Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Photo: Pete Boyle leading by example against Hinton.(📷:Chris Ponter)

Ledbury Town furthered an extraordinary start to their new 2021/22 Herefordshire FA County League Premier Division campaign this weekend, scoring a useful 2-0 victory over Hinton at Broomy Hill.

Both goals came in the first period for Ian Merrick’s ambitious side as Curt Williams took full advantage of a spot of miscommunication between the Hinton goalkeeper and one of his defenders to open the scoring on 25 minutes, while Josh Burns found the second five minutes from the interval through a well-placed improvised cross from George Walker.

A fairly lacklustre second period from both sides nevertheless saw Ledbury hold up well defensively, with standout performances from Dwayne Tyndale and man of the match for Town that day Dale Taylor in particular.

The game wasn’t without its controversy however, with referee for the afternoon Alan Robinson dishing out no fewer than four yellow cards, with three of these bookings being incurred by the black and white shirts alone within the space of twenty minutes of play.

Town were the dominant attacking force from early on as a sixth minute free kick from Scott Roberts, star player during the eight-goal extravaganza played out at New Street four days previously, was seized by the Hinton keeper from an advancing Tyndale in front of him, before a ball from Williams travelled just a little too long to be reached by either Burns or prolific returning striker Tom Boyle before it snuck over the touchline.

A second consecutive corner ball delivered by Williams on a very-much-unlucky thirteenth minute of play for the visitors saw Ben Febery blast the ball into the side netting, before a free kick from the hosts was curled around the three-man Ledbury wall of Febery, captain Matt Rooke and Roberts to be struck over the bar on the rebound off Town goaltender Joshua Worrell.

Williams beat the opposing keeper to the ball after a weak attempted pass-back allowed the visiting marksman to take the ball round Hinton’s goal guardian and slot it home, before Taylor became the first yellow card recipient that day for committing a late challenge a few yards to the side of the box.

The free kick was put over the dual Ledbury wall of Burns and Roberts to be knocked just wide of the near post by a Hinton forward under pressure from Tom Trigg, as a contentious half-hour mark of play saw some apparent shirt-pulling being committed against Williams by the midfielder pursuing him on the near wing which went ignored by Robinson.

The official was less willing to turn a blind eye to a vigorous sliding challenge performed by Nathan Ince in a similar position on the field, and even though the keen reserves-turned-first team attacker appeared to have won the ball, Robinson nevertheless brandished the second yellow card of the encounter to the Town forward, also having words with an aggrieved Merrick on the sideline as the away manager promptly threw caution to the wind in bringing a disgruntled Ince off for Walker.

A first home substitution saw Williams take a swift free kick to Roberts on the right of him as the strike from the seasoned defender provided the opposing goaltender with a relatively easy save, before Walker’s quick-thinking upwards cross under pressure from a defender near the touchline allowed Burns to nod the ball home for what would turn out to be the final goal scored at Broomy Hill that afternoon.

Some good defensive cover work from Tyndale saw a great long ball from Boyle being received by Burns rushing in downfield, with the second visiting goalscorer that day having to make the most of a one-touch opportunity to score with a defender rapidly closing in as the lack of time to prepare the shot led to him volleying the ball well wide of the target.

The second period began with Burns aiming to repay Walker’s earlier favour by crossing the ball into the box for his young team-mate to score, only for the twenty-year-old forward to nod the ball wide under pressure from a defender.

A second booking of the game incurred by Febery saw Trigg make a good covering deflection over the touchline as a Hinton attacker nodded the corner ball wide while leaping up with Rooke to meet it, with the 52ndminute seeing Worrell display quick reactions in stopping a cross-shot from a sharp angle performed while the home forward was under pressure from Taylor on the touchline.

Worrell kept the opposition at a two-goal deficit by making a further great save after a Hinton attacker broke away from Tyndale, before leaping and making a good call to palm away a corner ball.

Boyle delivered another great ball from well out on the near wing to see Walker miss a one-on-one opportunity with the keeper, before the hosts received their only yellow card of the encounter on the 58thminute when Boyle was pushed in the back to end a good attacking run from the goal-hungry marksman.

The ensuing free kick from Febery was seized and then re-seized by the opposing keeper as a strong challenge from Roberts in midfield led to the Hinton player having to be taken off the pitch over an impact injury, before Walker squandered yet another opportunity to get himself on the scoresheet on the 65thminute when Burns seized the moment to deliver a superb ball into the box from the near sideline, with his young colleague being unable to get a head to the ball with only the keeper being present in the box with him.

Boyle, scoring five goals over Town’s first two league games of the season over the previous seven days, was experiencing a drought that afternoon as well as he knocked the ball wide from a deflection off the keeper, and after visiting club chairman Pete Boyle replaced Williams for the final fifteen minutes, Ledbury rode their luck with Tyndale, Trigg and Rooke all being involved in a desperate scramble for the ball in the box before the danger was eventually cleared away.

The ball entered the box just too low for Walker to finally find the net that day as he, Tyndale and Taylor were all retired for Pete Jeynes, Chris Wickham and Alistair Holder to see out the closing minutes, with Jeynes impressing in particular as his fresh legs provided some pacy and sustained defensive work in and around the far corner flag.

The Town chairman was then brought down just outside the box to see the resulting free kick from his younger brother pretty much sum up his game that afternoon as he struck the ball wide of both the trio of home players forming the wall and the woodwork, before one last-ditch chance for the red and black shirts to gain at least a consolatory goal as a result of some poor marking from the visitors during the taking of a final free kick was wasted when Hinton ball was put well over the bar.

Merrick’s high-flying squad, unbeaten in three games now await further fixtures to be announced in the Premier Division, as Ledbury Town Reserves fell to a 2-0 defeat in Division One against a spritelier and fitter Fownhope side at New Street that same day.