Bromsgrove Sporting's first match at the Victoria Ground since their play-off final heroics saw them run out 2-1 winners over Wakefield AFC.
The game's three goals all came within a four minute spell in the second half, as a Robbie Thompson-Brown thunderbolt was followed up with a goal for Matt Higgins, whilst Kyron Richards pulled one back for the visitors.
Sporting started the game brightly, with Liam Spink finding Thompson-Brown in the third minute, who could only drag his one-on-one opportunity wide. 11 minutes later, Jack Wilson latched onto a long ball and did all the hard work by skilfully beating his man but somehow put his chance from six yards out wide of the mark.
Soon after, Wakefield's Lewis Owiredu found himself with only Jono Brown to beat inside the box but could only slice wide.
Sporting laid the pressure on further, with Josh Quaynor having a shot blocked before Charlie Dowd found the net but was adjudged to be offside. This was followed by Cameron Peters putting a wonderful ball across the area but a Trialist striker failed to get a boot on it from no more than a yard out.
Eight minutes from the end of the half saw Nathan Hayward try his luck from 25 yards out, drawing a fine save from keeper Ryan Eades.
The lively Owiredu continued to cause problems early in the second half, as he beat Wilson up the wing but saw his ball across the area cleared for a corner.
Midway through the half, Sporting would enjoy a ten minute spell that would prove vital for the winning the game; it began with Higgins finding Thompson-Brown, who flashed the ball across the box, which the keeper fumbled to Peters, who was unable to convert.
A minute later, Dowd latched onto a long ball from Joe Hull; he then ran at the defence and had a great strike tipped onto the crossbar by Eades.
The opener would come 75 minutes in, as Peters sets up Thompson-Brown, who set himself up to shoot from 25 yards out and superbly rifled the ball it into the net.
Two minutes later, the lead was doubled, as Tom Rankin found Higgins in the area, who took a touch and pinged a shot in off the upright.
Wakefield pulled one back in the 79th minute, as Sporting's substitute stopper Matt Coton parried a shot away but only to the path of Richards, who buried home into an empty net - this would only prove to be a consolation though, as the game's only remaining chance of note thereafter was a shot from Thompson-Brown that whistled safely over the bar.
Bromsgrove Sporting :- Jonathan Brown (Matt Coton 46 minutes), Liam Spink (Tom Rankin 60 minutes), Jack Wilson (Kieren Westwood 56 minutes), Nathan Hayward, Tom Taylor, Joe Hull, Charlie Dowd, Josh Quaynor (Jake Heath 60 minutes), A. Trialist (Matt Higgins 46 minutes), Cameron Peters, Robbie Thompson-Brown.
Substitutes not used :- Leon Broadhurst, Shaquille McDonald.
Goal-Scorers :- Robbie Thompson-Brown (76 minutes), Matt Higgins (77 minutes)
Wakefield AFC :- Ryan Eades, Jean Merour, Jack Enkh, Kyron Richards, Marvin Emmanual, Yemi Ayodle, Deji Alabi (Pride Ebueti 62 minutes), Jamie Hardwick, Reyjon Moore (Nathan Weekes 56 minutes), Manny Katundu (Cedric Kouakou 52 minutes), Lewis Owiredu (Noah Hamelberg 60 minutes).
Substitutes not used :- Asim Butt, Bright Idafum.
Goal-Scorer :- Kyron Richards (79 minutes)
Referee :- Mr. Ravel Cheosiaua (Redditch)
Assistants :- Mr. John T. Harris (Redditch) & Mr. Garrath Hodgetts (Worcester)
HT :- 0-0
FT :- 2-1
Attendance :- 290 |