Competition: Herefordshire Football League Premier Division

vs

Hereford Pegasus Development v Ledbury Town

PHOTO: A fine second half from Ledbury took the game away from Pegasus.

Ledbury Town moved to the top of the Herefordshire Football League with a 5-2 victory at Hereford Pegasus Development on Tuesday night.

The midweek fixture saw a raft of changes to the squad from Saturday’s 5-1 win at Ludlow, but first half goals from Nathan Ince and Jim Febery gave Ledbury the edge before a dominant second period saw two Ben Miller goals and a superb finish from Sam Webb take the game away from the hosts.

It only took Nathan Ince three minutes to get on the scoresheet. He closed down the young Pegasus team as they played out from the back and stole the ball high up the pitch and finished well. However, Pegasus reacted positively and were quickly level. A pass from midfield cut through the Ledbury defence and Alex Goode was forced to make a good save from the striker, but the ball bounced out and another on-rushing attacker hit a superb shot in off the post.

The equaliser affected Ledbury and they struggled to pass the ball with any fluidity or accuracy in the opening half, but took the lead again from a freekick. Miller delivered an excellent cross into the box from wide on the left. James Febery attacked it and the ball deflected in.

The best piece of football of the half came from the excellent Dean Lee. He burst down the left and delivered an accurate cross into the box but Ince headed over the bar from seven yards.

It was Lee’s influence that gave Ledbury control of the game. Two minutes into the second half, Webb played the ball from midfield to Lee, who dribbled into the box and was brought down for a penalty. Miller dispatched the kick to make it 3-1, and that spawned a second half domination from Town.

Moments after the penalty, Ince should have scored again after Miller’s ball over the top put him through on goal but he blazed over. Craig Howell had a headed goal from a corner ruled out for a push, and Aflie Regan and Cosmin Micula combined superbly to set up Ince again, but he missed his kick from close range.

With 20 minutes left, Ledbury extended their lead. Some patient build-up play culminated in a goal of real quality. Micula floated a pass over the Pegasus defence and Miller raced through and crashed the bouncing ball past the keeper from 12 yards. Two minutes later, it was five for Ledbury. Regan took the ball from wide into a central area on the edge of the box, he turned and played in Webb, and Webb drilled the ball in at the near post.

In a near-copy of what happened late on at Ludlow, Ledbury lost concentration at the back in the closing moments and Febery got caught on the ball outside the box, and the hosts stole in to score, but the result takes Ledbury to the top of the table.

vs

Ludlow Town Colts v Ledbury Town

PHOTO: Tom Boyle grabbed two goals and two assists against Ludlow Town. 

Ledbury Town outclassed Ludlow in a superb 5-1 victory at Ludlow’s Community Stadium on Saturday.

First half goals from Ben Febery and Ben Miller, a second half brace from Tom Boyle, and an excellent Alfie Regan finish rounded off an outstanding away performance for Ledbury. Only a late Ludlow consolation tarnished an otherwise flawless afternoon for Town.

Ledbury took the lead inside 12 minutes. Tom Boyle’s freekick from the left was met by Ben Febery, who powered his header past the Ludlow keeper.

Ledbury quickly found their rhythm with Boyle and Alfie Regan looking dangerous every time they received the ball. Regan dazzled with a fabulous turn and reverse pass from the middle of the pitch to find an overlapping Dwayne Tyndale through on goal, but Ludlow’s keeper was quick off his line to smother the chance.

Boyle and Regan combined to double Ledbury’s lead in the 24th minute. Regan burst down the right and clipped the ball to the far post to Boyle. He cut inside to his right foot and played a beautifully weighted pass to Ben Miller who arrived on the edge of the box and dispatched the ball accurately into the corner of the net.

It started raining chances for Ledbury to extend the lead further before half time. Lewis Williams forced a close range save from the Ludlow keeper after more Boyle trickery in the box. Williams was involved again, working superbly down the right to set up Regan but his shot went wide, and Williams was brought down for a penalty, but Boyle’s spot kick was saved.

But moments after the restart, Town were gifted their third goal. A long ball over the top from Ledbury keeper Alex Goode was completely misjudged by his opposite number who came rushing out of his area to clear and missed the bouncing ball, and Tom Boyle raced through to score into the empty net. Ten minutes later, Boyle scored again. Ben Febery curved a beautiful pass in behind the Ludlow defence, and Boyle rushed through and sat the keeper down before smashing the ball in.

Ledbury completed their scoring in the 78th minute through the dynamic Regan. His performance deserved a goal, and after some good build up play from Ledbury, substitute Kieran Loveridge played Regan in with a brilliant through ball from a central area, and Regan rifled home. Two minutes from time, Ludlow grabbed a consolation goal after some careless play from Ledbury, culminating in Goode’s attempted clearance getting blocked and the ball fell to a Ludlow striker who found the wide-open goal. Nonetheless, the ignominy of January’s ugly 4-1 defeat at Ludlow was put to rest here with an outstanding Ledbury performance.

vs
vs

Ledbury Town v New Dales Vale

PHOTO: Ledbury Town’s Josh Burns scored the later equaliser against New Dales.

Josh Burns scored a last minute equaliser to earn Ledbury Town a 2-2 draw against New Dales Vale at New Street on Friday night.

Town fell behind early in the first half. Dean Lee scored a brilliant volley from the edge of the box to get Ledbury level, but within minutes Vale went ahead again. Town trailed until the final moments of the game when substitute Burns struck the equaliser into the corner.
Ledbury started poorly. Within minutes of the match starting the visitors put a good chance wide and then took the lead in the 7th. It was good play from Vale down the right and a ball into the box was excellently finished from close range across Goode and into the corner of the net.
It took Ledbury another quarter of an hour to settle and, when they did, they applied some pressure. The equaliser was class. A Town corner was cleared to the edge of the box and Dean Lee struck a brilliant side volley with the outside of his boot and it looped high over the keeper into the goal.
The noise from the crowd of 110 was quickly silenced though as within minutes the visitors regained the lead. Alex Goode, who was superb last week against Clee, made an excellent one v one save as the Vale striker went through on goal, but the opposition winger reacted quickest to the rebound.
In the second half, Ledbury took greater control. After an hour, Burns came off the bench as Ledbury started to chase the game. He picked up the ball on the right and flashed a cross across the goal which was just out of reach of Ben Miller. At the other end, Ledbury had a major let off. The Vale striker was played through on goal, and looked certain to kill the game, but his finish went past the post.
The game reached a pulsating climax. Miller was involved for Ledbury. He had a well struck shot from the edge of the box saved and was later brought down in the area for what looked a certain penalty. The ref waved it away. Vale broke up the other end in the 86th minute and Goode made another outstanding save to keep Ledbury in it.
Town kept up the pressure and, finally, in the last minute they were rewarded. Burns picked up the ball on the edge of the box. He turned, composed himself, and finished beautifully into the bottom left corner of the goal to equalise and send the New Street faithful into raptures.
vs