Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Ledbury brace-scorer that day George Walker puts a 23rd minute cross past Bartestree defender Luke Cox from towards the far wing upfield (📸: Chris Ponter)

Ledbury Town Reserves rose to mid-table in Division One of the Herefordshire FA County League this weekend, overcoming league basement boys Bartestree for a second occasion this season with a 3-0 victory at a bright and breezy New Street.

It was also a back-to-back win for David Butcher’s young squad, having defeated basement boys the Civil Service 2-1 at home a fortnight ago following a postponed New Street fixture against Tenbury Town last weekend due to a waterlogged pitch caused by Storm Eunice, when goals from Tom Skittery and Brad Potter overcame the consolation goal scored by William Greaves.

Although it was only a critical save from Zak Bonfield which retained the three points the last time the Ledbury second string locked horns with Bartestree during the first game of the year for both teams after the original reverse fixture at New Street was cancelled the week beforehand owing to a waterlogged pitch, when Harry Gwynne halved the hosts’ goal deficit following first-half goals from George Walker and Sam Branch, this latest affair was rather more assured for the reserves despite a shaky opening twenty minutes, even if the bottom table holders made them work for the clean sheet.

The day belonged to the Georges as Walker picked up a brace between the two halves of play, with George Hackman finding the target on the 25th minute just two minutes after Walker scored his first.

Kieran Loveridge was first to strike, firing the ball wide of the far post before Tom Skittery tried his luck from twenty yards out, sending the ball the same way as his team-mate as a very-much-unlucky thirteenth minute of play for Matti Holder saw him come down towards the far wing during a 50/50 challenge between him and a member of the Bartestree back-line, even if referee for the day Mike Darley gave the decision the visitors’ way.

The home defence then just about managed to hold off an advance from the blue shirts in midfield, even if Butcher made his frustration over the opposition being allowed to gain so much ground quite clear from the dugout as Bartestree keeper Alex Russell then beat both Skittery and one of his defenders to the ball to make the clearance.

Walker then opened the scoring, with Hackman doubling his side’s lead moments later before Skittery had a chance to make it three for Ledbury soon afterwards, not quite being able to score from the follow-up after Russell dived to claw a cross-shot from Morgan Skidmore off the line.

Holder just missed the header at the far post from a 34th minute Loveridge corner ball, before a cross from the visitors hit the side netting back downfield as a result of one of their forwards being put under pressure from Holder on the touchline.

Skittery then brought down a veteran opposing player in midfield, with the resulting free kick being nodded clear by Holder marking the same seasoned Bartestree player, before Bonfield went on to comfortably catch two consecutive cross-shots in what was the first time he had really been troubled by the visitors that afternoon.

Skittery managed to keep hold of the ball while under pressure back upfield to cross it back to Jake Bramley, whose effort saw the ball travel wide of the far post, before the former of these reserves strikers, just not seeming to get the luck that afternoon, rattled the bar in another missed chance to get on the scoresheet before the break.

Bonfield was then called upon to deal with some late first-half danger for the hosts, blocking a threatening close-range effort at the far post following a great cross from the far wing, as Skidmore was swapped for Alex Berry over the break.

Bonfield began the latter half of play by leaping to palm a direct volley from the opposition over the bar, before Loveridge came down in painful-sounding fashion following a Bartestree foul towards the near wing, with Butcher signalling for a substitution to be made at first although with his striker soon returning to the action after briefly exiting to the sideline to receive treatment from his manager.

The free kick awarded to Ledbury was struck by captain Jai Smallwood to be deflected towards Russell as Skittery lunged in just that little bit too late, before a corner ball from the visitors was very well dealt with by the reserves skipper, seizing the ball at the near post and playing it back downfield.

A 55th minute free kick from Loveridge, given after Walker was felled by two opposing defenders on the near sideline, was nodded away by a veteran Bartestree defender for a home corner ball, before a moment of hesitancy on the ball from Skittery in the box saw him instead pass the ball on to Bramley, who was caught unawares but was still able to force the ball out over the near sideline against a visiting defender for a throw-in.

Butcher made three further changes to his squad from his well-staffed subs bench that day, with a limping Alistair Holder being exchanged for Samuel Palmer-Young as Bramley and Hackman came off for Sam Branch and sixteen-year-old Jake Clueit, as the first of these substitute players soon made his presence on the pitch felt by winning a free kick at the edge of the centre-circle, taken by Holder to see an opposing defender give Branch the slip and play the ball back out of the box.

Palmer-Young’s swift 25-yard volley was then caught by Russell, and after a 70th minute Bartestree corner ball was headed by one of their seasoned defenders towards Holder on the far sideline, Walker completed his brace through nodding a superb ball from his team-mate into the net.

Palmer-Young then mis-timed an intended volley to finish a ball that bounced in front of him in the box, before a more threatening follow-up from Branch was denied through a great save from Russell.

Branch couldn’t quite connect with the resulting corner ball at the near post, and after Bramley returned to the action for Loveridge for the final ten minutes, a well-taken corner ball from Skittery was nodded just over the woodwork by Holder to bounce off the top netting.

Bonfield pounced on top of an effort struck past hardworking home man of the match James Kenny as it was heading just shy of the near post, before two final free kicks from the visitors couldn’t provide them with a well-deserved consolation goal, as the first was deflected off the four-man Ledbury wall of Smallwood, Kenny, Holder and Berry to land behind the net, while the second made it over the dual reserves wall but couldn’t be finished.

Butcher was pleased with his side’s performance on the day, although admitted that it took a while for them to hit their stride:

“We didn’t start the game very well, letting the opposition come at us, and we didn’t really test their keeper.”

“It took until the 25th minute for us to finally get to grips with the game, but after we scored two in quick succession, we started to settle down and from there we controlled the game throughout.”

“Back-to-back wins is a good sign, especially when we still haven’t showed what we are really capable of, and so hopefully we can go on a good run now and push up the table.”

“With games still in hand over several other sides in the league, it should be a very interesting end to the season – especially with the teams around our position picking up points as well!”

Butcher’s young squad now move up to seventh place in the league table, as a busy March begins with them travelling to face current ninth place holders Hinton Reserves at Broomy Hill this coming weekend (KO 1:00pm), before playing tenth-placed Burghill Rangers at The Copse the following weekend (KO 2:30pm).

The Ledbury second string will then entertain current second place holders Worcester United in an evening fixture at New Street on Wednesday 16th March (KO 7:30pm), before hosting fifth-placed Tenbury United three days later (KO 2:30pm).

The reserves will be looking for a repeat or better of the 3-1 win achieved the last time they played Hinton at New Street back in early November, when a brace from man of the match Skittery and an additional goal from Callum Blackmore-Davey overcame the sole goal scored for the visitors scored by substitute player Marlone Ransome.

The fortunes of Butcher’s team against Burghill are rather more mixed, with a 1-1 draw resulting at home during the very first game of the season back in early September, when Alistair Holder found the sole goal for Ledbury with Liam Watton scoring for the Rangers.

An 8-5 goal fest to Burghill’s advantage occurred in the quarter-finals of this season’s Ross Cup in early December at The Copse, as star reserves player Bramley notched up a first hat-trick at senior level football to go with goals from Skittery and Matti Holder, as Watton scored a treble and Louis Mann picked up a brace for the Rangers with Jed Mann and substitute players John Brandie and Harry Bosse also finding the net for the hosts, although not without Chad Bryant receiving a yellow card from referee for the occasion Mark Hays.

A 3-3 draw occurred away at Martley Village Hall when Butcher’s squad last played Worcester in early October, when a further brace from Skittery and a goal from Jack Dandy levelled the goals scored by home strikers Matthew Gardner, Rhys Turberfield and Arron Windsor.

The same scoreline also resulted against Tenbury at Palmers Meadow in the Ledbury second string’s penultimate game before the Christmas break, as Skittery and Clueit scored either side of an own goal from the hosts, with Ryan Morris picking up a Tenbury brace and Michael Wood also on target for the blue and yellow shirts, even if team-mates Will Clutterbuck and Aaron Morris were booked by referee J. Cairns.