Ledbury Town Football Club

Preview

Ledbury Town’s second re-arranged visit to Shobdon in the Herefordshire FA County League Premier Division was once again postponed this weekend on account of the hosts being unable to field a side.

The original opening game between Ledbury and the the league’s basement boys on the very first day of the current season was cancelled on account of no referee being available at their airfield-based venue, with the first re-scheduled date at the aerodrome pitch being postponed back in mid-February owing to the numerous waterlogged pitches created by Storm Eunice.

The first scheduled New Street meeting between the two teams was then postponed three weeks ago again owing to the visitors being unable to raise a side.

Despite not locking horns with Shobdon in league play so far this season, Town had already recorded a stunning 11-2 thrashing of the bottom table holders during a bitterly cold Charity Bowl cup quarter-final fixture at their airfield venue back in late November, when Ben Miller struck four, twenty-year old George Walker found his first hat-trick at senior level football with the aid of two penalties, and James Febery, captain Tom Trigg, Scott Roberts and reserves striker Sam Branch all added to the illustrious Ledbury tally on the day.

With Ian Merrick’s high-flying side having regained the second place spot in the league thanks to a 6-1 demolition of upper table rivals Hereford Lads Club Reserves at the Herefordshire FA County Ground last weekend, which saw first-half goals from Josh Burns, Scott Roberts and Nathan Ince followed in the second period by yet another hat-trick this season from prolific striker Tom Boyle as Jack Harding denied the clean sheet with a sole Lads Club consolation goal scored on the 63rd minute, it remains to be seen whether both outstanding fixtures between Ledbury and Shobdon will still be played so close to the end of the season, or whether Town will simply be handed the points.

This decision could prove critical over whether Merrick’s men finish the season as runners-up, with Hereford Pegasus Reserves still remaining in contention a single point below Ledbury with a crucial game still to play against lowly Holme Lacy at Old School Lane on Saturday 30th April (KO 2:30pm).

In the meantime, Shobdon’s latest cancellation means that Town are now out of action until their hotly-anticipated Herefordshire FA Charity Bowl cup final clash against none other than Pegasus Reserves at the County Ground on Wednesday 11th May (KO 7:45pm).

Ledbury made it to this season’s final after comfortably seeing off Holme Lacy with a 4-0 win at New Street in the first round back in early October with goals from Boyle, Burns, Ince and Miller, before their quarter-final victory over Shobdon led to a stunning 5-3 victory on penalties at New Street over now-confirmed league champions Hartpury University.

Against all the odds, the scoreline stood at a goal apiece at the end of the ninety minutes after an early goal from Burns saw King Baidoo equalize just before the break, with neither side managing to break the deadlock during a rather more uneventful second period of play as Miller, Curt Williams, man of the match Roberts, Ben Febery and Burns all find the net to result in the visitors’ first and so far only defeat of the season.

Town last won the cup back in April 2019, when an 81^stminute winner from substitute player Charlie Docherty secured a memorable 3-2 victory against Holme Lacy at Westfields’ allpay.park ground following first half goals from Joe Bullock and Samuel Palmer-Young.