Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Matti Holder goes in for a successful defensive challenge against an oncoming Tenbury attacker a few yards outside the box, five minutes into the second period of play (📸: Chris Ponter)

Ledbury Town Reserves saw what would have been a very valuable three full league points slip through their fingers this week in their first Herefordshire FA County League Division One clash since the 3-1 victory over Hinton Reserves at New Street over a month previously owing to postponed fixtures, drawing 3-3 away against current third place holders Tenbury United after an 83rd minute equalizer from the hosts shared the points.

It was a torrid start for David Butcher and Nick Blakeway’s side in the muddy conditions over at Palmers Meadow, despite the visiting squad being bolstered by first teamers Pete Jeynes, man of the match Curt Williams and George Walker owing to no fixture taking place for Ian Merrick’s senior squad that weekend, as the Ledbury second string went a goal down after barely a minute of play.

A commendable first-half comeback from the reserves saw both Tom Skittery and seventeen-year-old Jake Clueit score either side of a Tenbury own goal however to lead 3-2 by the interval, despite United having countless opportunities to restore the stalemate towards the end of the first period and well into the latter half of play as a squandered 60th minute Kieran Loveridge penalty kept the doors open for the hosts to claim a point from the affair.

Following the Worcestershire-based outfit’s very early opener, the visitors’ unsavoury start continued when Jeynes came down in painful-sounding fashion following a challenge towards the far wing, even if the seasoned Ledbury winger was soon back on his feet to continue playing as Loveridge then successfully volleyed an opening corner ball from the opposition out of the box.

Reserves keeper Zak Bonfield then palmed clear a second Tenbury corner set-piece at the far post, before a failed clearance from James Kenny at fourteen minutes in allowed a United forward to continue playing the ball deeper into the box, clinically crossing it to be met with a superb sliding finish from one of his team-mates to double the hosts’ lead.

The blue and yellow shirts’ joy was short-lived however, as Skittery pulled one back barely a minute later through a brilliant finish into the bottom right-hand corner of the net, before Samuel Palmer-Young flagged an opposing striker offside in midfield while running the near sideline for the visitors.

Ledbury’s fortunes continued to turn when Tenbury put in an unexpected own goal following a free kick from the reserves, which led to a scramble in the box involving Loveridge and Skittery as the rebound from the former player’s effort couldn’t quite be finished by the latter, even if a United defender inadvertently finished the job for them.

Walker then came down with a head injury at twenty yards out after the high foot of a home defender made contact with him while going for the header, even if the visiting youngster was able to walk off the field with Butcher to be temporarily replaced by Clueit before returning to the fray mere minutes later.

Bonfield then pulled off a great save as Clueit’s exit quickly saw him return for Brad Potter, with Kenny then becoming Ledbury’s latest injury worry on the edge of the box at 25 minutes in, even if treatment from a busy Butcher on physio duties was again deemed unnecessary.

A further Tenbury corner ball eventually found its way to Jeynes, who wasted no time in striking the ball away to safety, before a worthwhile effort from reserves captain Nick Bolton snuck just wide of the near post.

Clueit experienced greater success two minutes later, buoyed on by encouraging shouts of confidence from his skipper to bury the ball after making a great run down the far wing, before United missed no fewer than five chances to level the score over the next seven minutes, missing a free header in the box following a well-taken corner ball, and then putting an effort wide of the far post.

An alleged handball from hat-trick scorer away against Burghill Rangers in the Ross Cup quarter-finals last week Jake Bramley, after a deflected through-ball off the defender right in front of him made contact with the visiting forward on the rebound, saw the hosts race away immediately after the referee had sounded the whistle for a free kick, nevertheless putting the ball over the bar anyway as two further attempts snuck wide of the woodwork before the break.

Palmer-Young came on to replace his captain shortly into the second period as a Tenbury free kick struck past Ledbury’s second substitute player that day saw Bonfield block the follow-up shot at the far post, with the rebound being struck well wide of the target in a further squandered opportunity for United.

A further free kick from the hosts, awarded after Williams was judged to have fouled an opposing attacker in midfield, landed to be missed by a Tenbury forward a few yards from the far post as United continued to kick themselves, before a home substitution saw a pivotal moment of the game occur when Skittery was brought down in the box to gift the reserves a penalty.

The spot kick was struck by Loveridge to be saved by the opposing goaltender, with a Tenbury defender seizing the opportunity to blast the ball safely over the touchline on the rebound to leave Butcher and Blakeway’s side ruing a missed golden opportunity to all but seal the win that afternoon as the corner ball which resulted from the squandered spot kick was struck straight into the side netting by Williams.

The referee refused to award a second penalty when Loveridge was felled just inside the near corner of the box, with George Hackman then coming on for fellow teenage team-mate Clueit as 25 minutes remained on the clock for the visitors to acquire the badly-needed cushion of a fourth goal.

Events took a decidedly heated turn in contrast to the increasingly chilly winter temperatures at Palmers Meadow when a challenge against Jeynes caused the heated winger to raise a hand to the face of his assailant, with United being left aghast when no red card let alone a yellow was produced by the official as the free kick nevertheless given to them was deflected off the four-man Ledbury wall of Hackman, Holder, Loveridge and Kenny to soar well wide of the near post.

The referee appeared to shy away from booking a home attacker after he brought Kenny down just inside the near corner of the box on the 71st minute, before the ever-slippery conditions got the better of Skittery, losing his footing in front of the oncoming keeper in the box as Walker curled an effort wide of the far post.

Palmer-Young made an important clearance over the near sideline back upfield as the ball was deflected off Holder in the box in front of a Tenbury forward following the throw-in, before United again fell foul off the offside flag this time waved by Butcher himself manning the far sideline, with an effort from Loveridge back downfield travelling well wide of the target as the reserves just couldn’t find that critical additional goal.

The visitors’ failure to extend their lead was ultimately punished seven minutes from time when the Worcestershire side finally found their breakthrough, as desperate attempts from Ledbury to retake the lead as the minutes ticked away were to no avail when Walker saw a direct effort from the edge of the box being blocked by the outstretched foot of one of the two defenders in front of him, as one final effort shot from Loveridge again soared harmlessly wide of the woodwork.

The game ended on a rather ugly note, compounding the rather scrappy nature of the latter half of the affair when the hosts receiving a double booking from the official, with one of their midfielders seeing yellow for fouling Hackman in the centre-circle, as an aggrieved Tenbury substitute player was then shown the card on the sideline.

Dropping to tenth in the league following Hinton Reserves’ impressive 5-0 victory over the Civil Service side at Broomy Hill that same afternoon, Butcher and Blakeway’s squad have one final chance to improve upon their standing in the table before the year is out, travelling to Old School Lane to face current fifth place holders Hereford Pegasus Colts this coming weekend (KO 1:30pm).