Bromsgrove Sporting drop to third after disappointing home draw

Bromsgrove Sporting 1 (0) Stafford Town 1 (0)

Bromsgrove Sporting dropped to third in the Midland Football League Division One, after a 1-1 draw with lowly Stafford Town on Saturday afternoon writes Max Banner.

Sam Wills converted a penalty early in the second half to give Sporting the lead, with Stafford grabbing an injury time winner courtesy of Frederick Mtumbi.

A performance described by manager Paul Smith as ‘awful’, this was Bromsgrove’s second consecutive league draw, with Leicester Road and Atherstone Town currently above them.

Sporting started the game brightly but struggled to convert possession into meaningful efforts on goal, with both Tom Craine and last week’s FA Vase hero Jason Cowley failing to make the most of chances.

The lively Joe Haines almost helped provide Sporting with the opener, as his volley from out wide was sliced towards goal by Stafford defender Matt Bartlett, who had his blushes spared by the fingertips of keeper Tom Degg.

The home side continued to dominate however a cutting edge was lacking in the final third, a tame header from Wills found the hands of Degg on the half hour mark before Cowley had a fierce shot blocked by a visiting defender.

Stafford’s best opportunity of the half came on the 41st minute, as Almam Kabo had a shot deflected over.

But this would not halt the Sporting attack and a couple of chances fell the way of Craine in the last few moments of the opening forty-five.

His first was a goal disallowed for a foul he committed and then he mis-kicked a cross from Wills onto the bar.

The second half got off to the best possible start for the Rouslers, as Wills confidently slotted home a penalty on the 48th minute, after a determined Cowley was felled in the box.

Following the goal, the tempo appeared to drop and the play became turgid. Substitute Nathan Walker had a shot from distance comfortably saved by Degg but Bromsgrove struggled to make inroads.

Sporting’s best chance to double their lead came with five minutes to go, as fellow substitutes Sean Brain and Chris Lloyd teamed up. The former’s accurate cross found the latter, who close range shot was well blocked by Degg, who was doing his utmost to keep his side in the fixture.

Bromsgrove’s inability to take their chances would ultimately come back to haunt them, as Mtumbi found the ball come towards him from a cross and gladly poked home in the first minute of injury time past Chris Jay, who had an extremely quiet afternoon prior to this.

All was not lost for the home side, as the 95th minute saw Reece Hewitt find Brain inside the box who ballooned his effort over the bar.

Sporting: Chris Jay, Danny Morris, Joe Haines (Sean Brain 57 mins), Luke Edwards, Craig Jones, Keenen Meakin-Richards, Robbie Bunn, Reece Hewitt, Jason Cowley, Sam Wills (Nathan Walker 77 mins), Tom Craine (Chris Lloyd 57 mins).

Unused substitutes: Aaron Roberts, Jack Wilson.

Goal: Sam Wills (48 mins, penalty) Yellow: Keenen Meakin-Richards (90 mins) Stafford: Tom Degg, Ryan Glenborough, Harry Bowers, Matt Bartlett, Edward Mudzi, Walter Vundla, Almam Kabo (Matt Walker 60 mins), Frederick Mtumbi, Shepherd Machinguata (Callum Whittaker 46 mins, Abdul Ishola 81 mins)), Ryan Pace, Carenton Turner.

Unused substitutes: Tom Wright, Wayne Bailey.

Goal: Frederick Mtumbi (90 mins) Yellow: Callum Whittaker (60 mins) Referee: Mr R Walker (Redditch) Assistants: Mr T Palmer (Droitwich), Mr A Genders (Redditch) Crowd; 506 Weather: Cold, dry Sporting Man of the Match: Joe Haines.