Ledbury Town Football Club

Preview

Ledbury Town Reserves’ scheduled first Herefordshire Football League Division One game of the new year – a first meeting of the season against Holme Lacy Reserves – was postponed this week on account of a waterlogged pitch at New Street caused by torrential rain that morning on already-saturated ground.

David Butcher and Harry Powell’s young squad will instead begin 2023 by taking on Herefordshire League Division Two leaders Leominster Town at home in the second round of the Herefordshire FA Junior Cup this coming weekend (KO 2:00pm).

The reserves reached this stage of the contest through a confident 4-0 victory over Hinton Reserves at Broomy Hill at the start of October courtesy of a Sam Branch hat-trick and an additional goal from Kane Bruton, all scored before home player Dan Harris was sent off with a 90th minute straight red card from referee Christopher Stansbury.

Leominster earned the right to face the Ledbury second string through a comprehensive 5-0 win over mid-table Division Two side Dore Valley at the Bridge Street Sports Centre on the same day, as a Connor Bufton brace was accompanied by goals from Jordan Arkell, Ryan Botwood and Daniel Ramshaw-Evans.

Butcher and Powell’s side also have a rematch away against current third place holders Shobdon FC at their aerodrome venue on Saturday 21st January (KO 2:00pm), after an extremely close 3-3 draw resulted at New Street back in mid-September as goals from Tommy Adams, Owen Littleworth and Oliver Pastwa equalled the marks on the scoresheet achieved by Branch, Bruton and Alistair Holder.