Cadbury Athletic 1, Bromsgrove Sporting 1

BROMSGROVE Sporting dropped their first points of the season in Midlands Division One after being held in Birmingham on Saturday.

There was a collective scratching of heads as to how The Rouslers, who had played so fluently and confidently pre-season and into the opening matches, had failed to even get started.

Nothing seemed to go right with the inability to string more than a couple of passes together and constant giving the ball away allowing a capable but limited Cadbury side to hassle their there way to a deserved point.

Sporting played down the slope at the TSA Ground in the first half and had the much better of the game in the opening exchanges and failed to convert their dominance and chances into goals.

Nathan Walker found former Rousler Reece Francis between the sticks for Cadbury in good form as early as the fourth minute when the stocky keeper parried a well-struck half-volley.

Then three minutes later Tony Clarke's effort was similarly kept out by Francis.

Indeed it was 20 minutes before Cadbury had their first effort but Anthony Fletcher 's drive was saved low by Chris Jay.

Sporting had several corners and free-kicks that came close but by a mixture of desperate defending and sheer bad fortune nothing went over the goal line.

Finally though in the 42nd minute, Cadbury's risky tactics worked against them as Jak Walton bundled over Clarke in the box.

Chris Lloyd duly blasted a hard penalty and past Francis' outstretched left arm to give Sporting the lead.

With Cadbury pushing forward after the interval Bromsgrove failed to take advantage of the space because of poor passing.

Both Clarke and Keenen Meakin-Richards grazed the bar while Francis made a top draw save from Lloyd on 66 minutes.

But Cadbury threatened to score and minutes after substitute Jevaughni Robinson saw his half-volley cleared of the line, an unmarked Anthony Fletcher lobbed Chris Jay from 30 yards to ensure it was honours even.

CADBURY: Francis, Cooke, Wicketts, Walton (Capt.), Cosgrove, Brain, Colstock (Westwood, 73), McGinn (Robinson, 69), Butcher, Fletcher, Lloyd.

Unused substitutes: Pierpoint, Tranter, Sanders.

SPORTING: Jay, Roberts, Wilson, Morris, Willcox, Edwards (Haines, 81), Meakin-Richards (Brain, 58 mins), Bunn, Clarke, Lloyd, Walker (Nwosu, 82 mins).

Subs not used: Kelly, Jones.

Referee: Mr R Williams (Coventry) Attendance: 230 Sporting MoM: Danny Morris