PERSHORE TOWN 0-3 BROMSGROVE SPORTING: light-hearted match report by THE MOWDOG...

Own-goal Farce In the Sun Hands Initiative To Restless Rouslers…

Pershore Town 0-3 Bromsgrove Sporting

A ludicrous own-goal gaff by the Pershore defence, right at the start of the second period, allied to the fact that previously effective central defender Matt Mitchell had not reappeared after the break due to injury, signalled the downfall of the hosts’ realistic hopes of continuing their recent good form. Sporting took full advantage, netted twice more and Pershore subsequently struggled to make any real impact at all. The opening half had been shaded by Bromsgrove, although both ‘keepers had made decent saves to keep the match scoreless but later in the second-half, chances came and were squandered by the visitors, even though, at 0-3 ahead, their central defenders stayed back at set-pieces… The weather was excellent, boats were moored on yonder river and summer-clad people walked their dogs and pushchairs beyond the fencing. Bromsgrove’s spectators were vociferous in the extreme and despite being harangued throughout the game, home goalie Andy Yarnold actually applauded that support at the game’s end. 

Clarke and McKenzie pose for a holiday snap...

...and finally, they kick off...

The Sporting skipper conceded an early corner to the hosts and left-back Jake Donnelly’s in-swinging kick looked too long, until the alert Mitchell headed the ball back across the goalmouth from an almost impossible angle. The Rouslers looked shocked, desperate then relieved as the ball was not turned into goal at the right upright. Will Tibbetts began a move for Bromsgrove and Sean Brain cut inside from the right, only for the determined Mitchell to deflect the striker’s drive at goal away for a corner on the left. Bromsgrove were whistled for a foul at the set-piece and Pershore survived. Sam Delaney’s considerable height enabled him to concede another corner with a timely leap, a flag-kick which came to nought. Brain saw a shot blocked again but fouled a defender as he chased the loose ball, then Mitchell passed the ball long to the right-flank and when the ensuing delivery reached the lurking Steven Roche, Jake Bedford, in the Sporting goal, had to fall low to save smartly.

A basketball dunk from a Pershore player...

Good running by Tibbetts on the right led to Josh McKenzie poking the ball wide of the near post, as he was challenged, then Pershore’s Matt Chambers lined up a free-kick at the opposite end, but his 23 yard shot thumped against Aaron Williams in the Rouslers’ defensive wall. When Williams was hauled down by a home defender, Tibbetts took a 23 yard shot too, but the effort lacked venom and was collected very easily on the bounce at his right post by Yarnold. Yarnold then beat away another angled drive by Brain at his near post, before the custodian punched away a header by the anonymous Bromsgrove skipper, following yet another free-kick. These efforts by the Rouslers were not the result of constant pressure, but came at intervals, yet with better deliveries from free-kicks, huge Rouslers Delaney, Lewis Clarke and McKenzie would surely have caused more damage. Jack Wilson’s run forward for Sporting led to a low drive by Tibbetts, from the inside-right channel but Yarnold was down quickly to make a good save, which was soon matched by Bedford at the other end, when Danny Lennon retrieved a long pass on the offensive left, then fed Roche for another low shot, this time from 18 yards but Bedford’s reactions were good and he dived right to save.

Tibbetts juggles the ball on his head, as he strides upfield...

Sam Delaney demands attention yet again...
Gods, you can tell he went to Damson Wood School, can't you?

Suspended Rousler Simon Fitter displays an evil tattoo on his lower right  leg...
A Small Heath club badge. Get a life, Fitta...

Another Donnelly corner was headed wide by Mitchell at the far post, but in truth, the hosts were not managing to control the half and it ended when the ball suddenly appeared at the right boot of McKenzie, who had been involved in real battles with the home defenders but his 12 yard shot from right of centre, was superbly saved, diving low to his right by Yarnold. The sun was getting lower in the sky above the Abbey and so I crossed to the opposite side of the pitch for the second-half, which began with Mitchell replaced by Connor Trotman and the most embarrassing of own-goals, which happened so out-of-the-blue, that I failed even to cock the trigger on my camera and for the three Pershore culprits, even NOT reliving it on video is small consolation. However, I must describe the debacle:

A long punt forward by Bromsgrove was jumped for by, I believe, Dave Williams, unchallenged, but he slightly misjudged his header and the ball glanced off him, at which point Yarnold began to advance from goal, as there was no threat from any hovering Rouslers. Unfortunately though, right-back Steve Webb decided to enter from stage right and head the ball too, back to Yarnold who, er, had continued to advance and was totally wrong-footed by the deviation in the trajectory, resulting in a bobbling bad-ass ball blundering into the empty net in front of the raucous, guffawing hilarity of the hyena-like Rouslers behind the barrier… Oh, dear.

0-1, oops...

Sporting players unsure how to celebrate a goal they had nothing to do with...

A solemn walk is probably best...

The result of this goal was interesting, for the dejection was obvious in the Pershore ranks; Joe Walsh clattered wildly into Aaron Williams, albeit not with his guitar, receiving a yellow card for his actions and Bromsgrove were at the hosts like wolves at a carcass. McKenzie shot weakly at goal then a left-wing corner by the exuberant Tibbetts suddenly swerved towards the far post and Delaney’s leap almost got him onto the scoresheet. McKenzie was then cautioned for an accumulation of incidents and at almost every set-piece, he was jostling with the home defenders but soon the harassed Pershore players were two goals behind and again Tibbetts was instrumental in the making of the strike. He shovelled the ball over his shoulder on the right to free Brain, who returned the pass and it looked like Tibbetts, closing in on the near post and Yarnold, would shoot but instead he screwed the ball back into the centre of the goalmouth where Aaron Williams stood alone, 7 yards out. The midfielder steadied himself before shooting clinically into the bottom left corner of the net, as defenders fell like skittles on a tenpin-bowling lane. 

0-2: Aaron Williams...

Yarnold punched out a Tibbetts cross, the tamed hosts won a rare corner, which Donnelly took but Dave Williams headed well wide of the left upright and another Pershore cross from the right wasn’t strongly cleared by Aaron Williams but home skipper Craig Conner volleyed high over the crossbar from 25 yards. Delaney suffered several knocks and bumps during this game but to his credit, he ‘stayed put and carried on’ but soon Yarnold was troubled again by the inimitable Tibbetts. A short left-side free-kick, as the near-side linesman bellowed at McKenzie to behave himself, led to Tibbetts reaching the byeline and only a flick on by the tops of the ‘keeper’s gloved fingers prevented Clarke getting in a header and Donnelly conceded a corner at the far stick. Immediately though, a short right-wing corner led to Yarnold taking a fatal couple of steps towards Tibbetts’ delivery, allowing Clarke to loop a neat header into the left side of the empty net for a 0-3 Sporting lead.

McKenzie (10) proves unpopular with the Pershore players...

0-3: Clarke...
How many of the people opposite sneaked in through the open fencing?

Chambers was replaced by George Coley for Pershore, Joe Jakab replaced the irritated McKenzie for Bromsgrove and Pershore’s ex-Sporting striker Lennon was withdrawn for the introduction of Oscar Collins. Wilson won a left-wing corner, as the Rouslers pushed forward again and this time Yarnold advanced too far, missed the ball and was fortunate that Jakab’s header was too high. Reece Hewitt, often on the fringes of the action, then set up a chance for Brain telling him to run and scooping the ball over a defender’s head but although Brain’s angled drive was hard, Yarnold fell right to make a sharp save. Brain was then replaced by Conway, Hewitt by Danny Ludlow and it was left to Conway to go close twice as the minutes ebbed away on a lovely summery afternoon by the river. 

The fine Rousler supporters, who DID pay to get in...

Before Jakab got the ball tangled between his feet in the penalty-box, which was hilarious, he had done well to cut inside from the left and pass for Conway to shoot from 19 yards, with the involved chap next to me bellowing “Shoot. Shoot. Shoot…” Conway finally did, but over the crossbar with a decent attempt.  The final ‘proper’ action happened when Ludlow swung in a left-booted free-kick from the right flank and somehow, as the ball dropped into a clutch of players, Conway headed it down, but wide of the right post. And that was that, really, apart from a caution for Tibbetts, when he pointlessly handled the ball and another for Dave Williams, who floored Wilson in full flight. The loss of Mitchell had been instrumental in Pershore’s downfall, certainly, but their collapse to 0-3 would not have pleased their coaching team. Roche never stopped in attack, Walsh kept passing the ball and Dave Williams had defended as well as he could but with the pace of Brain and Tibbetts such a threat and the hard-working effort of Aaron Williams, the Rouslers were worthy winners in the warmth of the sun, as the locals promenaded nearby, bringing back memories of England in bygone days… And with Joe Walsh in the Pershore team, I actually thought I saw an Eagle soaring overhead but it was a mere buzzard…

I wasn't making it up...

Me? Drove home for salmon and a carrot and swede mash… It’s what I do…

Teams:  

Pershore Town:  Andy Yarnold, Steve Webb, Jake Donnelly; Matt Mitchell, Dave Williams, James Walker; Craig Conner (Capt), Joe Walsh, Danny Lennon, Steve Roche, Matt Chambers.

Subs: Aaron Xavier, Connor Trotman, George Coley, Oscar Collins, Scott Walsh.

Bromsgrove Sporting:  Jake Bedford, Chris Duggan, Jack Wilson; Aaron Williams, Sam Delaney, The Skipper; Will Tibbetts, Lewis Clarke, Sean Brain, Josh McKenzie, Reece Hewitt.

Subs: Ross Dempster, Danny Ludlow, Chris Conway, Joe Jakab, Sam Wills.