Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Home man of the match and brace-scorer Tom Boyle aims to keep the ball away from the foot of the opposing defender in front of him on the far wing, as manager Ian Merrick looks on from the sideline (📸: Chris Ponter)

Ledbury Town repaired the damage done by their dramatic 4-3 home defeat to previous Herefordshire FA County League Premier Division champions Clee Hill United last Friday evening with a comfortable and somewhat less eventful second league victory of the season over lowly Ewyas Harold again at New Street, as an opening goal from captain Tom Trigg was followed by a second half brace from home man of the match for a second consecutive occasion Tom Boyle.

Despite Ledbury suffering a blow after just 25 minutes of play, losing trusty defender Chris Wickham to a suspected broken wrist, their skipper soon put a smile back on the faces of the good eighty-strong crowd of spectators who had been drawn out by the pleasant winter sunshine that afternoon by nodding home one of many Scott Roberts corner balls.

Boyle struck twice within a couple of minutes during the latter half of play, mirroring his performance away against the same side back in November when all the goals came during the second period, with James Febery adding a brace as Wickham also complemented the double scored by Boyle, even if Ewyas Harold perhaps deserved a consolation goal during the two teams’ latest meeting as a combination of the woodwork and some solid goalkeeping from James Loader retained the clean sheet.

An opening fifth minute effort from a goal-hungry Boyle following his hat-trick scored against Clee Hill eight days previously was met with a good save from the visiting keeper upfield, as the ensuing first corner ball from Scott Roberts was missed by players from both sides in the box.

A mis-timed clearance from Trigg allowed an opposing attacker to produce an effort which Loader managed to deflect before Morgan Skidmore slid in to put the ball just wide of the near post, with the resulting Ewyas Harold corner set-piece being poorly struck out towards midfield.

Loader leapt out to make a twelfth minute catch towards the edge of the box, shortly before a visiting striker tried his luck from twenty yards out with a threatening effort which soared over the bar, before Curt Williams was sent tumbling in midfield to award team-mate Nathan Ince with a free kick.

Wickham became the second Town player to end up on the floor, although this time in far more serious fashion as the unfortunate home player had to be taken to hospital with the nasty wrist injury incurred during an awkward landing towards the home dugout, with Rio Roberts, making his debut for the New Street first string that afternoon following promising showings for both Ledbury’s reserves and third Swifts sides this season, came on to replace his stricken colleague.

Town’s injury worries only continued when Skidmore fell on the opposite wing in midfield, even if the new home signing this season was quickly able to return to the field on this occasion following some on-the-pitch spray treatment from manager Ian Merrick, before Ledbury finally saw their fortunes change on the half-hour mark when Trigg opened their scoring account at the back post.

A corner ball in reply from the Welsh border outfit provided Loader with a comfortable enough catch, before his opposing counterpart took a calculated risk upfield in rushing well off his line to deny Josh Burns of a 35th minute goalscoring opportunity.

The ball then landed for Boyle in the box, although with a quick-witted defender charging in to successfully steal the ball after it bounced off the prolific Town marksman’s foot, before Ewyas Harold again struggled to defend against another Scott Roberts corner set-piece as Boyle, Burns and Ince all narrowly missed chances to put the ball past the keeper during a scramble in the box.

A further corner back from the visitors back downfield was met with a solid defensive header from Asten Griffiths to allow Williams to play the ball up to Burns, who, along with Boyle shortly afterwards, squandered a further chance to get on the scoresheet before the first period of play was up in firing the ball wide of the woodwork.

Ince missed one final chance to double his side’s lead before local referee for the day Liam Brace blew the half-time whistle when his header, meeting a great cross from Boyle, was denied through a superb save from the opposing goaltender.

Merrick chose to make a double substitution over the break as Ince and Burns were swapped for returning striker Harri John and reserves regular Tom Skittery, fresh from scoring his brace for the New Street second string in their 4-0 win against Holme Lacy Reserves at the Ledbury Rugby Football Club Ross Road ground the weekend beforehand, as Ewyas Harold began their second period by slicing the ball well wide of the target.

A trademark run from Boyle down the near wing past several defenders was halted when the eventual home brace-scorer that afternoon was intercepted on the touchline, before the visiting goaltender leapt out to punch a further corner ball from Scott Roberts away from Skidmore lunging against him in the box.

It was then John’s turn to make a promising run down the same wing attempted by Boyle, with the last obstinate opposing defender again relieving him of the ball in the box as Boyle was unable to retrieve it, even if the latter of the two Ledbury forwards found his first mark on the scoresheet on the 61st minute.

Merrick seized the opportunity to make a further shake-up to his squad at 2-0 up, with Burns returning for Rio Roberts as Alistair Holder took over from Griffiths, with these two substitutes barely having chance to find their feet on the field before Boyle swiftly completed his double.

Ewyas Harold were then unlucky not to grab a goal back, rattling the woodwork after knocking the ball past the outstretched leg of Trigg in the box, before Burns was flagged offside during a run downfield in controversial manner by the visiting linesman running the near sideline.

A 70th minute corner ball from Scott Roberts was only just palmed away in time by the opposing keeper, again leaping off his line as Holder was unable to finish the follow-up when the deflected ball landed at his feet on the edge of the box, before Burns, seemingly unable to gain any luck that afternoon, struck another ball wide of the frame.

Holder blocked an effort upfield to leave Loader with an easy save to stop the follow-up shot, before Skittery was barged down on the far sideline with nothing being given by Brace as it was Holder to the rescue once again as the match entered its final ten minutes, sliding out in the nick of time to clear the danger away from towards the edge of the box.

Boyle missed his hat-trick chance through tripping up in the box, concluding a clear run with the ball to good-natured jeers from Town supporters, but after Griffiths re-entered the fray for a limping Scott Roberts for the remaining five minutes, the black and white shirts enjoyed the last laugh as they celebrated a much-needed first victory of the year.

Hereford Pegasus Reserves and Hereford Lads Club Reserves still remain a point above Merrick’s men in the league table, occupying the second and third spots respectively following a 10-2 hammering achieved by Pegasus away at basement boys Shobdon and a 2-1 win achieved by Lads Club at the County Ground to Welland, but before the Ledbury first string resume their quest to reclaim the runners-up spot, there is the small matter of the Herefordshire FA Charity Bowl cup semi-final to play this coming weekend at New Street, as Town face current league leaders and title favourites Hartpury University (KO 1:30pm).

Hartpury have won all thirteen of their league games this season, having already seen off Merrick’s side with a 5-1 win at their campus-based venue as a controversial free kick following a foul from Ben Febery saw Najee Holder opened their scoring account on the brink of the interval, before the hosts ran riot during the second period as a brace from King Baidoo accompanied further goals from substitute player Brandon Smalley and Joshua Bissett, as Burns found the sole 65th minute consolation goal for Ledbury.

The winner of this latest meeting between the two upper table sides will face either Welland or Pegasus Reserves in the climax of the competition, pending the result of this other semi-final due to be played the same day at Welland’s ground.

Town are looking to reclaim this particular piece of silverware after they added it to their cabinet the last time the contest was played out in its entirety pre-Covid, when an 81st minute winner from Charlie Docherty bought a memorable 3-2 victory in the previous final played against Holme Lacy at Westfields’ allpay.park ground back in April 2019.

Ledbury reached the penultimate stage of this season’s Charity Bowl competition through an opening rather more comfortable 4-0 defeat of Holme Lacy during a midweek fixture at New Street played in early October, when Boyle, Ben Miller, joint home man of the match Ince and Burns all found a goal each, before an 11-2 demolition of Shobdon occurred at their bitterly cold aerodrome venue in the quarter-finals in late November, when Trigg again opened the scoring before visiting man of the match Miller, James Febery and Scott Roberts all went on to bag goals before the half-time whistle.

Miller added three more during the second period, with twenty-year-old George Walker scoring his first hat-trick in senior level football with the aid of two successful penalties, as Sam Branch also added to his side’s extraordinary goal tally on the day.

Hartpury booked their place in the semi-final with a 3-1 home win against Clee Hill following a bye in the first round, with Bissett finding a brace as Luca Robinson was also on target for the league leaders, with Craig Breakwell finding the sole goal for the visitors.

Town have two league games coming up next month, starting with a first league meeting of the season against Shobdon on Saturday 19th February (KO 2:00pm) after their original opening fixture of the season was postponed back in early September on account of no referee being available at the airfield venue of their hosts, before a visit to Old School Lane in Hereford takes place the following Friday evening against Pegasus Reserves (KO 7:45pm).

Pegasus will be seeking to avenge their 3-2 defeat to Ledbury at New Street back in mid-November, when second half goals from visiting strikers Owen Bolton and Tom Dixon were the catalyst for a great comeback from Merrick’s men, as an own goal from the Hereford-based outfit, inadvertently knocking in a cross from home man of the match Boyle, was followed by a goal from Alistair Holder and a successful penalty from Scott Roberts.