappointing Chris Sturridge-Packer, who was immediately replaced by Chris Cowley. Bedford prevented a corner, after the rather lively and influential Lapworth’s shot had taken a deflection and it was some relief to the hosts when Daniels finally created an opportunity for his team, but Brain drove straight at Hathaway. Daniels shot at Hathaway too, before Jozsef Jakab replaced the diminutive and effective Tibbetts. The teams then traded late attempts at goal: Hewitt’s weak effort was collected by Hathaway, Brownlees drove wide for Swifts and then Jakab got something like a header onto another fine Fitter free-kick but the ball was bundled untidily past the right upright in a frenetic 6 yard box. It only remained for Lapworth to fall under Sockett’s electric challenge inside the Sporting penalty-area and it really did appear that the home defender might just have got away with one, as visiting players, dignitaries and fans all screamed “PENALTY!” in unison. The referee ignored the claims, Sockett then leaned towards Lapworth and might have said something like “Plug off…” and the game ended with the officials having turned blind eyes, happy to allow parity to prevail no doubt and avoid late conflicts and hassle.

I guess both teams would gain a little satisfaction from a point apiece, but in truth, with Daniels, Wills, Tibbetts and Conway as their main offensive protagonists, Bromsgrove will feel sorely irritated that they failed to win a game they had fought hard to gain a grip upon, albeit against an admirably disciplined and yet pedantic flock of Swifts, with Joe Obi and Millerchip toweringly good… 

Teams:

Bromsgrove:  Jake Bedford, Chris Duggan, Chris Sockett; Simon Fitter, Scott Smith (Capt), Ryan Mahon; Will Tibbetts, Aaron Daniels, Chris Conway, Sam Wills, Reece Hewitt. 

Subs: Craig Jones, Lewis Clarke, Jozsef Jakab, Shaun Brain, Charlie Wilson.

Bolehall:  Paul Hathaway, Scott Goodby, Jamie Abbott; Joseph Obi, Ryan Millerchip, Adam Goodby; Michael Pollard, Tyler Brownlees, Dave Yonwin, Chris Sturridge-Packer, David Boal.

Subs: Chris Cowley, Tom Lapworth, David Haywood.