Sporting 1, Biggleswade 1

BROMSGROVE Sporting started life in the Southern League Central with a battling draw against Biggleswade.

The Rouslers bagged their first point of the campaign after striker Richard Gregory cancelled out Liam Brooks’ opener for the visitors.

It took Town just eight minutes to strike at the Victoria Ground when Brookes fired home across keeper Tom Breeden after the ball reached him at the far post.

The clash had been a disjointed affair until that point as both sides struggled to find any sort of rhythm in blustery conditions.

Biggleswade, kicking down the slope but having to play against the strong wind, struck with the first opening of the game to hand the hosts a rude awakening to life at a higher level.

Sporting reacted well to the setback to quickly get onto the front foot.

Rich Gregory saw a 25-yard free-kick pushed away by visiting stopper Samuel Donkin moments later before Robert Thompson-Brown fired wide following Charlie Dowd’s ball from the right.

Sporting continued to push for a leveller and were soon creating more chances without troubling Donkin.

Both openings fell to centre back pair Joe Hull and Joe Taylor. First Hull headed over on the half hour mark before Taylor saw a poked effort deflected wide.

Sporting finally made the pressure pay and found an equaliser on the stroke of half time when Gregory headed home Spink's right-wing cross.

Buoyed by that late leveller, the home side came out firing in the second as they stretched Biggleswade down either flank thanks to Dowd and sub Will Shorrock.

Thompson-Brown drilled an effort narrow over from the edge of the area on 54 minutes as Sporting kept the heat on.

However, despite that bright start, the contest hit a lull as the game approached the hour mark as free-kicks broke up the play.

Chances for either side quickly dried up as both keepers remained untested for large spells throughout the half.

Sporting came close to bagging the lead in the 80th minute but Samuel Donkin smothered sub John Pykett’s close range effort after Hull met a corner for the hosts.

Thompson-Brown fired over as the clash entered the final five minutes with everything still to play for.

Biggleswade nearly snatched victory in the final minute of the contest but Breeden saved brilliantly with his legs to deny Joseph White and ensure Sporting picked up their first point of the season.

Both teams swapped chances in injury time as visiting sub Drew Richardson rattled the post before Shaquille McDonald drove an effort narrowly wide at the other end.

Sporting: Breeden, Spink (Shorrock 45), Wilson, Massey, Taylor (Lincoln 80), Hull, Dowd (Pykett 71), Quaynor, McDonald, Gregory, Thompson-Brown.

Unused subs: Brown, Perry.

Biggleswade: Donkin, Miles, Perry, Forbes, Mcdevitt, Gent, Lucien (Junior 74), Clark (Richardson 64), White, Ball, Brooks (Stead 55).

Unused subs: Allinson, Bradshaw.

Att: 837