Bromsgrove bounced back from two disappointing league defeats to comfortably beat a lacklustre Stafford Town side at Victoria Ground.
Impressive displays and goals from both Matt Poyner and Jacob Snape, who scored a brace, inspired Sporting to see off the visitors. A clever flick into the bottom corner and a close range volley from Snape after a spectacular forty-yard Poyner effort were enough to claim the points, despite a sixty-nine minute constellation for Town.
The game started slowly, with a wayward Stefan Ashman free kick for the home side and a surging Darryll Johns run into the box for the visitors the only events of note in the first five minutes.
Snape, whose pace caused problems for Stafford all game, did well to capitalise on the break, linking up with Jake Brown and Ashman, though nothing materialised.
But Poyner had the crowd on their feet after thirteen minutes. Seeing Stafford keeper Barry Weston off his line, the forward looped a long range effort into the top corner.
There were long periods to follow where the ball seemed to get lost in a midfield battle but Snape doubled Sporting's lead on twenty-seven minutes. Bursting into the box from the right, the quick striker flicked the ball beyond Weston into the far left corner. The away defence felt they may have scooped the ball away in time but the referee awarded the goal.
Town's Ishmale Reid looked impressive down the left and claimed the best chances of the first half for the away side. First he sent a half volley just wide of Sporting keeper Jake Bedford's left hand post and on thirty minutes he sent a decent effort onto the crossbar.
The first half ended with Sporting having more of the ball in midfield thanks to the likes of Poyner and Lewis Clarke.
The second half began the same as the first with a Sporting free kick sent over the crossbar, this time by Brett Mander. Then Brown sent a dangerous curling effort towards goal, though Weston gathered smartly.
Snape continued to impress, just prior to the hour mark he shimmied past three players into the box but his shot, on his weaker left foot, failed to test the keeper. Soon after, defender Danny Edwards had a good shot stopped on the line.
There were a few nerves on show on sixty-nine minutes from the Bromsgrove dugout when the home defence seemed to fall asleep. Stafford's Morgan Hurley drove into the box, his first effort hit the post, though he was then given time to gather himself and hit the ball into left corner of the goal.
At the other end Snape held the ball well and sent a low cross to Mander who fired in a powerful shot, forcing Weston into an impressive save. Then on seventy-eight minutes Snape drilled a ferocious volley into the top right corner from inside the box, to wrap up the points.
Sporting: Jake Bedford, Chris Duggan, Danny Edwards, Lewis Clarke, Toby Checketts, Luke Darby (c), Brett Mander (Chris Gleadow, 86), Jake Brown, Matt Poyner, Jacob Snape, Stefan Ashman
Subs not used: Richard Taylor, Andy Fraher, Danny Priest, Karl Gardner
Stafford Town: Barry Weston, Alex Gibson, Joe Woodward, Chris McComisky, Matt Dockerty, Ryan Fox (Adam Cunningham, 62), Ishmale Reid (c), Chris Morris, Morgan Hurley, Jason Cunningham (Steve Hopkinson, 46), Darryl Johns (George Burslem, 77)
Subs not used: James Wild, Adam Edwards |