Bromsgrove Sporting 7, Heather St Johns 2

BRACES for both Reece Hewitt and Josh McKenzie helped continue Bromsgrove Sporting’s unbeaten start in the Midlands Football League Division One, as they demolished Heather St Johns 7-2 at the Victoria Ground on Saturday afternoon, writes Max Banner.

The home side came out the blocks flying, with McKenzie almost opening the scoring inside the first minute. Unfortunately, his diving header from Dale Edwards’ cross went wide of the post.

However, they didn’t have much longer to wait for the first goal, when new signing Liam Spink marked his competitive debut with a stunning strike just outside the penalty area in the seventh, which bounced off the crossbar and into the net.

Sporting could have had two more within the space of five minutes.

McKenzie put another header wide and Sam Wills had a free kick well saved by Ben Allsop.

The 30th minute saw them double their lead, a coolly taken penalty by Reece Hewitt after McKenzie was upended in the box while on a threatening run.

Two minutes later, McKenzie got the goal that his graft deserved when a pinpoint cross was met with an accurate header, guided towards the bottom corner.

It seemed as though Bromsgrove would enter the break with little to worry but Heather striker Jonathan Jackson-Berarey managed to shrug off the defender and slot the ball into net.

There were further causes for concern for Sporting 20 minutes into the second half, as Heather reduced the deficit to one.

A goalmouth scramble resulted in centre back and captain Daniel Wain dispatching the ball home.

Sporting regained the two-goal cushion on the 70th minute. Hewitt received the ball in the box, calmly took it around keeper Allsop and was left with the easiest of finishes, scoring into an empty net for his second.

He could have completed the hat-trick ten minutes later after winning a penalty by being fouled just inside the area, but his second spot kick didn’t have the power to get by Allsop, who held onto the ball well.

However, Sporting weren’t left to rue this miss for long. A brilliant last ten minutes saw the Rouslers net three more.

Luke Dugmore fired home into the bottom corner, Josh McKenzie claim his brace as his shot squirmed under the keeper into the goal and substitutes John Pykett and Sean Brain team up effectively, with Pykett whipping in a delicious cross for Brain, who had the simplest of one-on-ones.

Despite Heather’s short lived attempt to get back into the game, this was eventually a routine win for Sporting, with the away side’s defence unable to cope with attacking flair of Hewitt, McKenzie, Spink et al.

Sporting: Edwards, Roberts, Kelly, Smith, McKeon, Dugmore, Spink (Brain, 63), Hewitt, McKenzie, Wills, Edwards (Pykett, 71).

Unused substitutes: Bunn, Joe Adams, Ollie Gibson.

Heather: Allsop,Raine-Thrall (Land, 53), Sturgess, Ryder, Wain, Goodby, Philip, Kenny (Handley, 77), Jackson-Berarey, Oliver, Hickling.

Unused substitutes: Wright, Wood, Wood.

Referee: Mr T Jones (Hereford) Attendance: 294 Weather: Warm, overcast Sporting MoM: Luke Dugmore