Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Sam Billingham produces a good 58th minute clearance from upfield to keep the ball away from an opposing forward (📸: Chris Ponter)

A shock 4-2 defeat to Herefordshire FA County League Division Two basement boys Credenhill at a breezy New Street has plunged Ledbury Town Swifts into a late battle to avoid finishing bottom of the table to conclude their inaugural season.

The last meeting between the Ledbury third string and Credenhill ended in a 1-1 draw as substitute player Dan Powell scored the only goal for the Swifts, but a narrow 3-2 loss incurred away against fourth place holders Wellington Colts the previous weekend, undone only by a last-minute penalty from Taylor Barnfield following a Michael Olive brace as Clayton Hodges and Joel Skyers found the goals for visitors, meant that Nick Blakeway’s squad entered this penultimate game of the season with some optimism for a fifth league win.

Despite a very promising start, as a great Brad Potter finish met a superb cross from Phil Davis to put the black and white shirts ahead after just eleven minutes of play, some extremely poor defending allowed Credenhill to obliterate Ledbury’s early advantage, scoring no fewer than three times in the space of just six minutes.

Although history repeated itself, with the visitors being sent down to ten men later in the second period as was the case at Roman Park back in late November, with one of their midfielders being shown yellow twice in quick succession for dissent following two earlier bookings incurred by his team-mates, a latter-half goal from Dave Feakins wasn’t enough to recover the situation after the opposition bagged a fourth on the 67th minute.

The affair began with Phil Davis being brought down to see an opening free kick from seasoned Swifts man of the match that day Jamie Roberts being cleared by the Credenhill defence, before a first corner ball from the star home player that afternoon was nodded wide of the target by Ethan French.

A fifth minute spot kick taken by visiting captain Sean Arrowsmith was cleared by Sam Billingham, before a cross-shot from Sam Branch was saved by the opposing goalkeeper as a free kick taken upfield by the reserves striker, putting in a shift for his club’s third string on the day owing to his usual side having no game that weekend, was put wide of the near post.

Kai Davis then struck the ball well wide of the woodwork while under pressure from the Credenhill defence in the box, before Phil Davis’ terrific assist allowed Potter to find the net in decisive fashion as the wedding bells sounding at the church up the road provided an appropriate soundtrack to the celebratory atmosphere at New Street.

The Swifts’ jubilant mood proved to be extremely short-lived however, when a visiting forward overcame Will Brandreth in front of goal, slotting the ball to clip off the near post and over the line to equalize in the space of four minutes, before a second free kick from Arrowsmith, awarded after the skipper was felled through a late challenge from Roberts in midfield towards the far wing, travelled wide of the far post.

A nightmarish three minutes then occurred for the hosts when a cross-shot from the opposition made it under both Blakeway in goal and Brandreth to roll over the line, before Credenhill swiftly broke through again, with their striker remaining calm under pressure in front of goal with Brandreth just behind him to produce a controlled finish past Blakeway to suddenly put Ledbury at a two-goal deficit.

A 26th minute corner ball from Arrowsmith was nodded out of the box before being returned to the near wing, as the younger of the Davis duo managed to keep the ball against two visiting attackers and pass it on to his more experienced team-mate, who cleared the ball up to Branch to see the reserves regular make a run up the far wing and volley the ball upfield, although with none of his team-mates being available to receive it.

The ball then came off the foot of the elder of the Swifts’ Davis partnership surrounded by three defenders as the opposing keeper dived to make the deflection at the far post for a corner, before the temperature on the pitch increased when Credenhill picked up their first yellow card of the game for taking a free kick before the whistle was blown, as the official instead handed the spot kick to Sam Booth.

A throw-in and a subsequent corner ball from Arrowsmith was headed clear by French with Roberts striking the post back upfield, before a second 40th minute booking incurred by the visitors saw them take the ball round both Brandreth and French in the box, as it was left to Booth to fire the ball just shy of the far post for another corner for the opposition.

A final first-period free kick from Arrowsmith came off the group of players on the edge of the box to be palmed just clear by Blakeway, before two closing Credenhill corner balls concluded in them volleying the ball well over the bar from 25 yards out.

A troubled home outfit, in contrast to a buoyed visiting side remaining outside to enjoy the sunshine retired to the changing room over the interval, no doubt with much to discuss after a disastrous six minutes undid their early lead.

A 3-5-2 formation was adopted by Ledbury, with Brandreth coming off for young newcomer this season Harry Millis as the second period began with a free kick from Roberts which made it over the sizeable four-man wall of opposing defenders before flying over the woodwork, before pressure from the Credenhill defence forced an effort from Hodges to be deflected wide as the resulting corner ball met the head of Branch to be caught by the visiting goaltender.

The 50th minute saw the referee give the Swifts a further spot kick after an opposing midfielder clipped Hodges in the foot, with the official beginning to grow weary over continued Credenhill protests as the set-piece was struck by Branch directly into the gloves of the visiting keeper.

A solid clearance from Billingham saw Kai Davis come off for Ethan Cox in a second change of personnel from home reserves manager David Butcher, manning the Ledbury dugout for Blakeway during his side’s break from footballing action, as a corner ball from Roberts gave the Swifts a prime opportunity to claw a goal back as French charged in to the box to just miss the finish.

Phil Davis, suffering from cramp was then sportingly helped off-field by Arrowsmith and another opposing player as Feakins came on to replace him, and, after Roberts was flagged offside by the substituted Credenhill keeper running the near sideline, things went from bad to worse for the hosts when a strike from the visitors beat both French and Blakeway to leave Ledbury with the stern task of scoring three goals in the twenty minutes which remained if they were to claim at least a further point against the basement boys.

A glimmer of hope occurred for the Swifts just two minutes later when a further free kick from Roberts lead to a scramble for the ball around the near post involving the opposing goaltender, Feakins, Millis and Potter, as it was the hosts’ latest substitute player who eventually tapped the ball in with one of his first touches of the game, before a 72nd minute Credenhill corner ball met the foot of French at the far post, sending the ball out of the box to be played back in by a visiting forward before Booth ended the threat with a well-timed challenge.

A further free kick from Roberts on the near wing took a slight deflection off the shoulder of Arrowsmith forming one half of the two-man wall to be headed over the woodwork by Millis under pressure in the box, before Feakins went on a run directly downfield only to see the visiting goaltender reach the ball first as allegations of shirt-pulling from Arrowsmith against the Ledbury striker went ignored by the referee.

The double-booking for the Swifts’ opponents saw Kai Davis re-enter the action for Potter for the final ten minutes, with Arrowsmith being given a goal kick after his keeper used both fists to punch away an aerial effort but was brought down by Branch in the process of performing the deflection.

Good late defending from Billingham saw him nod an effort away before managing to intercept and clear the ball over the near sideline, and, after one final free kick from Roberts taken near the home dugout bounced off the top netting, stoppage time saw Blakeway proceed downfield to take a last spot kick which was nodded the wrong way by Branch in the box as Millis put one last chance to reduce the deficit wide of the target.

Blakeway was gutted with his side’s latest defeat, commenting after the game:

“It was a brilliant first 25 minutes from the team, passing the ball round nicely, creating chances and winning all the 50/50 opportunities, but five minutes of madness with some very poor defending cost us the game.”

“After they equalized, Credenhill showed more desire through winning all the challenges, and the level of commitment in our defending as well as our off-the-ball presence just wasn’t good enough for the remainder of the first half of play.”

“We changed formation to 3-5-2 for the second period to try and force the issue, but still didn’t create enough chances from midfield. We lacked determination, commitment, sensible game management particularly after taking the lead from early on, as well as the desire to win the 50/50s.”

“Credenhill were the better side, showing more desire to turn things around even when they weren’t playing as well and the run of the game was going against them, and this is what made them winners on the day. Simply put, they grinded things out, whereas we simply folded.”

“I’m embarrassed and upset over the result; in fact after the half-hour mark it was probably our worst performance of the season. The game was very winnable, being in the palm of our hands from very early on.”

Credenhill’s win finally lifts them off the bottom of the table at this very late stage of the season, exactly level with the Swifts on goal difference as their final two fixtures of the season away to Fownhope Reserves and Dore Valley over the coming week mean that the Ledbury third string must seek to either win or draw their last match of the season against mid-table Leominster Town at the Bridge Street Sports Centre in a fortnight’s time (KO 2:30pm) if they are to avoid finishing at the foot of the table to conclude their first season in the Herefordshire League.

Tenbury United Colts now hold the bottom spot, although still have a concluding league game to play away against the Fownhope second string in an evening fixture due to take place on Tuesday 10th May.

The Swifts did record a second memorable victory of the season against Leominster at the Ledbury Rugby Football Club Ross Road ground a week before the first Credenhill encounter with a 3-2 win, when Mike Arlott scored the first goal for the hosts through a bullet-header in the box to finish a well-taken free kick from Nat Dunk, as sixteen-year-old Jake Clueit went on to score his first goal at senior-level football with the help of team-mates Jude Locker and Samuel Palmer-Young upfront.

Roberts scored his first goal for Ledbury Town Football Club in over twenty years to seal the win through a superb through-ball produced by Swifts man of the match Callum Blackmore-Davey, as Ryan Botwood and Daniel Ramshaw-Evans picked up the goals for the visitors.