Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Ben Miller takes a tenth minute free kick to the right of the two-man wall of opposing defenders, watched by reserves manager David Butcher and substitute players Alistair Holder, Pete Jeynes and James Kenny from the home dugout (📸: Chris Ponter)

Ledbury Town Reserves scored a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Worcester United during a Wednesday evening encounter at New Street this week in a penultimate Herefordshire FA County League Division One game of the season, with Tom Boyle picking up yet another hat-trick as Nathan Ince bagged a brace.

David Butcher’s squad had already recorded a 3-3 draw against the current league third place holders at the Jewry Field in early October, when a Tom Skittery brace and a further goal from Jack Dandy equalled the goals scored by Worcester’s Matthew Gardner, Rhys Turberfield and Arron Windsor.

For this latest clash between the two sides, the Ledbury outfit were bolstered by a number of first team players on the night, eager to clock up further game time to prepare for the hotly-anticipated Herefordshire FA Charity Bowl cup final against Hereford Pegasus Reserves at the County Ground in a week’s time, with the senior Town side’s Herefordshire League Premier Division season having already finished three weeks ago with a 2-0 home defeat to league champions Hartpury University to nevertheless see Ian Merrick’s high-flying squad finish runners-up in the league.

This latest fixture, rearranged after a day of wet weather back in mid-March created a waterlogged pitch at New Street, saw Town take the lead after barely two minutes of play through Boyle scoring his first of three, before Ince to found one half of his double on the 37th minute.

A United comeback could have been on the cards when Calum Morgan found the net with a great effort ten minutes into the second period, even if the possibility of a turnaround was soon put to bed over the course of the next 25 minutes as Boyle completed his treble, with the closing moments seeing Ince score the hosts’ fifth.

Boyle’s opener came via a superb cross from Dwayne Tyndale at the edge of the box, enabling the opportunistic Ledbury striker to leap in and put the ball away, before a tenth minute first Town free kick from Miller was struck in front of the home dugout to travel right of the two-man wall of visiting defenders to rebound out of the area.

Local referee for the occasion Liam Brace turned a blind eye when Boyle was obstructed at the edge of the box, as a cross from George Walker on the far wing came off the knee of Ince charging into the box to see the ball knocked just shy of the far post.

A second free kick from Miller came off senior Ledbury captain Tom Trigg to be cleared by the opposing defence, with Boyle putting a 25th minute effort over the crossbar from eighteen yards out as a superb run from Ince, staying strong against a number of defenders while racing into the box, ended with the pacy first team forward firing the ball wide of the target from a challenging angle.

A controversial offside flag was shown by the Worcester linesman running the near sideline as Walker ran the ball out towards the far corner flag on the half-hour mark, before Tyndale battled through the United defence, only for the visiting goalkeeper to eventually manage to claim the ball.

A 35th minute challenge from Scott Roberts felled an opposing midfielder with Brace giving nothing despite Worcester protests, with one of their strikers then falling to produce an impromptu two-footed cross-shot from towards the near wing which deflected off Tyndale for a corner ball.

The set-piece was cleanly caught by Ledbury first team keeper James Loader, before an unusual turn of events witnessed the ball finding its way over the United goaltender’s head while off his line, leaving Ince with the simple task of running in behind him and slotting the ball home as an honest visiting linesman refused to raise the flag, despite his team-mates believing that an offside infringement had occurred.

A superb 40th minute corner ball from Miller came off the head of Boyle to rattle the far post, before the latter Town marksman ran through an open midfield to be flagged offside by the opposing linesman as a Worcester striker put the ball narrowly wide of the near post back upfield in a squandered chance to grab a goal back before the interval.

The closing minutes of the first period saw Ince storm down the near wing once more to be eventually foiled by two defenders, giving possession to Miller who knocked the ball well wide of the woodwork, and, after United struck the far post, Walker was unlucky to stumble while embarking on a late run towards the edge of the box with a defender in tow as Boyle ran in to recover the ball and fire it narrowly over the bar.

The latter half of play began with Chris Wickham clearing the ball over the touchline on the near wing to see the resulting corner ball being just about palmed clear at the near post by Loader, before Trigg performed a further good deflection over the touchline in the box to see a further two corner ball opportunities for the visitors culminate in Loader making the catch.

Morgan Skidmore and Wickham were brought off for Pete Jeynes and Curt Williams in a double home substitution on the 50th minute as Morgan fired the ball home from the edge of the six-yard box for his side’s first and only goal of the evening, and after Alistair Holder came on for Asten Griffiths in a further home change of personnel, a free kick from the opposition was nodded just wayward of the far post as they sought an equalizer.

Boyle was brought down on a run up the far wing with Brace seeing no cause to sanction Worcester, but after James Kenny replaced Miller, the referee judged Jeynes to have committed a foul on the near wing as the ensuing free kick again failed to provide United with a crucial second goal as it was headed well wide of the target.

After the visitors made a substitution of their own with 25 minutes to go, their numerous missed opportunities were punished when Boyle found his second, before a further change of players for the away outfit saw Holder and Jeynes work well together towards the far wing in order to block an advance from the visitors, enabling Ince to charge away on the break upfield only to play the ball too far forward as a defender took possession.

A third substitution for the blue shirts in the space of ten minutes was followed by a further run from Ince which saw a good effort being saved just off the line by the opposing goaltender, with the ball going on to be passed around the box before it eventually reached Walker at the near post, whose shot was deflected not far off the line by a quick-thinking defender.

A Worcester long cross from the near wing saw no-one being available to receive it on the opposite side of the field, with United continuing to try and claw the game back with an effort which was put just over the frame and a further 25-yard strike which snuck just wide of the near post.

Boyle then gained possession back upfield however, calmly taking the ball into the box and waiting for the right moment to slot the ball past the keeper to complete a further hat-trick this season, with Wickham returning to the field to replace a struggling Tyndale for the final ten minutes.

Walker again just missed out on getting his name on the scoresheet, narrowly missing out on connecting with a cross from Ince with his outstretched foot while running in at the near post, before a Ledbury free kick lead to Ince striking the ball wide of the near post as Boyle volleyed the ball into the keeper.

A final free kick from the visitors was nodded clear by Holder in the box, and, after Williams was caught out with a late offside flag, Brace gave Town their final spot kick of the night after an apparent 50/50 challenge towards the near corner flag, as Ince closed the game off in style by firing the ball off the far post and in to secure a comfortable win.

The reserves, certain now to finish eighth in the table, have a final game of the season on Saturday 14th May again at New Street against Tenbury Town, who occupy the spot just above them (KO 2:30pm).

Butcher’s young side will be aiming to do better than what was possibly their worst performance of the season against Tenbury at the Brimfield and Little Hereford Sports Club at the end of March, being defeated 3-1 as Walker’s stoppage time goal was of scant consolation following earlier goals scored by home strikers Callum Gittens, James Lort and Jack Moran.