Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Third and final goalscorer that day Pat Morgan on the ball against an opposing defender towards the far sideline, supported by new team-mate this season Cosmin Micula to the right (📸: Chris Ponter)

Ledbury Town remained top of the Herefordshire Football League Premier Division this week, continuing an unbeaten five-game winning streak since the start of the season with a 3-0 victory in their second away encounter over at newly-promoted Fownhope.

Ian Merrick’s stellar squad were two goals up by half-time courtesy of Morgan Skidmore and Tom Boyle as the runners-up of Division One of the then-Herefordshire FA County League last season squandered a great chance to halve their deficit moments before the interval, before substitute player Pat Morgan found the further security of a third goal for the black and white shirts.

A game marked by a number of controversial decisions from the officials saw Ledbury really having to battle in order to hold on to their clean sheet towards the end of the affair, as new Town goalkeeper this season Alex Goode was forced to pull off a number of great saves in order to keep his side’s goal difference ahead of closest rivals Kington Town and Hereford Pegasus Reserves in the table.

Skidmore’s opener came after just ten minutes of play in the bright and breezy conditions at Fownhope Recreation Ground, before visiting captain Joel Skyers sliced the ball across and wide of the far post shortly after the hosts had slipped the ball wide of the woodwork across field.

It didn’t take long for the first real moment of controversy to occur on the 20th minute when Jordan Thomson had a goal disallowed after a free kick from Skidmore was headed upwards by Skyers to see the new signing from Newent this season finish the ball on the line, although not without referee for the day Christopher Stansbury agreeing with handball protests from the green and black shirts.

Goode caught an impromptu yet decent 25-yard effort from the opposition, before ill feelings returned on the 25th minute when Skyers was brought down in the box in what appeared to be an obvious penalty, with Stansbury neglecting to give it after having words with assistant referee Ava Jordan on the far sideline.

Seasoned defender and Ledbury man of the match Tom Watkins kept the Fownhope attack at bay with some well-judged headers on the fly, before his side gained retribution for the earlier controversy on the half-hour mark when Boyle’s free kick was exquisitely struck past the five-man wall of home defenders cleanly into the bottom corner of the net.

Skidmore managed to deflect a 35th minute from the opposition in front of the striker behind him at the edge of the box, with Skyers then being unlucky to see the ball bounce and strike his hand while on the run with it out of his own box to see another free kick awarded Fownhope’s way.

Boyle missed out on a first-half brace when he volleyed the ball narrowly over the crossbar, and, after the hosts were caught offside with a flag being raised by linesman Callum Williams, Town received a major let-off when a great cross met a wayward header from an opposing forward as Fownhope saw a golden chance to win an extremely valuable goal back before the break go begging.

The visitors retired to the changing room over the interval as their hosts chose to cool off in the shade, as the second period began in painful fashion for Ledbury when the high foot of an opposing defender caught the face of Ryan Pugh, although with the other new Town debutant this season fortunately being able to shrug off the blow as he was then beaten to a further Skidmore free kick by the Fownhope keeper.

Skyers chipped the ball over the bar while under pressure from close range, shortly before Asten Griffiths was swapped for Chris Wickham in a first change of personnel from Merrick and assistant coaches this season Sam Dixon and Scott Roberts as the hosts made their opening substitution five minutes later.

Boyle saw another chance for a double that afternoon elude him as a great cross from Pugh on the near wing saw the usually on-target striker put the ball wide of the far post, before Merrick saw fit to make a double substitution on the 60th minute as newbies Pugh and Thomson left the field for Lewis Williams and Morgan to enter the fray.

A free kick from the more rural outfit was ordered to be retaken by Stansbury after it was struck before the whistle to see the second effort being hit over the dual wall of Wickham and Skidmore, only to be nodded the wrong way by an opposing attacker towards the near post.

The visitors then capitalized on some good work from Williams on the near wing as his cross to Morgan went under the foot of the defender in front of him to see the returning Ledbury forward neatly slot the ball home for his side’s third and final mark on the scoresheet that day.

Stansbury had a brief word with keen youngster Matt Tristram, also returning to the Town ranks after a couple of seasons’ hiatus when he played the ball on despite the official giving a free kick decision against him, and, after Fownhope made their second change of personnel with twenty minutes to go, Morgan managed to get the ball to Williams on the near wing as his plucky cross-shot from 25 yards out very nearly beat the home goaltender as it travelled just over the bar.

The opposition made another substitution in the space of two minutes as a terrific cross from Boyle saw an equally-impressive close-range save to deny the resulting effort from Wickham, as the next contentious ruling occurred on the 75th minute when a free kick was given to Fownhope despite Boyle being brought down on the run, with Stansbury deeming the offside flag raised against the prolific visiting striker to be of greater significance.

Skidmore denied a home striker on the line for a corner as yet another substitution was made from the well-staffed subs bench of Ledbury’s opponents, with the set-piece being struck to rattle the top right-hand corner of the frame.

Skidmore was then flagged offside much to the vocal disagreement of both Boyle and Williams, with Fownhope then gaining three further free kick opportunities in quick succession as Boyle and his management team continued to make their increasingly frustrated feelings clear.

Goode ended the hosts’ contentious flurry of set-pieces by cleanly catching the third spot kick, diving to punch clear a further corner ball in front of the near post before the busy Town keeper had to leap left, right and centre in order to keep the ball out as his struggling defence fought to repel a final sustained attack.

One final Fownhope strike was denied by the near post as Merrick’s men celebrated returning to the top of the table having been very briefly dethroned by Kington following their 3-1 win at Mill Street the night beforehand, against newly-promoted Division One champions Worcester United who now occupy the bottom spot of the Premier Division of the newly-titled local league.

Before Ledbury finish the month with an evening league home game against Welland on Tuesday 27th September (KO 7:30pm), which will be an intriguing encounter in itself after the early mid-table holders dealt out a shock 5-3 defeat to them at the Upton Hill Community Centre back in mid-March last season after Town thumped them 8-0 at New Street during only the second game of the season, Merrick’s men have the small matter of the opening round of this season’s Herefordshire FA Charity Bowl cup competition to play at Old School Lane this coming Friday evening against none other than Pegasus Reserves (KO 7:45pm).

Ledbury have a rather large score to settle against the Pegasus second string after they overcame the black and white shirts with a 3-1 victory in the final of the same competition at the Herefordshire FA County Ground played just four months ago, when George Walker’s 76th minute goal for Town was of scant consolation following a first-half goal from the Reserves’ Harvey Evans as team-mate Saul Thomas went on to score a brace during the latter half of play.