A game not so much of two halves but four quarters with Sporting playing well at the start of both periods but Cadbury getting back into the match as time went on.
The game was played at Alvechurch's Lye Meadow ground owing to Cadbury's ground in Bournville not having floodlights.
Playing in warm sunshine and the sizable crowd relishing watching an evening game in shirt sleeves, Sporting started much the brighter and even got the ball into the net with just two minutes on the clock but scorer Josh McKenzie was ruled to have been offside.
Such incidents though do give sides a bit of confidence and that showed with Sporting who began to move the ball around well making use of having two useful wingers on a wide pitch. They took the lead on 10 minutes when Josh McKenzie easily tapped home from a few yards out after the lanky striker had evaded his markers.
They should have doubled their lead 10 minutes later when Chrisi Conway again playing in midfield, make a good cross from the right only to see McKenzie sliced wide with an open goal at his mercy.
Cadbury began to exert themselves a bit more and their equaliser came on 39 minutes when Ben Mooney got behind a flat-footed defence and lobbed Sporting keeper Jake Bedford from 10 yards out.
After their half-time break a pep talk in the Sporting dressing room seemed to liven them up at the beginning of the second half and a number of good chances followed but all came to nothing as several shots went wide or over the bar. Cadbury though always looked dangerous and relied heavily on fast breaks up field but they too were unable to make any of their chances count.
Just as the match looked to be heading for a draw, Cadbury conceded a free kick just outside the box. Sporting's record on set pieces in the match had not been good and little was expected from this one but Danny Ludlow cleverly deceived keeper Fraser Oliver curling an excellent strike into the top right-hand corner of the net from 25 yards.
Cue for Cadbury to get one back in added time but Sporting hung on though substitute Mark Fortner did put a decent effort over the bar.
After the whistle Sporting manager Adrian Mander thought that his side should have been well in front after 20 minutes but failed to take chances. But in the end he said he was happy with a deserved win.
Cadbury (Purple shirts shorts socks): Fraser Oliver, Ryan Spink, Brett Lloyd, Kevin Heeley, Stuart Cooke, Jamie McKeon, Ryan Gillings (Richard Deeming 46 mins), Ben Mooney, Daryl Charman (Nick Allen 55 mins), Dean Lea (Mark Fortner 70 mins), Stuart Butcher (Capt.).
Subs not used: Tony Clarke, Daniel Leach.
Sporting (Green/white shirts, shorts, socks): Jake Bedford, Brett Mander, Danny Ludlow, Elikem Amenkli (Robbie Agar 55 mins), Danny Parker (Capt.), Craig Jones, Sean Williams, Chrisi Conway, Josh McKenzie (Jaroslaw Cyran 70 mins), Billy Russell (Luke Shearer 65 mins), Rico Taylor.
Subs not used: Chris Duggan, Dave Almond.
Scorers: Josh McKenzie (10 mins), Danny Ludlow (89 mins)
Referee: Mr D Robinson (Hall Green)
Assistants: Mr P Rodway (Rubery), Mr R Osbourne (Halesowen)
Crowd: 141
Weather: Warm, sunny.
Sporting Man of the Match: Danny Ludlow
Match report: Phil Baker |