Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

A home midfielder manages to strike the ball past Sam Branch attempting to block his opponent on the halfway-line as the away dugout looks on behind them (📸: Chris Ponter)

Ledbury Town Reserves guaranteed themselves a fifth place mid-table finish in Division One of the 2022/23 Herefordshire Football League this week in a penultimate game of the season played away at Holme Lacy Reserves.

Avenging the previous disappointing 5-2 defeat to the Holme Lacy second string at New Street back in mid-February, when a Nathan Taylor-Woodward treble and goals from team-mates Oliver Kitching and Harry Willett outnumbered the two second-half goals scored for Ledbury by man of the match Kieran Loveridge and Callum Blackmore-Davey, a midweek fixture under the setting sun saw Morgan Skidmore open the scoring for David Butcher and Harry Powell’s side directly from a free kick five minutes before the interval.

The hosts failed to really threaten as the second period unfolded, enabling reserves’ substitute player Nick Bolton to secure the three points with a goal of his own just a few minutes from young referee Callum Williams’ final whistle.

Upcoming youngster from Town’s third Swifts outfit Jasper Williams was brought on with Bolton fifteen minutes into the latter half of play in exchange for Brad Potter and Alistair Holder respectively, going on to produce an industrious 45-minute shift upfront as Bolton battled hard on the 60th minute to gain possession on the far sideline, hitting the deck in the end with nothing being given by the referee.

Wilce then got the ball to Bolton as his more seasoned team-mate knocked the ball over the bar, with Ledbury protests over believing that they should have been awarded a corner being ignored by Williams, before a free kick from Pete Jeynes taken near the away dugout saw Bolton again come to blows with the opposition.

Holme Lacy broke through on the near wing to force reserves goalkeeper Joshua Worrell to make a tentative save from the ground, shortly before his Holme Lacy counterpart raced off his line to claim the ball in more definitive fashion back across field.

Jeynes was swapped for Luke Cox in a second change of personnel from Butcher and Powell as Skidmore was sent tumbling to result in the visitors being awarded a further spot kick, swiftly before Ledbury’s first goalscorer that evening repaid the favour in pushing a home midfielder down to the ground.

The village-based outfit were not happy over the official letting another physical challenge slide as Holder returned to the action for Dave Preece with twenty minutes to go, before Williams again turned a blind eye to a blue-shirted striker being brought down just inside the far corner of the box.

The man in the middle appeared not to spot an offside flag raised by Potter running the near sideline in the process of hardworking Ledbury man of the match that evening Jai Smallwood performed an upwards defensive header in the box, before Skidmore retired for Kieran Loveridge to make a late appearance with ten minutes left on the clock.

Bolton then made two deliveries to Wilce, with the first ball being too long for the teenage player to reach it before it slipped over the touchline as the second, made possible through a strong challenge from Sam Branch in midfield, met the youngster’s feet to be followed by a shot which provided the opposing goaltender with a fairly easy save.

Holme Lacy were shown the only yellow card of the game on the 84th minute for bringing down Wilce while on another run with the ball downfield, with the resulting free kick from Loveridge eventually leading to Bolton seizing his chance, charging in and pulling the trigger with a superb effort which came off the gloves of a diving home keeper into the back of the net.

Wilce ended the affair strongly, doing well to keep the ball in from the near sideline to make one last dash and produce a final effort while under pressure from an opposing defender which was saved by the Holme Lacy goaltender.

Butcher was more than happy with his team’s penultimate performance, having notched up a fourth consecutive win with twelve goals netted and none conceded:

“We managed to grind out the win in the end, even if we never really looked in any real danger from the off.”

“It was always going to be tough going against Holme Lacy, but four wins and four clean sheets on the bounce is really good stuff.”

“With one game to go, we will be looking to do the same, ending the season strongly with a fifth consecutive win.”

The Ledbury second string, now uncatchable by either Kington Town Reserves or Bartestree below them having finished their seasons eight points behind Butcher and Powell’s squad, will return to New Street for a final fixture of the season against fourth place holders Ewyas Harold on Saturday 29th April (KO 2:30pm).

With three games left to play, the Welsh border outfit will remain at least a single point clear of the reserves even if Ledbury record a final win at home, also still being in a position to make a challenge for the runner-up spot with current second place holders Shobdon lying only four points above them with a one-game disadvantage.

Butcher and Powell’s squad indeed have a score to settle against Ewyas Harold, having been dealt two defeats by them earlier in the season, being knocked out of the first round of the Ross Cup in a muddy midweek encounter under the floodlights at New Street in mid-October when a Luke Price brace and additional goal from Matthew Norton overcame the 40th minute opener from Loveridge and very late goal from man of the match Holder, before a second 2-1 loss resulted away on Bonfire Night when Ledbury’s sole consolation goal came from Preece as Price and Norton again netted for the hosts.