Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Scott Roberts leaps to evade a challenge from the opposing captain as team-mate George Walker looks on (📸: Chris Ponter)

Ledbury Town’s remarkable unbeaten streak of fifteen games in the Herefordshire Football League Premier Division finally came to a wet and miserable end to start 2023 at the Ludlow Stadium this week, as the league leaders fell to a 4-1 defeat against formidable third place holders at the time Ludlow Town Colts.

In contrast to the confident 4-0 victory achieved by Ian Merrick’s high-flying squad during a Friday evening fixture under the floodlights at New Street back in mid-October, when top Ledbury goalscorer Tom Boyle found the net after barely a minute of play before Josh Burns and captain Joel Skyers went on to find further goals with young substitute player James Kenny adding a fourth five minutes from time, it took until the 36th minute on this occasion for the black and white shirts to open the scoring, courtesy of recent new signing from Worcester-based outfit New Dales Vale Simon Craddock.

The weather turning increasingly sour, with the hosts’ 3G pitch being one of few local league grounds being able to sustain the heavy January rainfall, then became a metaphor for the visitors’ prospects of keeping their near-perfect record alive, as defensive failings from Ledbury allowed Ludlow to equalize quarter of an hour into the second period of play before a successful penalty scored three minutes later by the Colts captain put the visitors on a rare backfooting.

The red and black shirts went on the break again six minutes from time to see Merrick’s men experience their biggest deficit in league play so far this season, with the icing on the cake for a triumphant home side coming three minutes from the final whistle when one of their attackers overcame Ledbury keeper Alex Goode while off his line.

The visitors, unusually sporting white shorts as opposed to black that day on referee Simon Burgess’ request to avoid a kit clash with their opponents, started their first encounter since the goalless draw against league newcomers Sporting Club Inkberrow at New Street on 2nd December in a fashion which would become typical of the afternoon’s affair, with Ryan Pugh appearing to be fouled in the box with nothing being given by Burgess.

The new Ledbury signing this season then slid to put the ball over the crossbar, before the game was stopped briefly on the 12th minute to allow a Ludlow defender to recover from an injury, shortly before visiting regular Ben Febery required treatment himself from physio Carl Wildig after a foul committed by a Colts midfielder towards the near sideline.

An opening Ledbury corner ball was easily deflected by a home defender charging in front of the crowd of players in the box, before visiting joint co-manager Scott Roberts, out on midfield duties for his side’s first game of the new year, was challenged for the ball by an imposing opposing captain before being pushed over towards the far sideline.

A first real opening effort from Ludlow after twenty minutes of play flew well wide of the target, before further physical play from the Colts, keen to avenge the previous league defeat to the table toppers after having to forfeit a scheduled quarter-final Herefordshire FA Charity Bowl encounter against Ledbury at New Street back in late November due to a lack of players, sent Febery tumbling with Pugh being pushed in the back as both incidents were ignored by the referee.

Goode managed to tentatively punch a threatening 25th minute free kick from the hosts which sailed over the heads of all the bodies in the box over the bar before denying a follow-up shot from the resulting corner ball, as a spot kick from Febery in midfield saw Roberts drill the ball wide of the near post.

Craddock finally netted the breakthrough for his new side however courtesy of a superb pass from Boyle, before Pugh, seemingly a prime target of the opposition that afternoon, was knocked down in physical manner in midfield to again see the official wave protests from the visitors aside.

A brilliantly-taken second free kick from Febery sailed through all of Ledbury’s forwards in the box, with the Ludlow goaltender blocking Burns advancing down the near side of the box to see two prime chances for the visitors to extend their lead, an advantage which would have proved crucial later on, go begging.

The first period ended with further controversy when disgruntled Ledbury supporters made their feelings well-known when Febery was brought down during a Colts break out of the box, only for returning forward this season Pat Morgan to alleviate the frustration of his side’s followers by raising the offside flag while on linesman duties.

An early chance for Pugh to double his team’s lead going into the latter half of play saw him make it past the keeper before a home defender made the deflection from behind his goaltender, as another excellent free kick from Febery was struck from towards the near sideline to be nodded over the woodwork by another member of the opposing back-line leaping in above Pugh in the box.

Pugh was targeted by Ludlow once again twice in quick succession as a third free kick from Febery, taken from a near-identical position to his previous set-piece, was this time erroneously struck to travel wide of the top left-hand corner of the frame, before Goode managed to make a great diving save at the far post back across field.

After Febery was briefly treated for cramp in midfield however, the visiting defence failed to rid themselves of a ball which was eventually slotted into the near corner of the net to suddenly draw the Colts level, with the worsening torrential rainfall doing Ledbury no favours as a foul in the box from Pete Jeynes gave the home skipper the chance to convert a 62nd minute penalty into the right-hand side of the net with Goode choosing to remain central.

Roberts was brought off for Chris Wickham in a first change of personnel from Merrick’s well-staffed subs bench that afternoon on account of Ledbury Town Reserves’ Herefordshire Football League Division One opening game of the year against Holme Lacy Reserves, as well as Ledbury Town Swifts’ Division Two fixture against leaders Leominster Town both being postponed that day on account of waterlogged pitches at New Street and the Ledbury Rugby Football Club Ross Road ground respectively, before a fourth free kick from Febery again taken from towards the near sideline was curled to be headed wide of the near post by a ubiquitous opposing captain.

Morgan Skidmore’s direct free kick after also coming on as a substitute moments earlier was struck from 25 yards out to be met with a direct stop from the Ludlow keeper, and, with just fifteen minutes left to find the crucial equalizer, Merrick threw everything left at his disposal at the game as Kenny, seventeen-year-old Jacob Clueit and Morgan all came on to replace Jeynes, George Walker and Pugh, in what was a first team debut for the second of these young substitute players.

Boyle then hit the post to the anguish of his supporters as the Colts finally received a first yellow card of the encounter for a bad challenge against Skidmore, who left the action for Pugh to return to the fray with ten minutes to go.

The hosts raced away on the break again on the 84th minute, crossing the ball past Wickham to produce a clinical finish to place the black and white shirts in further jeopardy, as a goal-hungry opposing outfit continued to threaten in putting a further effort behind the net.

Morgan responded with a worthwhile curling effort from the near wing which was saved by the keeper, before a Ludlow forward managed to give Goode the slip in a one-on-one situation some yards off his line to see the Colts hit four to joyful cheers from an elated home crowd.

A last-ditch effort from Boyle on the run skimmed the top of the frame to squander a second potential consolation goal for a stunned visiting side, only for a fiery affair in contrast to the cold temperatures ended with Tom Trigg and an opposing defender ending up in Burgess’ book during stoppage time.

Ledbury remain top of the table after this first defeat of the season however, even if Ludlow move up to second and close the gap to six points with two crucial games in hand as Inkberrow also continue to pose a considerable threat during only their first season in the league, retaining a considerable five games in which to make up their eleven point deficit against the New Street outfit.

Merrick’s men now have a fortnight’s break ready for two further chances in January to repair the damage done this week, hosting old rivals and current third place holders Hereford Pegasus Reserves at New Street on Saturday 21st January, before entertaining other league newcomers this season Coppertops FC the following weekend (both games KO 2:00pm).

Town’s record against the Pegasus second string is already an eventful one this season, having first taken them on at Old School Lane in an eventful Friday evening fixture back in later September in the opening round of this season’s Charity Bowl competition, avenging the 3-1 defeat in the final at the Herefordshire FA County Ground four months previously when an opener from Harvey Evans and a Saul Thomas brace outnumbered the sole Ledbury consolation goal scored by Walker.

The latest Charity Bowl clash between the two sides was taken to penalties when a brace from man of the match Boyle and a further goal from Febery equalled the home marks on the scoresheet recorded by Corey Ellis, Harvey Evans and substitute player Charlie Jenkins, during a volatile encounter which saw Pegasus defender Marc Avery receive a double-booking and Boyle and team-mate Zac Blood also being shown yellow cards by referee Ian Jervis.

Ledbury ran away during the shootout however, with Pugh, Blood and Febery all putting away their spot kicks as some stellar saves from Goode effectively sent Town through to the semi-finals of the contest against Clee Hill United on a date and venue still to be confirmed, following Ludlow’s aforementioned quarter-final forfeit.

Clee overcame Westfields Development with a comfortable 4-0 win at the Knowle Sports Ground during the quarter-final stages at the end of November, when a brace from Craig Breakwell and further goals from Josh Bowen and Liam Whitbread secured a place in the penultimate stage of the competition.

A truly stunning 77th minute free kick from Boyle bought an extremely valuable 1-0 league win against Pegasus again at Old School Lane back in mid-October, with Ledbury already having achieved a 5-0 victory over newcomers Coppertops at their University of Worcester St. John’s Campus venue during only the second league game of the season in late August, courtesy of braces from man of the match Pugh and Skyers as well as an additional goal from Febery.