Bromsgrove Sporting 6, Coventry Copsewood 0

RAMPANT Sporting went goal crazy as they enhanced their title hopes and recorded their biggest win of the season in the Midland Combination Premier.

The Rouslers were the only game to go ahead in the league on Saturday and saw the third-placed side close the gap on leaders Brocton to five points.

Goals from Mark Bellingham, Daniel Ludlow, Sean Williams and substitute Lewis Clarke comfortably blow away lacklustre Copsewood.

Both teams were struggling to cope with strong winds but it was the hosts who took control.

Bellingham found himself through on goal, only to be adjudged offside.

But on 18 minutes the wily veteran goal-getter picked up the ball inside the box and coolly stroked it into the net.

Sporting doubled their lead in the 23rd minute with a flowing move which saw Bellingham, and Matt Poyner combine before Ludlow fired home from outside the box.

The second half started as the first had finished with Sporting in control.

Good movement by Sporting resulted in a last ditch tackle to dispossess Poyner from adding a third.

Coventry then burst down the field, the Sporting defence seemed to go to sleep for a second, though Martin Gormley's resulting shot was blocked by the home defence and cleared.

But the Rouslers responded well, and when Ludlow cut into the box from the right, he was taken down by a reckless challenge from James Ritson, winning the penalty. Ritson was booked.

Bellingham's penalty was initially saved, but he coolly put away the rebound to put the hosts 3-0 up on 55 minutes.

And it wasn't long before Sporting added a fourth. Bellingham crossed to Williams who headed back across the goal into the corner on 56 minutes.

Bellingham, who was still in search of his hat-trick, headed unluckily over the bar and then minutes later drilled a low ball across goal, but no one could finish it off.

At the back, Joe Cole's last ditch tackle prevented Steven McGinty from being through on goal.

Williams rifled the ball into the bottom left corner to make it 5-0 on 71 minutes.

Substitute Stefan Ashman, who was making his debut appearance, looked lively and helped set up Bromsgrove's sixth goal in the 88th minute.

The wideman lashed in a shot which was blocked but Clarke drove the ball into the net after the resulting goal mouth scramble.

Ashman deserved a debut goal and he continued to push for it, though his shot in the last minute was saved.

Sporting: Bedford, Mander, Jones, Wilkinson (Clarke, 69), Cole, Morris, Williams, DARKIN, Bellingham, Poyner (Russell, 69), Ludlow (Ashman, 62) Subs not used: Adam Heath, Chris Heath

Coventry: O'Donnell, Thompson, Spalding, Cairns, Ritson, Hunt, Wimbush (Tonks, 69), Bawden, Gormley, Gordon (McGinty, 65), Fraser (Mussa Gift, 80).

Referee: Andy Parker (Coalville). Attendance: 185