Rouslers routed in bad day at Leicester Road

TO say this was a bad day at the office for Sporting would be something of an understatement.

As well as being the first defeat of the season in Midlands Division One, this was Sporting's heaviest ever loss away from home and against exposed their lack of ability to compete with the better teams.

The first few minutes of the match though were all Bromsgrove as all the football was played in their opponents half.

However, despite a number of half-chances, the visitors were unable to penetrate a well-organised Leicester Road defence.

But that all changed though on the eighth minute as the home side made their first determined sortie up field.

Amarvir Sandhu cheekily went through the narrow gap between central defenders Craig Jones and Aaron Roberts and with just keeper Shaun Edwards to beat fired his shot into the top of the net from a few yards out.

A couple of minutes later the Hinckley side were 2-0 up after Edwards spilt James Hicks' shot allowing the lively striker to hit home the rebound from 10 yards out.

To their credit the Rouslers trio of Liam Spink, Reece Hewitt and Luke Dugmore took control of the mid-field and kept their forwards well-supplied but too many speculative shots simply rebounded against a packed defence.

Goal three for Leicester Road came on the 17th minute when Edwards hesitated to pick up a loose ball that found its way to Hicks who easily tapped his second of the afternoon.

From then on it was normal service again with Sporting having the majority of the possession and territory but failing to get anything on target.

Manager Paul Smith replaced Dale Edwards with Josh McKenzie to give Sporting a bit more presence up front but still chances were coming to nothing.

Well into the second half Smith brought on John Pykett for James McKeon and unfortunately for the wide-man, his first contribution of the match was to clatter Greg Downes in the box. Jake Holt converted the resulting penalty for goal number four.

Four minutes later whatever chance Sporting had of rescuing something from this game went out of the window as Edwards and Roberts got into a defensive mix-up allowing the grateful Sandhu to drive home the loose ball from a narrow angle.

Sporting though did manage to pull a goal back on the 76th minute in somewhat bizarre circumstances.

Sam Wills had an angled shot from 20 yards out that hit the goalpost stanchion. The ball bounced back into play and was smothered by Will Highland only for the dumbfounded keeper to see the assistant linesman flag that the ball had crossed the goal line.

Sporting's wretched afternoon was then completed with just a minute to go when McKenzie received a second yellow card and his marching orders for little more than a mistimed tackle.

A deserved win and score line for Leicester Road who defended well and took advantage of Sporting's defensive lapses.

LEICESTER ROAD: Highland, Gamble, Harrison, Holt, Smith, Riley, Munton, McGlinchey, Hicks, Downes, Sandhu.

Substitutes not used: Awodiya, Farren, McEnroe, Lyne, Hughes.

SPORTING: Edwards, McKeon (Pykett, 65), Kelly, Dugmore, Jones, Roberts, Spink, Hewitt, Brain, Wills, Edwards (McKenzie, 30).

Substitutes not used: Bunn, Smith, Poulter.

Referee: B Boyle (Coventry) Attendance: 132 Sporting MoM: Reece Hewitt