Sporting bounced back from recent home defeats to convincingly see off a lacklustre Coventry Copsewood side.
Two second half strikes from Keith Draper and substitute Jovan Blake-Walker were enough to seal a much needed victory against an away side who rarely threatened the home goal.
Striker Chris Morrison's wishes to play at centre back were granted by the Sporting coaches, in a game which also saw the veteran player handed the captain's armband. He was called upon in the early stages to scoop away a few threatening balls but it was Sporting who had the first real chance when striker Chris Conway, starting for the first time in a number of weeks, just missed out on getting on the end of a glancing header.
The Rouslers started as they meant to go on with a positive passing game and controlled the midfield well. Winger Elliot Nash was looking lively in the early stages, battling for every ball that came his way and put in a good defensive tackle when Copsewood almost got away on the break. Andy Nicol was then harshly taken down and needed treatment just in front of the left corner flag as he pressed forward on the wing.
The away sides first chance came when referee George Warren awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Sporting box, though 'keeper Tom Savage saved the effort comfortably. Minutes later, as the clock approached the quarter hour mark, Copsewood were gifted a second chance when a mix up in the home defence resulted in Savage barged to the ground, though Morrison got back in time to clear what would have been an open goal.
The game was becoming end to end, though no real clear cut chances were being created and Sporting were still controlling the midfield battle comfortably. Then, on half an hour, Nash's looping cross almost crept in at the near post, though Coventry 'keeper Scott Furlong managed to claw the ball away for a corner. At the other end, Morrison missed his header as a long ball was blasted up towards the home goal, allowing away striker Petajon Gordon in to square to fellow forward Danny Fraser, but Sporting's Matt Ross intercepted and cleared the chance away.
Defender Ross was then involved again, this time at the other end when he headed just over the bar from a good corner. Nick Harris also put a long shot over from just outside the box and then headed over himself from another corner. Midfielder James Turk was putting a very solid performance, harrying and winning balls in the middle of the Victoria Road pitch, which had recovered well after last week's heavy showers.
The chance of the half went to the home side not long after, who had much deserved the lead, when a series of scrambled shots were blocked and with the goal gaping, Nash smashed the ball over the top.
The second half started much the same as the first had ended with plenty of half chances, particularly for the Rouslers, though there was a lack of clinical finishing from both sides. Conway burst forward to get on the end of a well placed Draper through ball, though was called offside, before Morrison was once again called upon to clear off the line at the other end. Sporting were beginning to put some real pressure on Copeswood, who started to buckle as the half progressed. The home side were putting together some decent passing moves, Nash and Nicol linked up well though the ball went over the bar, before Conway coolly put the ball in the back of the net minutes later, but was called offside. The striker was then replaced by substitute Jon Rogers on sixty minutes.
Turk, Nicol, Draper and Rogers were all involved in a very intricate passing move which brought applause from the crowd, as they drove forward from midfield, though the chance was eventually closed out by the away defence on the by-line.
Turk then put in a purposeful cross but Draper missed the headed chance and soon after Turk was replaced by Bradley Whitehouse, making his debut for the Rouslers after signing during the week. The home side really began to build up the momentum, carving out some decent chances and Whitehouse, despite a quiet start, grew into the game and fed some good through balls to Draper an and Nicol. His appetite for goal was also apparent, with some ambitious long range efforts.
Nicol began to take a bit of a battering from the opposition. First he was taken out fiercely and needed some brief treatment, before taking a boot to the chest and was subbed off for Blake-Walker. The powerful forward held onto the ball well on a number of occasions to setup his teammates.
Sporting were finally rewarded for their efforts with a goal when Draper found space inside the box after a goal mouth scramble and fired the ball into the top corner, to put his team 1-0 up on seventy-five minutes. This was followed by a flurry of chances, including a fired long range effort just over the bar from Whitehouse, while the away side rarely threatened Savage's goal.
With four minutes of injury time awarded, Blake-Walker found himself in space and placed the ball well into the bottom corner, putting Bromsgrove 2-0 up, and fisting pumping into the air as the home players celebrated a deserved win.
Sporting: Tom Savage, Aaron Roberts, Adam Humphries, Matt Ross, Chris Morrison (c), Nick Harris, Elliot Nash, James Turk (Bradley Whitehouse, 65), Andy Nicol (Jovan Blake-Walker, 73), Chris Conway (Jon Rogers, 60), Keith Draper
Subs not used: Jamie Parker, Ryan Gardiner
Coventry Copsewood: Scott Furlong, Michael Clancy (Fabien Spence, 46), Stuart Adamson, Adam Civzelis (David Scarr, 46), Lee Hunt, Matty Fowler, Ross Wimbush, Sam Thompson, Michael Bawden, Petajon Gordon, Danny Fraser (Andrew Felton, 85) |