Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

First Swifts goalscorer Ethan French goes in to challenge an opposing player towards the near sideline on the 66th minute (📸: Chris Ponter)

Ledbury Town Swifts concluded their inaugural season in Division Two of the Herefordshire FA County League this week with a 6-3 defeat against mid-table Leominster Town at the Bridge Street Sports Centre in some of the warmest conditions seen so far this year.

Despite being reduced to just thirteen players available on the day as Ledbury Town FC chairman Pete Boyle and reserves manager David Butcher had to make appearances, there was some optimism that the Swifts could end their opening season on a high having already beaten Leominster 3-2 at the Ledbury Rugby Football Club Ross Road ground in mid-November, in a game which memorably saw the hosts achieve a first league victory of the season when goals from Mike Arlott, sixteen-year-old Jake Clueit and more seasoned substitute player Jamie Roberts outnumbered those scored by visiting strikers Ryan Botwood and Daniel Ramshaw-Evans.

Jordan Arkell and Connor Bufton both bagged braces for Leominster on this occasion, with Botwood and Ramshaw-Evans again on target for the hosts as a disastrous start for the Swifts saw the opposition go 3-0 up before 25 minutes of play had elapsed.

Ethan French managed to grab a goal back from a Nick Bolton free kick literally right before the half-time whistle was blown by referee for the affair Simon Gibson, before the visitors put themselves in with a chance of pulling off an extraordinary comeback when Jake Bramley and Bolton both found the net within six minutes of the second period starting.

The major turnaround just wasn’t to be however, as the opposition’s greater pace and air superiority gave them two further goals during a latter half of play which culminated in a particularly lengthy period of stoppage time which gave the yellow and black shirts the extra minutes they needed to hit six.

Leominster’s first goal into the top corner occurred less than two minutes from the starting whistle as an opening twenty-yard effort from Bramley went wide of the near post back downfield, before a ball from Boyle under pressure from two defenders on the near wing bounced a little too awkwardly for both Bramley and Dave Feakins in the box as the home goalkeeper leapt up to make the catch.

Ledbury third string keeper Sam Billingham, standing in for Swifts caretaker manager Nick Blakeway on the day, made a good diving save on the ninth minute only for the opposition to put away a second goal on the rebound, before Bolton called for the ball on the far wing, receiving his request as the reserves captain put a great ball into the box which was nodded over the touchline by a Leominster defender away from both Bramley and Feakins.

The corner ball delivered by Alex Berry met the head of another member of the home back-line, before a good 20th minute run from Brad Potter saw the visiting man of the match that afternoon not quite being able to produce a cross while under pressure from two pursuing defenders as the opposition completed their treble on the cusp of a first drinks break ordered by Gibson in the heat.

A first Leominster substitution saw Potter being brought down on the far wing by the same two defenders, with the free kick from Berry being struck just over the bar to bounce off the top netting as the half-hour mark saw Bramley put a great ball through to Potter in front of him, only for the young reserves winger to put the ball wide of the near post.

A potential fourth first-half goal for the hosts was denied through an offside flag being raised from the far sideline as a good effort from Bramley from the corner of the box was met with a diving save from the opposing keeper which was fumbled over the touchline, before the second corner ball from Berry came off a combination of heads from his side and the opposition in the box to end up with the Leominster goaltender.

Bolton and French had to battle to keep the ball out back upfield as Billingham eventually managed to claim the ball on the ground, with a 40th minute cross from the hosts seeing no yellow shirts being present in the box to receive it as Harry Millis cleared the ball for a corner.

The hosts missed a one-touch opportunity from the set-piece as Bolton struck the ball clear to the far sideline for a throw-in, before Potter again raced away on the break only for his cross to meet a defender in the box.

After Bramley struck the ball well over the woodwork from 25 yards out however, he was brought down by the opposing captain to see French’s foot met Bolton’s well-taken free kick and reduce the visitors’ goal deficit on the half-time whistle.

Clueit was brought on for Feakins over the break as the latter player retired having finished the Ledbury third string’s top goalscorer this season with five goals scored in total, before Bramley and Bolton’s goals scored in quick succession suddenly put the Swifts back in contention after such a poor start.

Billingham then managed to stop a ball which had been inadvertently kicked towards him by Sam Booth, before a further Leominster corner was denied through a Bolton header in front of Billingham as Bolton himself was then brought down in the Ledbury box with nothing being given by Gibson.

The official then saw things the Swifts’ way however, awarding a free kick when Potter was felled on the near wing, before Bramley put a direct effort over the bar from twenty yards out.

The hosts gained a clear shot at goal back downfield only to mishit the ball and put it wide of the near post, before restoring their lead with a superb effort out of the blue on the 60th minute from just outside the box.

A second drinks break saw Gibson overrule an offside flag shown by a substituted Feakins running the far sideline as the Bridge Street outfit chose to make a second change of personnel on the 75th minute, before one of their attackers made a run down the near wing with French in hot pursuit, managing to produce a back-cross into the box as Bolton nodded the ball out for a corner which was headed to be seized by Billingham.

A fifth Leominster goal was disallowed by the referee, this time agreeing with an offside flag shown by Feakins although not without having words with an aggrieved home dugout, Boyle and Feakins himself as the match was halted for a good few minutes, before a Leominster forward managed to take the ball round Booth to see Billingham perform a great save in blocking the shot with both feet.

After Potter re-entered the fray for French, Millis eventually managed to clear the ball away following a scramble in the box, only for it to be fed back in to allow an opposing striker to play the ball past Billingham and coolly slot it home to restore his side’s two-goal buffer on the 85th minute.

The hosts then chose to make a final substitution as one of their players retired with an injury despite the Gibson deeming on-the-pitch physio from the Leominster manager unnecessary, before Billingham pulled off a further two great blocks from the ground as French struck the ball well wide of the target back across field.

Butcher replaced Bramley as the match entered the extended period of stoppage time, with good pressure from Booth in the box forcing a corner as Billingham leapt to try and make the catch, with Bolton being given the goal kick regardless as a great thirty-yard effort from the hosts was well-caught by Billingham.

Bolton jockeyed an opposing forward on the edge of the box, only for the ball to eventually be put through to see a Leominster striker mishit the ball at first before scuffing it in off the far post for his side’s sixth and final goal of the affair, before the closing minutes witnessed further controversy when the official agreed with an offside flag raised by French, much to the disagreement of the home dugout.

Despite the loss, Boyle had nothing but praise for his club’s third outfit on the day:

“It was a tough game against a good side. We had to scramble around just to get a squad together on the day with it being the last game of the season for the Swifts, but the lads who played were an absolute credit to both the club and themselves.”

“Many teams would have simply folded at 3-0 down in the heat that day with nothing to really play for near the foot of the table, but the lads dug in, got themselves back in the game, and it was only a few moments of quality from Leominster combined with some older tired legs on our part which let us down really.”

“We’ve got an exciting team, who I’m sure will finish nowhere near the bottom of the league next season.”

The Swifts were spared a bottom table finish to conclude their first season in the Herefordshire League, after basement boys Tenbury United concluded their season with a 4-2 loss away at final third place holders Fownhope Reserves a few days after Leominster’s win over the Ledbury third string, with Credenhill finishing tenth level on points with the Swifts but with a narrow two-goal disadvantage after forfeiting their final game also against Fownhope away.

Ledbury’s new third team this season, formed as a result of a much-strengthened relationship with the Swifts Junior Football Club which has also seen junior Swifts mascots accompanying Town first team players out on to the field for the big cup occasions, has also brought with it the distinction of Ledbury Town Football Club being the only team in the Herefordshire League to field three separate teams across all three divisions this season, with the new Swifts’ men’s side enabling a new crop of young players to experience their first taste of senior level football.