Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Man of the match and brace-scorer Sam Branch on the ball aiming to keep it away from the opposing defender behind him as teenage team-mate Jacob Clueit can be seen looking on from the right of the picture (📸: Chris Ponter)

Ledbury Town Reserves picked up a second victory of the season in Division One of the Herefordshire Football League this week, overcoming lowly Bartestree with a 3-1 win in bitterly cold conditions over at their village hall venue nearly a month after David Butcher and Harry Powell’s young squad were last engaged in league action, having suffered a 2-1 defeat over at current third place holders Ewyas Harold.

An early opener from Ledbury man of the match that day Sam Branch saw the reserves concede ten minutes from the interval when a stunning first goal of the season from 45-year-old Bartestree veteran Paul Kaye found the back of the net, only for the visitors to restore their lead just seven minutes after the break courtesy of a cheeky lob from Kane Bruton.

There was some controversy fifteen minutes from the final whistle when Ledbury argued that the ball had crossed the line following a well-taken corner ball from substitute player Nick Bolton, only for Branch to provide the icing on the cake in more definitive fashion with a fine finish on the 79th minute.

The first mark on the scoresheet achieved by the reserves’ star player that afternoon occurred just five minutes into the affair as visiting captain Jai Smallwood proceeded to put a worthwhile twenty-yard effort over the crossbar, before a great save from the home goalkeeper saw a 25-yard free kick from Kieran Loveridge also being denied on the ground by the opposing goaltender.

The twelfth minute saw Ledbury, unusually donning a red and white kit that day due to Bartestree wearing their black and white home colours shared by the reserves, slip up to allow an opposing forward to pass in front of goal to see his team-mate slot the ball wide, with an offside flag from Bolton running the far sideline being raised regardless as Butcher still reminded his team that they had received a major let-off.

A further offside flag this time shown against Loveridge was followed by a Bartestree free kick being struck past the three-man wall of George Walker, Matti Holder and Jacob Clueit to be saved on the ground by visiting keeper Joshua Worrell, shortly before a decidedly shaky home defence were only just able to scramble a corner ball from Walker off the line.

Bruton was barged down near the opposition’s dugout on the 22nd minute as the resulting free kick lead to a further corner ball being taken by Walker, before Alistair Holder was given the opportunity to take a spot kick of his own following a further foul committed by Bartestree on the near wing.

Dwayne Tyndale was able to make a crucial interception after a pacy visiting striker made a run upfield to evade James Kenny, before the seasoned Ledbury defender continued to show great prowess on the ball in giving a further opposing forward the slip on the near wing, getting the ball to Walker whose superb strike was met with an equally-superb save from the Bartestree keeper.

The game was then stopped momentarily to allow the stricken home goaltender to receive treatment after appearing to pop his shoulder in the process of denying the previous effort, recovering to make a good run off his line to perform a clearance as Kaye’s magnificent 25-yard screamer beat Worrell, making contact with his hand as the ball nonetheless soared into the bottom corner of the net.

Tyndale responded by curling the ball wide of the target in the increasingly strong chilly winds afflicting the opposition’s ground, before the reserves’ defender threatened just as much upfront in nodding a 42nd minute free kick from Loveridge over the bar as Worrell recovered a botched clearance to see both sides remain level going into half-time.

Clueit raced straight out the starting blocks going into the second period to see his effort saved, and, after a free kick from Branch came off the Bartestree wall, Bruton managed to volley the ball over the home keeper as his two desperate defenders were unable to prevent it from travelling over the line to see the New Street second string retake the lead.

Kenny was fortunately able to soon return to his feet following a blow incurred to the head in midfield as a cracking thirty-yard effort from Clueit sailed narrowly over the woodwork, before a sliding challenge against the same teenage visiting midfielder saw his assailant come off worse as another break for the opposition’s physio to tend to an injury saw Clueit curl a further effort much wider of the target.

Several minutes of play near the corner flag on the right-hand wing downfield occurred after Bolton was brought on for Walker in a first Ledbury substitution, before an explosive Bartestree strike made in similar fashion to that of Kaye’s earlier was met with more success by Worrell, as the reserves keeper was this time able to palm the ball over the frame.

The ensuing corner ball was headed over the bar as a decent effort from the hosts on the 70th minute went wide of the far post, with both Luke Cox and Sam Booth entering the action for Loveridge and Tyndale respectively over the next few minutes as a further effort from Branch flew shy of the near post.

The aforementioned moment of controversy then occurred as Alistair Holder’s free kick from landed by Cox in-between two defenders, resulting in a deflection to give Bolton his corner as the visitors insisted to referee Adrian Rocke that the ball had made it over the line.

Unlike the 83rd minute goal which bought Japan a 2-1 victory over Germany in the World Cup the previous week however, the official this time waved protests aside as Branch duly replied by firing home his brace, before Butcher chose to take off both his top scorer that day along with Kenny in exchange for Elliot Watts and Callum Blackmore-Davey as Walker also returned to the fray for Alistair Holder for the final few minutes.

Smallwood’s superb cross from the near wing nearly led to an 88th minute own goal from the opposition if not for their quick-thinking keeper leaping to deny a ball which had come off the foot of one of his defenders, before Bartestree’s goaltender ended what had been a commendable performance despite the final scoreline by making a final save at the far post to prevent Bolton adding his name to Ledbury’s tally.

Reflecting after the game, Butcher was very pleased with his side’s second full three points of the season:

“It was a great team performance from the lads all round, and I couldn’t really fault any of them. It was good for them to get back out on the pitch after so long not playing.”

“Our only downfall was not keeping a clean sheet, with the goal and goalscoring opportunities for Bartestree coming mainly from individual mistakes again.”

“If we can take the same performance into the cup game next week, we should be fine.”

The cup affair this coming Saturday will be a second round Herefordshire FA Junior Cup fixture against current Hereford League Division Two leaders Leominster Town at New Street (KO 2:00pm), after Butcher and Powell’s side sailed through to the next stage of the competition through a confident 4-0 victory over Hinton Reserves at Broomy Hill at the start of October.

Branch scored a hat-trick with Bruton again finding the additional Ledbury goal, as home player Dan Harris was sent off with a 90th minute straight red card from referee Christopher Stansbury.

Leominster earned the right to face the New Street reserves outfit through a comprehensive 5-0 win over mid-table Division Two side Dore Valley at the Bridge Street Sports Centre on the same day, as a Connor Bufton brace was accompanied by goals from Jordan Arkell, Ryan Botwood and Daniel Ramshaw-Evans.

The Ledbury second string, seventh in the table but only four points behind Kington Town Reserves in fourth following an opening league win of the season against Hinton Reserves at New Street at the end of October following unlucky home draws against Shobdon and Hereford Pegasus Colts, will end the year with a first encounter of the season against lowly Holme Lacy Reserves away, KO 2:00pm.