Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Joel Skyers in action against an opposing defender on the far wing 58 minutes into the game (📸: Chris Ponter)

Ledbury Town suffered a significant setback to their bid for the Herefordshire Football League Premier Division title during the second part of their Easter weekend double header, suffering an unexpected 2-1 defeat to Clee Hill United at a Knowle Sports Ground battered by powerful cross-winds, heavy showers and hail.

The result, reducing Ledbury’s extended lead at the top of the table to just a single point as formidable second-placed newcomers Sporting Club Inkberrow saw off Welland with a sizeable 6-1 victory the same afternoon at the Upton Hill Community Centre, came as an unwelcome shock for a Town side that had just 48 hours ago achieved a second 2-0 victory of the season over Holme Lacy at their village-based ground.

With a 4-0 home win during the very first league game of the season back in mid-August, as well as a 2-0 Herefordshire FA Charity Bowl semi-final cup victory at New Street back in March against the Shropshire-based outfit, hopes of a treble against the sixth place holders suffered a blow early on when Josh Bowen netted on the twelfth minute of the two sides’ latest clash.

A game as volatile as the weather at the Knowle which featured no fewer than five yellow cards being doled out by busy referee Simon Burgess also saw Clee Hill goalkeeper Joe Whiteway shown a straight red on the 75th minute for bringing down Ben Miller in a last man situation, as Tom Trigg managed to albeit briefly put a smile back on the faces of visiting supporters four minutes later by slipping the ball in through a melee in the box.

It was United who had the last laugh however, when Craig Breakwell netted directly from a well-placed corner ball as Ledbury couldn’t find a second reply during an extended period of stoppage time.

Town received a major let-off as early as the opening minute when an opening effort from the hosts clipped off the crossbar, before a first free kick from Charlie Edwards was struck against the four-man wall of Matt Tristram, Joel Skyers, Miller and Dean Lee, making only his second appearance for the black and white shirts that afternoon.

Skyers was barged down over the near sideline to see his free kick nodded the wrong way by Miller, before the strong breeze guided a further shot from the opposition into a diving save from Ledbury goalkeeper Alex Goode at the near post.

Tristram showed good control in defensively knocking the ball over the bar for a Clee Hill corner, but, after Febery performed a strong sliding challenge on the near wing, sustained opening pressure on Town’s goal saw Bowen open his side’s account.

Lewis Williams replied by volleying the ball to rattle the top left-hand corner of the frame, while a second free kick from Skyers was again carried by the wind into a save from Whiteway as Tom Watkins did well at the other end to take possession from a United attacker and play the ball back upfield.

Pete Jeynes raised the offside flag against two home forwards either side of an effort from the visitors being saved as the wind and rain really began to intensify, with Williams mis-timing a kick to deliver an intended cross-shot from the near touchline as he was then thwarted by Whiteway racing out to grab the ball from his feet.

A challenge from Watkins on the far wing at half an hour in led to a controversial free kick for the opposition which was again struck by Edwards past the quartet of Ledbury players to come off the sole of Watkins, only for another Clee Hill striker to fire the ball well over the woodwork on the rebound.

Further controversy followed when Williams and Whiteway came down together on the touchline, with Town fans being left aghast when penalty calls were translated into their player actually being booked for alleged diving.

A free kick from visiting captain Tom Boyle beat the four United defenders forming the wall to be met with a tentative save from Whiteway just below the bar, before a well-taken corner ball from Miller was nodded over the woodwork by Skyers five minutes from the interval.

Watkins was replaced by Trigg over the break as the latter period kicked off with Skyers defending the ball well against a home defender on the near sideline, passing it on to Cosmin Micula who crossed the ball in to see a clever turn from Williams result in Boyle leaving it a little too late to pull the trigger in the box.

A corner ball from Miller was headed clear by an opposing defender under pressure from the Ledbury attackers in front of goal, before a long free kick taken by Goode advancing up to midfield landed just level with the near post on the touchline before either Febery or Williams could reach it.

A long high cross from Febery running down the near wing curled in the gales to be well-caught by Whiteway coming off his line, and, after Williams was swapped for Nathan Ince in a second Town substitution, a Clee Hill free kick was struck to deflect downwards from the visiting trio forming the wall.

The game was stopped briefly on the 63rd minute to allow Febery to receive treatment on the pitch after falling in front of Whiteway, quickly returning to the action as Lee did well to keep the ball in play from the near sideline and pass it on to Micula.

Kieran Hall received United’s first yellow card of the day for fouling Skyers in midfield, with Ince swiftly going on to be booked for committing a late challenge of his own as a third yellow card was shown in the space of four minutes to Charlie Anthony Edwards for committing a further foul 25 yards out from his goal.

The free kick resulting from this third risky challenge was built up only to be fired well over the target by Skyers, with a third booking being incurred by the hosts for kicking the ball away over the near sideline as Whiteway was given his marching orders for felling Miller.

A further free kick from Edwards made it past Skyers, Micula and Lee even if it couldn’t provide his side with a two-goal buffer, as Trigg went on to pick the ball out and slot it home in amongst a swarm of players in the box for Ledbury’s long-awaited equalizer.

Goode brought down an opposing attacker in front of goal with nothing being given to Clee Hill by Burgess, only for Breakwell to reclaim his side’s lead through heading home the corner.

Williams returned to the fray for Micula for the final ten minutes, with Febery managing to deflect the ball in front of goal with a high foot as several minutes of added time couldn’t provide Town with the goal needed to claim at least a point from the affair.

With Inkberrow a single point behind with a six-goal advantage and a crucial game in hand, Ledbury’s five remaining league games are now must-win affairs as they next take on other big rivals Hereford Pegasus Reserves for a third time this season this coming weekend (KO 2:30pm), in a re-arranged game after the original fixture back in mid-January was postponed owing to a frozen pitch at New Street.

The Pegasus second string have been beaten by Merrick’s men twice this season at Old School Lane, firstly as reigning champions of the Herefordshire FA Charity Bowl cup competition in the first round of the same contest this season back in late September during an eventful Friday evening encounter which was taken to penalties.

A brace from Town man of the match Boyle and a further goal from Febery equalled the Reserves’ marks on the scoresheet scored by Corey Ellis, Harvey Evans and substitute player Charlie Jenkins, in a volatile encounter which saw home defender Marc Avery receive a double-booking as Boyle and team-mate Zac Blood were also shown yellow cards by referee Ian Jervis.

The visitors ran away during the shootout when Pugh, Blood and Febery all put away their spot kicks for a 3-1 win, as some stellar saves from Goode effectively avenged the 3-1 defeat in the previous final played at the Herefordshire FA County Ground four months previously, when a Harvey Evans opener and a Saul Thomas brace outnumbered the sole consolation goal scored by George Walker.

An outstanding 77th minute free kick from Boyle then gave Ledbury a 1-0 league win over the Hereford-based outfit in October, as they also continue to pose a threat at third in the table six points behind but still with a game in hand over Town.

Merrick’s side have three upcoming away encounters, playing Inkberrow away in a critical clash next Saturday (KO 2:30pm), before taking on lowly Worcester United in a midweek fixture at the Hallow Playing Field on Wednesday 26th April (KO 6:30pm) and visiting seventh-placed Welland on Saturday 29th April (KO 2:30pm).

After their scheduled second meeting of the season against Wellington Rangers was postponed on the evening of Friday 31st March after torrential showers throughout the day created a waterlogged pitch at New Street, Ledbury will end their season at home in a rescheduled fixture against the current ninth place holders on Saturday 6th May (KO 2:30pm).

A goalless draw occurred against Inkberrow under the floodlights at New Street in early December, in a tough affair all round which saw the visitors nearly find the net during the closing ten minutes if not for some heroic saves from Town man of the match Goode, with Merrick’s men already having beaten Worcester 2-1 at home during the third league game of the season in late August when substitute player Joshua Lloyd found the only goal for the visitors, with Jeynes being named man of the match for some strong defending throughout.

The first-half Ledbury goals came courtesy of Boyle and Ryan Pugh, with the latter player sadly being put out of action during the 3-1 win over Wellington Rangers in early February after suffering a dislocated shoulder fifteen minutes into the second period at The Kensal Ground.

Town also have a 4-1 victory over Welland in their records this season, even if the win towards the end of September looked far from certain as a surprisingly poor opening 45 minutes from the hosts at New Street saw visiting striker James Lush score the second of two penalties given to his side during the first period by Jervis, only for Merrick’s men to launch a stellar second-half comeback with goals from Blood, Skyers, man of the match Burns and Pugh through a rebound off a great save from the opposing keeper which deflected his own 57th minute spot kick.

Finally, Ledbury scored their first victory of 2023 against Wellington Rangers at The Kensal Ground with a 3-1 win in early February, courtesy of a second-half brace from Febery which followed a 20th minute opener from Ryan Pugh, who was sadly put out of action with a dislocated shoulder fifteen minutes into the second period.

Jordan Mann found Wellington’s only consolation goal eight minutes after Pugh found the net, as Trigg picked up the man of the match accolade for Town for a solid defensive display throughout the afternoon.