Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Ledbury goalkeeper Joshua Worrell is sent flying through a sliding challenge at the corner of the box performed by a visiting striker, earning the offending attacking player a straight red card (📷: Chris Ponter)

A number of contentious penalty decisions resulted in Ledbury Town recording a second defeat of the season at New Street this week, losing out 2-1 against Hereford Lads Club Reserves in a Halloween Herefordshire FA County League Premier Division encounter.

Initially it looked as if a horror show would be far off the cards for Ian Merrick’s men, when Ben Febery put away a penalty just four minutes in to rapturous applause from the good seventy-strong group of spectators.

As the first period progressed however, missed chances for Tom Boyle as well as some header opportunities for Tom Trigg and Sam Branch meant that Ledbury’s somewhat disjointed play, lacking the flow and confidence which has won them so much success in cup competitions recently, was ultimately punished when the low sun conspired against goalkeeper Joshua Worrell to see Lads Club equalize on the brink of the interval through James Price.

The latter half of play turned out to be rather more of a nightmare on New Street, as challenges from home captain Matt Rooke and seasoned winger Pete Jeynes prompted referee for the day Joshua Marchant to award a penalty to the Reserves on both occasions, with the second of which being successfully converted by Nicholas Weaver.

Nathan Ince was then called back off the bench to take up the keeper’s gloves late in the game, following an ill-advised sliding challenge from a visiting striker which sent both Worrell flying and the offending opposing attacker off the field with a straight red card.

Febery’s successful opening spot kick after he was brought down in the box was followed on the quarter-hour mark by a first chance for Trigg, who nodded the ball just wide of the target after Ben Miller fed the ball back into the box after the former Westfields striker’s corner was deflected out to him.

Worrell was then called upon to make a great first diving save on the 21^stminute when a Lads Club target man managed to perform a shot past Dale Taylor in front of him, before good work from Branch, managing to gain possession a few yards outside the box, allowed Miller to cross the ball in from the far wing as Scott Roberts sliced the ball to Boyle, whose volley sent the ball over the bar.

The Reserves put an effort of their own over on the half-hour mark back upfield, before Trigg performed a solid block to deny a visiting forward of a goalscoring opportunity while making a run across field.

Miller was flagged offside in controversial manner by the opposing linesman as the returning Town attacker had a clear run downfield, before the hosts won a further corner on the 38^thminute as Ince pursued the ball towards the touchline.

The set-piece from Febery saw Trigg miss a second header as Rooke performed a defensive header of his own back up the far end, even if it caused the ball to travel just that little close to the far post for comfort.

Worrell made another fine save to stop a direct Lads Club effort with five minutes left of the first period remaining, before a similar great save from the Reserves keeper deflected an effort from Boyle for a corner back downfield.

The set-piece was again delivered by Febery to see Branch nod the ball the wrong way while under pressure pressure towards the edge of the box, before a worthwhile impromptu overhead kick from Miller, returning to the action after being sin-binned for dissent ten minutes earlier, saw the ball fly just shy of the top corner of the frame.

Ledbury’s fragile lead was shattered moments before Marchant blew the half-time whistle, when Worrell, handicapped by the low autumn sunslight, saw a ball from Price sneak past his glove to see a downcast Town outfit retire to the changing room over the break in similarly despondent mood to when they exited the field at this point a week previously, during a frustrating goalless league draw away against Holme Lacy.

The second period kicked off in rather ghoulish manner for Merrick’s squad, as Worrell was forced to dive off his line in an attempt to deflect a corner, with the ball going out to Rooke who was judged by Marchant to have handled the ball in the box, giving the visitors the first of two penalty opportunities.

Home players and supporters alike were vindicated when the spot kick was struck well over the woodwork, before a free kick for Town man of the match Roberts back upfield was struck past the three-man wall of opposing defenders at the edge of the box to end up straight in the gloves of their keeper.

Febery was felled again on the near wing as Jeynes came on to replace Ince in a first Ledbury substitution, making his mark on the game in a swift and pronounced manner on the 58^thminute in bringing down a Lads Club attacker in the box, prompting Marchant to award the Reserves a second penalty which Weaver this time wasted little time in putting away past a diving Worrell.

The Town goaltender later fumbled the ball for it to slip just wide of the near post as the resulting corner ball was easily nodded away by the home defence, and, after Alistair Holder came on to replace Chris Wickham, the second Ledbury substitute player managed to header clear a further corner ball from the visitors before an opposing striker put the ball well over the bar on the rebound.

Roberts and a Lads Club substitute player were cautioned by Marchant over a brief fracas which occurred in midfield as this All Hallows fixture started to become that little more heated, before a fittingly ghastly turn of events occurred for Town seven minutes from time when the aforementioned Reserves marksman launched in against Worrell at the corner of the box to receive his immediate sending-off, with Ince donning the keeper’s jersey as Curt Williams replaced Branch in a final home change of personnel.

One final corner from Roberts was deflected via a diving header from a visiting defender at the edge of the box back upfield, with Jeynes receiving a sole yellow card of the affair for a late challenge committed near the centre-circle as the resulting free kick saw contact being made with Ince on the touchline as the replacement Ledbury keeper leapt to make the catch.

Febery then saw a final stoppage time shot saved as Town were forced to accept slipping to fifth place in the league table, with this latest result enabling their opponents this week to go top as Merrick’s side hope to make amends this coming weekend by making the trip to face formidable former league champions Clee Hill United at the Knowle Sports Ground, with kick-off now being at the earlier time of 2:00pm.