Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Photo: Brad Potter goes in for a challenge. (📷: Chris Ponter)

Ledbury Town Reserves’ encouraging start to their new 2021/22 campaign in Division One of the Herefordshire FA County League suffered a setback this week, as David Butcher’s squad were dealt a 5-2 defeat at Mill Street by Kington Town Reserves. 

Ledbury had to play catch-up from very early on when a late challenge from seasoned winger Pete Jeynes gave Kington’s Harry Bowen the chance to successfully convert a penalty just seven minutes in, before the hosts scored three times in the space of twelve minutes through a Tom Crichton brace scored either side of Sam Mayglothling finding the net.

Butcher’s side pulled one back three minutes before the interval through Sam Branch slotting the ball home following some terrific work from young Ledbury man of the match that afternoon Brad Potter, as a brief fracas twenty minutes into the latter half of play saw both visiting striker Kieran Loveridge and Bowen shown yellow by referee for the day Derek Smith.

A tighter second period from Ledbury offered at least a temporary glimmer of hope when a spot of miscommunication between home keeper James Lewis and one of his defenders saw the yellow and black shirts put away a 67^thminute own goal, although the match wasn’t without a final sting in the tail for the visiting outfit as Crichton completed his hat-trick with seven minutes to go.

The game began with a second minute free kick from Charlie Jones which Loveridge couldn’t quite reach in the box as Ledbury calls for obstruction and handball were ignored by Smith, before a free kick from the opposition was confidently saved by visiting captain Zak Bonfield in goal, making a good call in not requiring a defensive wall.

The Ledbury goaltender impressed further by deflecting an effort with his feet and saving the rebound attempt on the ground, even if there was little the visiting skipper could do to stop Bowen putting away his spot kick to open the scoring.

Some superb sustained work on the tenth minute from Potter up the near wing lead to a free kick from Matti Holder being struck straight into the gloves of Lewis, before Kington struck the ball well over back across field, with Potter racing back to deflect the ball over the touchline for a corner.

The set-piece turned out to be pivotal however in directing the course of the game, giving Crichton the opportunity he needed to nod the ball home for his first of three goals scored that afternoon, with things going from bad to worse for the black and white shirts as a well-placed pass to Mayglothling allowed him to flick the ball past Bonfield for his side’s third.

A further effort off the woodwork from the hosts was followed soon afterwards by Crichton’s second, before a 36^thminute Jeynes free kick from the far wing came off Holder into the back of Branch in the box.

Further solid work from Potter on the other side of the field gave team-mate James Kenny a throw-in, before a superb 40^thminute save from Bonfield was solely responsible in preventing the opposition from finding a fifth goal there and then following a defensive error from Holder.

Branch’s goal following Potter’s pivotal assist saw Jeynes curl a free kick wide of the target, and as one final Kington spot kick before the interval was nodded narrowly over the woodwork, the hosts continued to push for a four-goal advantage right up until the half-time whistle when Corey Anning fired the ball past Tom Reid to see Bonfield make another good block.

Samuel Palmer-Young replaced sixteen-year-old Jake Clueit over the interval for Ledbury, with Loveridge beginning the visitors’ better latter half with a further free kick which was struck over the bar as a cross from the opposition was nodded down by Holder in the box, with Jones being on hand to clear the danger away over the far sideline.

Ledbury’s defence continued to show signs of strengthening despite Kington threatening in return by sending another effort just over the woodwork, before Jake Bramley wasted no time in making his presence on the pitch felt entering the fray for Branch on the 55^thminute by pushing Mayglothling over to see a goal kick awarded to the hosts.

A Holder free kick from towards the far sideline couldn’t be met by a number of visiting attackers in the box, as Bonfield displayed sound judgement in decisively leaving his line to halt a goalscoring opportunity for an opposing striker in its tracks supported by Jeynes and Holder to either side.

A second free kick from Holder, taken to good-natured jeers from Kington supporters in the stand enjoying their side’s sizeable lead, witnessed near-identical results to his spot kick struck minutes earlier, with Mayglothling retiring from the action for Josh Evans to make an appearance for the hosts on the 65^thminute as the aforementioned bout of fisticuffs saw Loveridge and Bowen booked by Smith.

A further squandered free kick from Holder saw Ledbury finally receive a badly-needed stroke of luck when the error made between Lewis and his defence resulted in a surprise own goal, as Kai Davis then came on to replace Loveridge with just twenty minutes of play remaining for the New Street second string to salvage at least a point from the encounter.

The yellow and black shirts continued their attack however as Bonfield required both hands to stop a powerful shot from Anning, before both Branch and Clueit returned to the field for Potter and Kenny respectively for the final ten minutes.

A final free kick from Jeynes travelled over the target, and, after Crichton completed his treble on the 83^rdminute, a corner ball from the visitors saw a prolonged scuffle occur in the box, before the ball eventually found its way to Jones at twenty yards out who blasted the ball against the leg of an unlucky defender in painful-sounding fashion.

Anning left the field for Dave Smith in a final substitution of the day as a light deflection off Holder at the near post saw Bonfield only just being able to palm the ball away over the bar, before a final set of corner balls for Ledbury’s all-but-victorious opponents saw Holder end up on the floor but able to continue playing up to the final whistle.

Butcher commented, “We played a very good Kington side. The opening thirty minutes cost us, but it was really a game of two halves. We came into the second half much more improved, but we unfortunately left ourselves with just too much to do.”