NUNEATON GRIFF 0 BROMSGROVE SPORTING 2 4 Dec, 2016
The Heartlanders can have no complaints about the result because the MFL title favourites bossed the game although the goals came from a little bit of luck and an own goal, little was seen of the Griff strikers and too many balls were given away but not much wrong with the defence in which Jack Leech and Ryan Millerchip were outstanding.
A one minute silence with the Coton Church bells sounding was immaculately observed before the game began with the home side on top early, the Rouslers soon imposed themselves and had an early chance when a Courtney Belford clearance rebounded towards goal until an alert Ryan Aston raced across to boot clear.
It was now one-way traffic towards the Griff goal but suddenly on the break the lively Harry Walker-Donovan put a beauty into the area where goalkeeper Chris Jay pouched in front of Matt Brennan, Tom Bates saw a free-kick deflected for a corner.
The pattern of the game was now set in stone with Griff defending deep and hitting on the break, they almost succeeded as Brennon headed well from a Bates corner to the far post but Jay made a superb save.
A goal was coming and it was Bromsgrove who struck on twenty three minutes, a route one goal and with a hint of good fortune. A long ball found Jason Cowley motoring through the middle but Belford blocked his shot only for the rebound to strike the Sporting man and go towards goal where he followed up to tap home.
Buoyed by the goal the visitors poured forward and on the end of a superb move Belford flung himself across to tip away a cracking shot.
Griff hit back for a spell and almost pulled the goal back as Brennan passed short to Tyson Knight who scraped the bar with an instant toe-poke as Jay was beaten. It was soon Bromsgrove on the attack again as Griff gave the ball away and as Andy Nicol raced into the area he went over and a penalty given, it looked a dubious award and perhaps justice was done when skipper Sam Wills sliced the penalty kick high and wide!
Walker-Donovan had a half chance just before the break but Jay came out quickly to gather.
The second half was like the first, plenty of Bromsgrove pressure but few clear chances, Brennan did try to catch Jay off his line with a high lob from the half-way line at the other end but the goalkeeper had time to run back and hold it safely.
Bromsgrove scored again on sixty seven minutes, former Griff marksman Luke Shorthouse had only been on for two minutes off the bench when his half-cross hit Millerchip who, facing his own goal, saw the ball hit his leg and deflect just inside the post.
The game petered out after that, Bates did have a clear run down the inside left slot but chose to cross low instead of shooting, at the other end Walker-Donovan cleared one of the line but that was it, Bromsgrove dserved their victory.
Nuneaton Griff: Belford, Hutchinson (Colley 75), Aston, Leech, Millerchip, Tullin ©, Walker-Donovan, Belcher, Brennan (J.Russell 83), Knight, Bates (McEwan 70). Sub not used: Staniforth.
Bromsgrove Sporting: Jay, Roberts, Wilson, Wills ©, Morris, Edwards, Lloyd, Bunn, Cowley (Walker 83), Nicol (Shorthouse 65), Hewitt. Subs not used: Willcox, Jones, Craine.
Referee: T. Walker (Belper) |