Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Sole Ledbury goalscorer that night George Walker goes in for a 40th minute challenge against an opposing defender just inside the box as Tom Boyle looks on from behind them (📸: Chris Ponter)

Ledbury Town missed out on crowning a superb 2021/22 footballing season in the Herefordshire FA County League Premier Division this week, being denied acquiring the Herefordshire FA Charity Bowl silverware for the second time in the space of three years following a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Hereford Pegasus Reserves at a packed-out Herefordshire FA County Ground.

Ian Merrick’s high-flying side, denied becoming league champions this season after finishing bottom of the table twelve months ago only through the sheer might of Hartpury University, who won all twenty of their games this season with a remarkable 107 goals in their favour, booked their place in the final of this season’s Charity Bowl contest through a comfortable 4-0 victory over bottom league finishers Holme Lacy in the first round at New Street back in early October, when Tom Boyle, Ben Miller, joint man of the match Nathan Ince and Josh Burns all found the net.

This was followed by an 11-2 demolition of Shobdon, who pulled out of the league towards the end of the season, during a bitterly cold affair at their airfield-based venue in the quarter-finals in late November, when star player for the visitors Miller hit four, twenty-year-old George Walker scored his first hat-trick in senior level football with the aid of two penalties, and captain Tom Trigg, James Febery, Scott Roberts and reserves striker Sam Branch all found the net as the hosts’ consolation goals came courtesy of Alfie Hurley and Timothy Stanley.

The semi-final in early February witnessed Hartpury’s only defeat of the season, even if it took a thrilling penalty shootout to unseat them after the scoreline remained level at a goal apiece following an uneventful second period of play after first-half goals were scored by Burns and King Baidoo.

Miller, Curt Williams, man of the match Roberts, Ben Febery and Burns all put away their spot kicks to deliver the shock defeat, even if the league champions got their own back two months later through a 2-0 victory at Ledbury’s historic ground, when Luca Robinson found the net on the brink of half-time with Joshua Bissett finding a second 60th minute goal.

Pegasus Reserves’ road to the final began with an 11-0 annihilation of mid-table Ludlow Town Colts at The Ludlow Stadium back in late September, before the quarter-finals two months later saw a far narrower 2-1 win occur over Wellington Rangers as goals from Harvey Evans and substitute player Ben Pritchard outnumbered the 63rd minute consolation goal scored by home striker Chris Bush.

A third away encounter in the semi-finals saw the Reserves, who finished third in the league this season four points below Town, scrape through with another close 3-2 victory this time over Welland as Carl Horton, Jordan Williamson and substitute player Evans found the winning goals with Mark Holbrow scoring twice for the hosts following an earlier yellow card for team-mate Omar Elmougy.

Despite the two sides both finishing strongly in the table, it was Ledbury who, on paper at least, were favourites for this final encounter of the tournament after defeating the Pegasus second string on both occasions when the two rivals met each other in the league this season, beginning with a superb 3-2 comeback at New Street in mid-November despite going two goals down after an hour of play courtesy of visiting strikers Owen Bolton and substitute player Tom Dixon.

An unexpected own goal from the Reserves opened the doors for home substitute Alistair Holder to score from a Roberts free kick, before Roberts himself scored from a 73rd minute penalty after Town man of the match that day Tom Boyle was brought down in the box.

Late February saw an altogether more convincing 3-1 midweek victory for Merrick’s men at Old School Lane, with Boyle hitting one of several hat-tricks this season even if the hosts managed to deny a clean sheet on the 66th minute.

With a 6-0 hammering of fourth place finishers Hereford Lads Club Reserves having occurred on the same new 3G pitch a month previously, with a further hat-trick from star player Boyle accompanying goals from Burns, Roberts and Ince, all the prep work appeared to have been done for Ledbury to take the cup home again after they last won it back in April 2019, when an 81st minute winner from substitute player Charlie Docherty following first-half goals from Joe Bullock and Samuel Palmer-Young achieved a memorable 3-2 victory against Holme Lacy at Westfields’ allpay.park ground.

The confidence accrued from their double league victory over Pegasus and the recent sizeable win over the Lads Club second string on the same pitch appeared to backfire on the night however, with Town seemingly failing to turn up as their opponents largely dominated the opening 45 minutes to see Evans break the deadlock on the 26th minute.

Although Walker managed to grab a goal back on the 76th minute with the aid of assistant referee Liam Brace, it was a case of too little too late after Saul Thomas had doubled the Reserves’ lead seven minutes earlier, going on to complete his brace with ten minutes to go.

With Ledbury entering the field accompanied by their young Swifts mascots as this season has seen a huge strengthening of the relationship between the two clubs, this hotly-anticipated clash in front of a sizeable crowds of supporters began with a fifth minute Pegasus free kick which was nodded clear by James Febery, before a thirty-yard Town spot kick was caught by the Reserves’ goalkeeper.

A tenth minute free kick from Miller was nodded over captain Trigg in the box, before a second spot kick from the same Ledbury striker, given by referee for the affair Adrian Rocke despite the Town skipper appearing to have been brought down within the box, saw the opposing keeper just about manage to grasp the ball away from Trigg.

A foul from Dwayne Tyndale on the quarter-hour mark saw the resulting Pegasus free kick being well-seized by James Loader while under pressure on the line, before a great challenge from Ince on the far sideline saw Asten Griffiths put the ball over the crossbar from twenty yards out.

Walker did well in midfield to get the ball to Miller on the 20th minute, before Boyle managed to win himself a corner ball which was nodded into a Reserves defender by Febery as a further Ledbury foul led to another spot kick for the opposition being struck well wide of the near post.

Tyndale missed out on performing a deflection to leave Loader, man of the match for Town after a stellar display in goal which prevented Pegasus from hitting four, five or even six that night, having to make a pivotal two-footed block, before a free kick from Roberts was struck straight at a defender.

Evans swept the ball home following some great work down the left wing by Jordan Williamson to open the scoring, before a back header from Trigg to Walker saw the younger Ledbury player being unlucky to lose possession back downfield as a solid challenge against Febery was followed by Dale Taylor putting the ball well over the bar from thirty yards out.

Boyle overcame an attempted tackle on the 36th minute to try a shot from an angle which was saved by the Reserves’ goaltender as Ince couldn’t quite get into a position to score off the rebound, before a Miller free kick saw Rocke give the ball to the red and white shirts after deeming Town’s forwards to have performed undue pushing in the box.

The controversy continued as Miller and an opposing counterpart were both booked following an altercation in midfield, as Boyle managed to stand up against a defender on the touchline only for his team mates upfront to be unable to complete the job.

Boyle tried again on the 45th minute, racing in to strike the ball over the woodwork from just outside the box, with Rocke continuing to give nothing Ledbury’s way going into stoppage time of the first period when Febery ended up on his stomach following a challenge on the far wing just outside the box.

After one last corner ball from Miller ended up in the gloves of the keeper, Pegasus missed a sitter from a well-struck cross to see Ledbury make it to the interval with no further damage, but still with all to do if they were to put the Charity Bowl back in their cabinet.

The latter half began with some good defending from Taylor as Tyndale was swapped for Pete Jeynes, and, after Boyle was brought down in physical fashion at the end of a run down the near wing to see the leaders receive a second yellow card of the game, a pause to allow a Reserves player to be treated for an injury on the field was followed by Walker nodding the ball behind the net as hearts entered the mouths of supporters wearing the black and white scarves.

Griffiths was brought off for Chris Wickham in a second change of personnel from Merrick on the 60th minute, before Loader performed a terrific save off the bar to see Pegasus strike the ball well wide of the near post on the rebound past Miller and Jeynes.

A strong 25-yard effort from Miller was met with a superb diving save from the opposing goaltender, before Thomas used great pace to take the ball through the Town defence and follow up with a brilliant strike to put Ledbury two goals down with only twenty minutes left to make up the deficit.

Walker scrambled the ball in from a corner as a flag from Brace confirmed that the ball had just snuck over the line before being clawed out by the keeper to briefly ignite hopes of a comeback, but after the Reserves blasted another ball over and Loader performed another fine save, these hopes were squashed when a second powerful strike from Thomas overcame Loader to put Town’s chances of Charity Bowl glory in jeopardy.

Ledbury battled on with less than ten minutes left on the clock, as a further contentious moment saw Rocke refuse to award a penalty to the black and white shirts, but after Pegasus took the ball round to fire it into the side netting from close range, and a final free kick from Miller made it past the defensive wall before being nodded clear, it was simply a case for the triumphant Reserves to close the game out as they celebrated winning the silverware.

Despite this disappointing climax, Town can take much solace from what has otherwise been a superb season, finishing runners-up in the Herefordshire League Premier Division after a bottom table finish last season, and having a number of great cup runs, beating a Step 7 team who are practically semi-professional, defeating a Step 6 side, and narrowly losing out to a team who were promoted to Step 5.

Tom Boyle also went on to become the Herefordshire League’s top goalscorer, pipping Hartpury’s King Baidoo to the golden boot by three goals with an impressive total of 29 balls in the back of the net.

Older brother and Ledbury Town Football Club chairman Pete Boyle summed up his first full season at the helm of the club with much enthusiasm:

“The lads have had an outstanding season. To not cap it off with a cup win is disappointing, but to have been the only team to stop Hartpury this season, knock out a Step 5 team in Lads Club and push the eventual winners close in the league above Pegasus Reserves… we couldn’t really have asked for much more.”

“The players have managed to re-engage the town of Ledbury with football, and the support our followers have given throughout all three of our teams has been amazing. We are very grateful to them as it really does help to push the lads on during those closer games.”

“On the night of the cup final, we sadly had an off-game and Pegasus were on it from the first minute, but we’ll be back next year and hopefully we can undo the wrongs of this season with a league and cup win to do the double!”

“Special thanks must go out to our cup sponsors today, James Seager at Ledbury Groundworks and Construction and Ken Jones at Waste Efficiency; our players travelled on the coach and looked great, which is all down to these valuable sponsors.”