After conceding three goals including two penalties in the final twenty minutes of this pulsating encounter no doubt Brocton will have come away inconsolable. But there were far to many positives for there to be too many recriminations.
Joe Pickering, in his first start of the season, was a constant threat going forward and a thorough pain for the Bromsgrove defence when harrying all across the back four. Dave Harvey at right back, did a decent defensive job, but was most effective going forward and Bromsgrove could never relax when he was on the run.
Charlie Jones did his usual hard working job in midfield and was matched by Dave Ablewhite and Andy Chandler which gave Dan Lomas and Dave Berks more time and space to pick their incisive passes. Sam Fleming made an excellent come back from a long injury lay off with an assured performance alongside skipper Matt Skinner at centre back and the icing on the cake was a cameo performance for youngster Liam Haycock, who looked far from out of place for the final quarter of an hour.
When Joe Pickering's shot from distance squirmed beneath Bromsgrove keeper Francis it was nothing less than the visitors deserved for having taken the game to the home team and probed constantly from the start. Bromsgrove had no answer to Brocton's play at that point and when Ablewhite passed coolly out of defence to Lomas, who found Pickering on the left with an equally incisive cross field pass, Harvey was inches from being on the end of an early cross from Pickering. That would have made it two and Brocton did not want half time.
Early in the second period though, it was good midfield pressure which forced an error and Harvey was on the run. He shot for the far post and the slightest of touches from Francis took the ball beyond the outstretched foot of Pickering. A Berks free kick in the following moments was flicked on and Jones headed at goal only to be held back by Francis to concede a penalty. Berks stepped up to score. There were more chances and Brocton maintained their grip on the match until that last twenty minutes.
A short back pass was intercepted and as Adam Whitehouse closed the angle, a jink to the side brought a trip and a penalty, which Rogers converted. Bromsgrove were suddenly rampant, but it was still only when Brocton were reduced to ten players, Harvey having been injured, that their second came, Brocton unable to clear a series of high balls before Taylor found the net. The killer third came in the final moments as another penalty was conceded and Rogers once again did the necessary.
Brocton: Adam Whitehouse, Dave Harvey, Tom Sturmey, Matt Skinner, Sam Fleming, Charlie Jones, Dave Ablewhite, Andy Chandler, Joe Pickering, Dave Berks, Dan Lomas.
Used Substitutes: Rob Tomlinson, Liam Haycock. |