Groundhog Day, well at least for 40 minutes as Sporting once again struggled against a physical and well organised Blackwood team. As last season they had plenty of possession but few ideas of what to do with it and with Barnes and Hall in defenders' pockets took until the 36th minute to have a shot at goal. By that time Sporting were losing 1-0, conceding after 22 minutes when the dreadlocked Snape volleyed home from 12 yards from a left wing centre.
Blackwood snuffed out Sporting's threat but they themselves lacked creativity and a midfield stalemate ensued. Apart from Blackwood's goal the opening half hour is best passed over in silence. It was Jamie Rogers who had Sporting's first attempt on goal, shooting over after Odane Barnes laid the ball back.
As half time approached the Rouslers finally began to use the flanks to get in behind the Blackwood back four and Dan Wilkes wasted a good opportunity after beating the offside trap. However just a minute later Sporting were level. This was a good goal, a build up down the left flank releasing Hall whose cross was volleyed home at the far post by Barnes who finally escaped the Blackwood shackles. One-all at the break but Sporting needed to improve significantly.
Which they did. The second half, in complete contrast, was absorbing and entertaining. After Clarke had gone close with a near post header for Blackwood, Sporting reorganised with Nick Allen coming into central defence and Joe Brookes moving to left back in place of Zac Blood who had struggled and reverted to his normal position on the left side of midfield. Dan Wilkes moved to the right flank to replace the substituted Molesworth.
The team immediately looked better balanced and Hall and Barnes were both causing problems for the Blackwood defence. On 67 minutes Sporting should have taken the lead from the best move of the match. Barnes released Blood with a clever back heel and his low centre found Hall who shot straight at the keeper from close range. Sporting were to regret this miss. On 75 minutes Griffiths conceded a free kick in a central position with a clumsy lunge at an opponent and Millard hit the dead ball into the bottom left hand corner. Hill should have increased the lead shortly afterwards but shot wide from a left wing cross.
With time running out Sporting made a double substitution. Rogers and Hall were replaced by Siviter and, rolling back the years even if no longer combing back the hair, Mark Whitehouse. Within a minute Siviter's volley had brought a superb save from Mills. Sporting continued to press, Blackwood threatened on the break but there were no further goals.
So Blackwood remain a bogey team. They are a good side and have a particularly good defence but this cannot excuse Sporting's first half lethargy. On the basis of the second half performance it could be argued Sporting deserved a point, and they showed that Blackwood are as fallible as anyone else when put under pressure.
The harsh truth is that if you don't start playing until the second half you deserve nothing and that's what we got. We are at the Glades, Blackwood's next door neighbours, on Wednesday. Can the real Sporting please turn up?
Blackwood: Mills, Fitzgerald (Thorp 67), Hall, Clarke, Grant, Hill, Hemming (Tilsley 83), Bell, Snape (Ashley Griffiths 89), Milliard, Larmour
Sub Not Used: Matt Griffiths, Muntali
Sporting. Biddle, Lismore, Blood, Brookes, Griffiths, Curry, Molesworth (Allen 62), Jamie Rogers (Siviter 83), Barnes, Hall (Whitehouse 83),Wilkes.
Sub Not Used: Hicks-Kenward, Brighton |