Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Shobdon’s last-minute bicycle kick is about to earn them a draw as returning Ledbury keeper Joshua Worrell looks on with team-mates Charlie Jones, Callum Blackmore-Davey and Matti Holder pictured to the right (📸: Chris Ponter)

A last-minute equalizer denied Ledbury Town Reserves of a valuable first victory of the season during both their second game and first home affair in Division One of the Herefordshire Football League this week, as an impressive bicycle kick from Tommy Adams earned relegated Shobdon a 3-3 draw at the eleventh hour at a sunny and breezy New Street.

The visitors opened the scoring through Owen Littleworth after quarter of an hour of play before Kane Bruton restored the stalemate for the Ledbury second string shortly before the interval, with the latter period beginning in a positive fashion for the reserves when Alistair Holder added his name to the home scoresheet.

A soft free kick from Ledbury’s second goalscorer was cleared by an opposing defender before young reserves man of the match that day Jake Clueit went on a great run with the ball down the near wing, crossing it in to be tapped into the net by Sam Branch to put the hosts squarely in the driving seat with just over half an hour to go.

Oliver Pastwa replied for Shobdon nine minutes later through firing home a similar cross to bring them back in contention, as the 75th minute saw Clueit volley the ball narrowly wide of the target on the follow-up from a corner ball.

Good work from Holder racing with the ball down the near wing led to a further Ledbury corner ball which was taken by Samuel Palmer-Young and deflected back to him, as handball appeals from the visitors against the reserves forward went ignored by local referee Nick Fish.

Clueit then couldn’t recover a long ball from speeding over the touchline to set up a final late goalscoring opportunity as the game ended with the points being shared when a final corner ball was met with Adams’ decisive bit of showmanship, even if it was accompanied by some controversy when the hosts claimed that the official had blown the whistle before the ball had travelled over the line after appearing to make contact with the woodwork.

The goal stood however as the green shirts swarmed in to put the ball away in more decisive fashion as David Butcher’s squad, managed by regular player Nick Bolton assisted by Harry Powell on this occasion, were left to rue an extremely valuable full three league points slipping through their fingers at this still-very early stage of the season.

The single point accrued was enough however to lift the New Street second string off the foot of the table into seventh place level below Shobdon just above them, as they now look to end the month this coming weekend by hosting Burghill Rangers (KO 2:30pm).

Butcher’s young side will then kick-off October the following Saturday with a visit to Broomy Hill to play Hinton Reserves in the first round of this season’s Herefordshire FA Junior Cup competition (KO also 2:30pm).