Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Penalty-scorer Ben Febery congratulates Ledbury man of the match Ryan Pugh after his team-mate completed his first brace for his new side through a terrific header to finish a cross from Dale Taylor (📸: Chris Ponter)

Following a solid start to their new 2022/23 season in the newly-titled Herefordshire Football League Premier Division with a 2-0 win at home against old rivals Holme Lacy, Ledbury Town made a swift return to the second place spot where they finished last season with a resounding 5-0 victory over league newcomers Coppertops FC in a first away encounter at the University of Worcester.

The Ledbury first string took their chances on the 3G pitch at St. John’s Campus in the muggy sunshine, not resting on their laurels despite an aggrieved Coppertops side spending much of the game contending with and voicing their disapproval over a number of controversial decisions made by referee Christopher Stansbury.

Indeed, one such early contentious ruling allowed new Town signing this season and man of the match Ryan Pugh to score his opening goal of the season through finishing a free kick struck by seasoned captain Joel Skyers, before an apparent handball offence from the hosts gave Ben Febery the chance to convert a 38th minute penalty to add to his first goal of the season scored against Holme Lacy.

Pugh completed one of two braces scored by his side that afternoon before the first period was up through an outstanding header, before Skyers went on to notch up his own double during a latter half of play which saw things go from bad to worse for the Worcester-based outfit, with two yellow cards and a sin bin visit despite being unlucky not to pick up at least a consolation goal during the closing minutes.

The official chose at first not to give anything to the black and white shirts when a challenge from their opponents that day caused Josh Burns to stumble in the box, before Tom Trigg managed to get the ball to Lewis Williams from the far wing to see his twenty-yard effort being caught in the air by the Coppertops goalkeeper.

The real controversy started on the eighteenth minute when Febery fell in the semi-circle, prompting Stansbury, much to the disagreement of the hosts, to award what would turn out to be a pivotal spot kick which was taken by Skyers to at first be deflected by the opposing keeper, before Pugh took the opportunity to charge in and put the ball away on the rebound to a gymnastic celebration.

Febery won another free kick just two minutes later after coming down on the edge of the centre-circle, leading to a foul being committed by his own side on the far wing as the referee nevertheless saw fit to have words with a frustrated Coppertops player, warning his captain that a sin bin visit would follow should the dissent continue.

The hosts were given the chance to take a free kick of their own on the 23rd minute, only for it to be struck straight against the four-man wall of Pugh, George Walker, Skyers and Burns, and, after the second of these visiting players managed to clear the ball out of the box, Williams clipped the foot of an opposing player as the official deemed Burns to have committed a challenge against former Ledbury player Gavin Hodgkins which was late enough for the uni-based team to be given a further spot kick opportunity.

The set-piece couldn’t deliver a first goal of the game for them however as Hodgkins and one of his team-mates relieved Walker of the ball as the Ledbury youngster made a determined run down the near sideline, and, after the yellow and blue shirts slipped an effort wide of the woodwork, Sam Dixon, taking charge of Town assisted by club chairman Pete Boyle, chose to make an early double substitution on the half-hour mark in bringing James Kenny and Walker off for Asten Griffiths and Chris Wickham.

Skyers nearly added a second goal to his tally this season there and then with a superb effort from the far wing which bounced down from the crossbar just shy of the line, before the opposing goaltender managed to beat an onrushing Williams to the ball to make the clearance.

A corner ball from the visiting skipper however saw Stansbury enrage Coppertops once more in deeming one of their players to have handled the ball in the box during the taking of the set-piece, allowing Febery to step up and confidently fire the penalty home to double his side’s lead.

Smiles on the faces of Ledbury players and supporters alike were made even wider when Dale Taylor, doing very well in racing to stop the ball from escaping over the near sideline, saw a cross being deflected away from Williams by the defender in front of him, only for his follow-up ball to be met with Pugh’s exemplary header from the opposite wing to see Town hit three.

One final first period effort from Skyers was then put over the bar, even if it didn’t take long for him to make amends soon after the interval as a great assist from Febery allowed the visiting captain to put the ball over the keeper and into the net, with the hosts in contrast having little to celebrate as one of their midfielders was sin-binned with a booking to boot.

Febery’s 55th minute free kick was struck over the quartet of opposing players forming the wall before travelling well over the frame, and, after Pugh required treatment on the pitch from Boyle, Cosmin Micula, taking over the goalkeeper’s gloves that day from fellow new Ledbury signing this season Alex Goode, came well off his line to intercept an incoming attacker in further contentious circumstances.

Stansbury awarded a free kick to Coppertops despite an offside flag being shown by Kenny on the far sideline, with the hosts feeling that the stand-in Town keeper should have gone as their spot kick was knocked over the extremely sizeable visiting wall of Pete Jeynes, Pugh, Trigg, Griffiths, Taylor and Wickham to sail over the woodwork in rather anticlimactic fashion given the prior drama.

A corner ball from the city-based squad was caught by Micula above him while under pressure from an opposing forward on the line, before Pugh retired at a job well done on the 70th minute to see Walker re-enter the action.

Ledbury then hit five when a sliding challenge from the Coppertops goaltender relieved Williams of possession, only for the ball to meet Skyers on the far wing as he wasted no time in producing a strike which beat the backpedalling keeper.

Pressure from Wickham in the box caused a home striker to knock an incoming aerial ball wide of the near box, and, after the Town defence were able to recover the situation when Micula dropped the ball after running out to meet it, Febery came down in painful-looking fashion with a bad leg injury in front of his dugout, having to be helped off by his team-mates and replaced with Morgan Skidmore for the final ten minutes.

The visiting back-line were successful in causing a further effort from the opposition to be hit wayward, as the Coppertops captain then received his side’s second booking of the affair for a late challenge committed on the far wing.

Skyers took the ensuing free kick presumably still in the mindset of his other favoured sport given his commitment to playing rugby over recent years as he fired the ball well over the target, before a good Wickham clearance saw a potential consolation goal for the hosts being disallowed as a further flag was raised by Kenny before the ball hit the back of the net.

Pugh, taking over linesman duties from Ledbury’s Young Player Award and reserves’ Players’ Player Award winner of last season, also saw cause to raise the flag against an opposing forward attempting to gain control of the ball against Wickham and Taylor either side of him in the box, before only the crossbar managed to keep a clean sheet for Ledbury as they celebrated an important early win which did wonders for their goal difference.

Town have little time to recover from their first away fixture of the season however as this coming Tuesday evening sees them host newly-promoted Worcester United, who finished champions of the then-Herefordshire FA County League Division One last season (KO 7:30pm), before taking take on formidable rivals of last season Clee Hill United at home on Saturday (KO 2:30pm).