Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Home joint-manager Nick Blakeway dives slightly too far to his right in order to stop a fifteenth minute penalty being struck centrally into the net, as Ledbury captain Jake Bramley looks on from the right of the picture (📸: Chris Ponter)

Following the euphoria of last weekend’s first Herefordshire Football League Division Two win of the season over struggling newcomers and new basement boys Lickhill Colts FC Saturday at Stourport, Ledbury Town Swifts were brought back down to earth with an unwelcome bump this week as they were dealt a 3-0 defeat by Tenbury United Colts at a very chilly New Street.

In what marked a double defeat against the Tenbury third string, after Neil Davis and Nick Blakeway’s young squad suffered a 3-1 loss at the Brimfield and Little Hereford Sports Club towards the end of September when Tom Goodwin scored the only goal for the visitors with Jamie Farrar, Ashley Giles and substitute player Euan Morgan all on target for the Colts, the Swifts started brightly in front of a good turnout of home supporters despite the cold mid-November conditions as captain Jake Bramley and team-mate Brad Potter threatened with a couple of early attempts.

The quarter-hour mark however witnessed the Ledbury third string conceding a penalty from a controversial decision made against Archie Badham, as a struggling Swifts defence couldn’t prevent a particularly pacy visiting centre-forward from firing the ball home seven minutes later to double his side’s lead.

The yellow and blue shirts added a third to their tally five minutes from the final whistle, with the hosts having grown increasingly despondent and frustrated at a continuing two-goal deficit despite Bramley and Goodwin both gaining prime chances to grab at least a consolation mark on the scoresheet or two fifteen minutes into the second period.

Playing at Ledbury Town Football Club’s historic ground as opposed to their usual home venue down at the Ledbury Rugby Football Club Ross Road on account of both the club’s first team and reserves side being out of action that weekend, the affair began with a promising fifth minute effort from Bramley at twenty yards out on the far wing being caught by the opposing goalkeeper.

Potter charged in to see his effort denied by the Tenbury goaltender as the rebound attempt from Bramley was deflected by a Colts defender to travel behind him and over the touchline for a corner, with the set-piece delivered by Jamie Roberts being nodded clear by a further member of the visitors’ back-line as a further opposing defender performed a great backwards volley to clear the ball away to midfield.

Bramley pushed his opposing counterpart over further upfield to see the Ledbury defence successfully deal with a first Tenbury free kick of the afternoon, as joint Swifts manager Blakeway made a good save on the ground on goalkeeping duties for his team to see top league goalscorer so far this season Goodwin respond with a superb strike back downfield which was saved by the keeper.

Badham was contentiously judged to have committed a foul in the box to see his unlucky goaltender dive slightly too far to the right to save the ensuing penalty which was struck more centrally into the net, before a free kick from Roberts back downfield was nodded clear by the Colts defence, even if Bramley was able to perform a good follow-up knock-on to nearly create a further goalscoring opportunity.

The visiting keeper made a prudent move in racing off his line to beat an incoming Potter to the ball just outside the box, before hardworking home man of the match that afternoon Sam Billingham, putting in a committed display throughout, managed to clear the ball off the line at the last second back up the far end after an opposing attacker slipped the ball past Blakeway attempting a save from the ground.

A beleaguered Ledbury defence couldn’t hold off a sustained left-winged Tenbury attack however, forcing Blakeway into scrambling to make another block as a further Colts player made a terrific run up the near wing and across the box to produce a great finish, before better play from the Swifts on the half-hour mark saw Bramley shield the ball from three defenders, delivering it to Roberts lying in wait in the box only for the seasoned forward to slice it over the bar.

A cross from Goodwin saw Roberts just miss out on gaining control of the ball just outside the box as Mike Adair was forced to come off with an injury after battling doggedly for possession in midfield, being replaced by Clayton Hodges as the earlier-than-planned first home substitute player also missed an intended strike after charging into the box to meet a corner ball from Roberts which had been headed out of the box.

A second cross from Goodwin on the far wing travelled too long for Bramley to reach it as it flew over the opposite touchline, as Potter successfully fought to deliver a more retrievable ball from a similar position, even if no black and white shirts were present at the near post to receive it.

James Johnson came on for Rhys Hargreaves over the interval as two opening corner balls from the visitors saw one of their forwards bravely leap in against the Ledbury defence at the near post, before Potter broke away up towards the far wing and managed to pass the ball on to Bramley, whose volley was struck with no team-mates being available to meet it up at the far end.

Blakeway made another good save as the best second-half chances for the Swifts to grab at least a consolatory goal from the encounter occurred when Bramley’s 55th minute free kick was struck past the pair of opposing defenders in front of him to land narrowly wide of the far post, before a strike made soon afterwards by Goodwin soared just above a leaping Tenbury keeper’s fingertips and over the bar.

Billingham performed a solid header back downfield to deflect a further Colts corner ball as Will Brandreth displayed an offside flag on linesman duties for the hosts on the near sideline, much to the disagreement of the visiting attackers after they managed to break through along the near touchline, before Ledbury’s failure to close their deficit received a stark warning when the opposition crossed a ball in to see it fired narrowly wide of the far post.

Potter was swapped for Steve Rawle with the tall order of twenty minutes remaining for the Swifts to score two goals and claw at least a point from the affair, made more arduous by the referee choosing to give a free kick Tenbury’s way despite Rawle appearing to be involved in a 50/50 challenge with a Colts forward for the ball on the near wing.

A visiting striker then found the net but not without an offside flag being raised by Johnson taking over linesman duties from Brandreth as the youngster entered the action for Roberts, with Blakeway assisting Billingham with a spot of cramp as the industrious defender went on to block a cross on the near edge of the box, swiftly sending the ball over the neighbouring cemetery wall away from danger.

A superb close-range save from Blakeway to deny an effort from an opposing forward advancing towards the far post saw Billingham come down again in midfield, as Tenbury’s celebration signalled their icing on the cake after their 85th minute free kick led to a brilliant header to see them record a third mark on the scoresheet.

A painful-sounding close-range deflection off Billingham in turn signalled enough for the battle-weary Swifts regular as Roberts took over for the four minutes which remained, shortly before a deflated Goodwin called it a day to see Potter re-enter the fray just before the final whistle.

A disappointed home outfit must now regroup ready for a second meeting of the season against current third place holders The Broadleys at the Ross Road ground this coming weekend (KO 2:00pm), after the higher-flying other newcomers to the league this season dealt out a 9-0 demolition to the Ledbury third string at The Hereford Academy four weeks ago with a quartet of goals from Luis Gallimore, a brace from Liam Smith, along with further goals from Jamie Bake, Tadas Glodenis and Martin Rivett.

The Swifts will then play Dore Valley at the Seven Site on Saturday 3rd December for a first time this season, before playing current Herefordshire League Division One leaders Hereford Lads Club Reserves in the second round of this season’s Herefordshire FA Junior Cup competition at the Ross Road the following weekend, after both teams received a bye during the opening stage of the contest (both games also KO 2:00pm).