Bromsgrove Sporting 3, Blackwood 1

MARK Bellingham bagged a brace as a makeshift Bromsgrove Sporting squad followed up their victory at Studley with another convincing win in the Midland Combination Premier.

The home side starting promisingly, but it was the visitors who almost broke the deadlock on 16 minutes when a right wing corner flew over the defence and hit the far post before bouncing back into the grateful arms of keeper Jake Bedford.

On 18 minutes, Sporting opened their account as Sam Wilkinson threaded the ball through to Bellingham who drew a dive from keeper Shaun Edwards before dinking it over his prone body and into the net for 1-0.

Sporting broke through again on the half hour with Bellingham providing a cross that was just too high for Wilkinson to convert.

Blackwood looked dangerous on the counter and Bedford was forced into a save at the feet of the opposition centre forward when he was played in to the danger area.

Another Sporting attack was broken up by a poor foul on Bellingham by ex-Sporting defender Adam Humphries who became the first player to go into the official’s notebook.

Sporting threatened again on 40 minutes as a goalmouth scramble resulted in a shot narrowly wide.

Then on 41 minutes, Sporting added a second in controversial circumstances as Bellingham again shot home as the linesman flagged for offside but was, correctly, overruled by the referee as the ball had been played to the Sporting striker by a Blackwood defender.

Sporting coped well in the second period as the away side tried to get back into the game and the closest they came was a clearance by the keeper which ricocheted off an on-rushing defender and flew over the bar.

Bellingham then decided Sporting needed better delivery into the danger zone and after a couple of corners caused danger in the box his free kick on 81 minutes was headed home by Luke Darby to effectively seal the victory.

Substitute Chris Hill pulled a goal back for Blackwood but Bromsgrove held on for victory.

Sporting: Bedford, Morris, Edwards (Gondwe), Clarke (Hind), Luke Darby, Cole, Ashman (Breeze), Wilkinson, Bellingham, Poyner, Wilson.

Subs not used: Darby, Lowe.

Blackwood: Edwards, Philips, McEvoy (Fraher), Humphries, Dineen, Glaze, Cleaver (Hill), John (Busby), Evans, Poulson, Thorpe.

Referee: Read (Norton Canes) Attendance: 219