Sporting stunned by Littleton (From Bromsgrove Advertiser)

Sporting stunned by Littleton

10:54am Monday 4th February 2013 in Sport

Bromsgrove Sporting 1, Littleton 3

SPORTING’S title-hopes suffered a setback at the Victoria Ground as they lost to rivals Littleton on Saturday.

Bromsgrove stay top of the Midland Combination Premier but saw their lead ate into as they were stunned by the second-placed side.

The hosts crafted the opening chance when Elliot Nash pounced on a defensive mistake, gliding past two defenders in the box, though Littleton keeper Jack Dell smothered the resulting shot.

Nash was involved again at the other end just five minutes later when his strong sliding tackle on the edge of the home box was deemed unlawful by referee Andrew Hall but the resulting free-kick was saved easily by Tom Savage in the Sporting goal.

As the half progressed, Littleton began to show their class and fashioned some good moves but the home defence, marshalled by Nick Harris, sternly resisted.

Sporting midfielder James Turk fired a powerful header over the bar before blasting wide from a good cross just minutes later.

Harris came close to hitting the target but Littleton’s keeper made a save and Nash missed the rebound.

But the Rouslers slipped behind when Joe Lolley fired home beyond Savage to put Littleton 1-0 up.

The goal roused the home side and they pushed for a leveller and then found themselves 2-0 down when Antonio Vernaschi rifled a great shot into the top corner.

At 2-0 down, Keith Draper summed up Sporting’s first half luck when he blasted an attempted halfway line clearance onto his own chin.

The second half saw the introduction of attacker Jon Rogers, who came on for defender Jamie Parker, as Sporting looked to get back into the game.

The wily forward put a well-placed shot beyond the reach of keeper Dell on 49 minutes to make the score 2-1.

Rogers proved to be a real bright spark for Sporting, getting forward and linking up well with Nash on a number of occasions.

But Littleton weren’t finished yet and they continued to catch the Rouslers on the break. Savage spilled a powerful shot but his defenders managed to clear the ball from danger.

As the gamed encroached the hour mark, Rogers just missed out on getting on the end of a high ball into the box and was involved again shortly after when he linked up with Nash and Roberts, but the latter put the ball wide.

Chris Conway came on for striker Luke Dugmore just in time to see Littleton hit the post with a low driven shot, before target man Chris Morrison was introduced for Andy Nicol and Rogers took a high boot in the face.

But Rogers wasn’t finished yet, dusting himself down and showing a good turn of pace to pull clear of the away defence, but failed to convert the one-on-one chance.

Morrison and Harris both drove forward with separate solo efforts in an attempt to find an equaliser.

But it was Littleton who successfully struck again when Lolley beat two defenders to the ball, rounded Savage and put the ball into the net from a tight angle with two minutes of normal time left.

Harris, who’d put in a battling performance, was announced on the tannoy as Sporting’s man of the match and Rogers was felled in the box at the death, though no penalty was awarded.

Sporting: Savage, Roberts, Parker (Rogers, 45), Ross, Martin, HARRIS, Nash, Turk, Nicol (Morrison, 71), Dugmore (Conway, 56), Draper.

Subs not used: Lodge, Humphries Littleton: Dell, Mitchell, Ingram, Cross, Beattie, Walsh (Trotman, 90), Clarke (Allard, 83) Slevin, Vernaschi, Lolley, Walsh (Trotman, 70) Subs not used: Gilbert, Edghill.

Referee: Hall (Great Barr).

Attendance: 271.