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Tue 10th Feb 2015 @ 19:45 - Allard Way Attendance: 75
Coventry Copsewood
1 - 1
Bromsgrove Sporting
Referee: Mr. I. Croston (Coventry) Midland Football League / Division 1

Goalscorers
Danny Fraser (45) Matt Gardner (85)
Starting Line-ups
Dale O'Donnell
George Whitelaw
Danny Fraser
Craig Civzelis
Michael Quirke
Matt Fowler
Lawrence Rawlings
Liam Cairns
Martin Gormley
Connell Farrell
Dominik Alleyne
Jake Bedford
Chris Duggan
Jack Wilson
Craig Jones
Scott Smith
Daniel Morris
Ryan Mahon
Dan Carter
Joe Adams
Chris Conway
Sean Brain
Substitutes
Steve McGinty
Petajon Gordon
Ben Atkins
Bidemi Okelana
Stuart Adamson
Orrin Pendley
Lewis Clarke
Matt Gardner
Tim Bradley
Jozsef Jakab
Substitutions
Petajon Gordon -> Connell Farrell (81) Matt Gardner -> Sean Brain (57)
Lewis Clarke -> Dan Carter (57)
Jozsef Jakab -> Joe Adams (82)
Yellow cards
Matt Fowler (24) Sean Brain (27)
Craig Jones (29)
Red cards
None None
Match Report | Programme
With three draws in their last three league matches, Sporting's season looks to have stalled after rampaging through the division for the last five months.

In fairness a draw was a deserved result, indeed for Copsewood having outshone their opponents for large portions of the match might have argued that they deserved the three points.

The match itself was quite entertaining and played at a fast pace for the whole ninety minutes but rather than the football, the talking point at the end was the match officials but more on that later.

Like many matches at this level, one team always seems to start off with guns blazing and so it was with Copsewood who went for an early lead making Sporting concentrate and work hard but the defence remained unbreached. Mark Gormley had the best chance for the home team on the sixth minute whilst there were ten minutes were on the clock before the visitors the first good opportunity when Sean Brain and Chrisi Conway combined well but Conway's shot went agonizingly wide.

Both teams then pretty much cancelled each other out with plenty of fast and neat passing. Matty Fowler got a deserved yellow card for a late challenge on Chris Conway on 24 minutes then bizarrely Sean Brain was shown the same card for suggesting that the linesman should stop chatting to the Copsewood bench, a sentiment echoed by several travelling Bromsgrove supporters.

As the half went on, Sporting gradually took control of the game and on 33 minutes ought to have taken the lead but for some fabulous goalkeeping from Dale O'Donnell who made three successive point-blank stops from Danny Carter, Conway and Carter again.

Unfortunately Sporting were made to pay for their failure to score when with just a minute of the half remaining, the usually reliable Danny Morris upended Lawrence Rawlings on the edge of the box. Danny Fraser took the free-kick that floated over the wall and into the top corner of the net giving Jake Bedford no chance.

After the interval much of the play remained in the middle of the field with neither goalkeeper having to more than the odd pick-up. Rouslers' manager Paul Smith decided more firepower was needed and brought on strikers Matt Gardner and Jozsef Jakab along with the steadying influence of Lewis Clarke in mid-field but it was Joe Adams and Conway had the best chances but both saw their shots go wide.

With seven minutes left on the clock Sporting finally got the equaliser and ironically it was playing their opponents' tactic of a fast break up field that delivered the ball to Gardner who fired past O'Donnell into the top left-hand corner from about 12 yards out.

Three minutes later Copsewood got the ball into the net after the Sporting defence were left stranded and Dominik Alleyne beat Bedford in a one-on-one but the busy winger was adjudged to have handled the ball so a let-off for the Rouslers.

More drama was to come two minutes into added time. After a goalmouth scramble Sporting got the ball over the line and referee Mr Croston signalled a goal but following protests by the home side, the assistant was consulted who said he could not be sure. After several minutes of "discussion", the referee disallowed the goal and gave a drop-ball just outside the goal area. Moments later full-time was blown.

So a controversial and unsatisfactory finish to the match for Sporting. However for much of the game they struggled with Copsewood's speedy play and closing down tactics. In the end neither side was happy with a draw.

Copsewood: Dale O'Donnell, George Whitelaw, Danny Fraser, Craig Civzelis (Capt.), Michael Quirke, Matty Fowler, Lawrence Rawlings, Liam Cairns, Mark Gormley, Connoll Farrell (Petajon Gordon 81 mins), Dominik Alleyne.
Unused substitutes: Steve McGinley, Ben Atkins, Bidemi Okelana, Stuart Adamson.
Goal: Danny Fraser (45 mins)
Yellows: Matty Fowler (24 mins).

Sporting: Jake Bedford, Chris Duggan, Danny Morris, Ryan Mahon, Craig Jones, Scott Smith, Danny Carter (Matt Gardner 57 mins), Joe Adams (Jozsef Jakab 82 mins), Chrisi Conway, Sean Brain (Lewis Clarke 57 mins), Jack Wilson.
Unused substitutes: Orrin Pendley, Tim Bradley.
Goal: Matt Gardner (82 mins)
Yellows: Sean Brain (27 mins), Craig Jones (29 mins).

Referee: Mr I Croston (Coventry)
Assistants: Mr P Maton (Coventry), Mr D Hellyar (Coventry)

Attendance: 75
Weather: Cool, dry.

Sporting Man of the Match: Ryan Mahon