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Sat 17th Sep 2011 @ 15:00 - Field Lane Attendance: 98
Hampton
2 - 1
Bromsgrove Sporting
Referee: Mr. I. Jackson (Tyseley) Midland Combination / Division 1

Goalscorers
Scott Morrison (14)
Steven Parish (81)
Jamie Rogers (pen) (1)
Starting Line-ups
Carl Lewis
Luke Donaghy
Steven Brittain
Steve Joynes
Liam Mansell
Scott Mansell
Scott Morrison
Steven Parish
Gareth Evans
Sam Stokes
Tom Boswell
Grant Biddle
Nick Harris
Gareth Rogers
Nick Allen
Neil Cooksey
Danny Lismore
Ryan Molesworth
Jamie Rogers
Zac Blood
Odane Barnes
Jonathon Rogers
Substitutes
Peter Tooze
Tom Jones
Lee Hooper
Jamie Williams
Adam Holloway
Stewart Brighton
Richard Griffiths
Dan Wilkes
Alastair Crawford
Mark Whitehouse
Substitutions
Peter Tooze -> Sam Stokes (27)
Jamie Williams -> Steve Joynes (46)
Tom Jones -> Liam Mansell (89)
None
Yellow cards
Liam Mansell (70)
Jamie Williams (85)
None
Red cards
None Odane Barnes (70)
Match Report | Programme
After handing the pen to Andy Parr to report on two home wins, I find myself reporting on another disappointing away defeat and in wearily familiar terms.

The omens were not good; the ground where we played poorly against Blackwood a month ago, the canary yellow strip, the injuries and work commitments. Throw in a weak and incompetent referee and ........but this is looking for excuses. Sporting were simply not good enough today and away form is now a serious concern.

The match began well. In the first minute Ryan Molesworth was upended in the box and Jamie Rogers converted the penalty kick. Hampton reacted positively and within a minute hit the post before the first of many free headers just cleared the crossbar. After 14 minutes they equalised with, inevitably, a free header, Scott Morrison scoring from close range after the defence had failed to deal with a cross.

There were no further goals in the first half which Hampton dominated but without creating many opportunities. Their best moments came when they were able to put crosses in for wide positions as the aerial frailty that has been a feature of Sporting's defending was again apparent. After 27 minutes Hampton's Sam Stokes fell heavily after a tackle and after a lengthy stoppage was taken off, an ambulance being called.

The second half kicked off ten minutes late after the ambulance departed with the luckless Stokes, who has apparently suffered serious ankle ligament damage and will be out for some time. We wish him a speedy recovery. The incident was an accident with no blame attaching to the Sporting player involved. The second half inevitably began in the shadow of the injury and took a while to get going. When it did Sporting showed some improvement. Lewis saved well from a Cooksey header and Lismore fired over.

The game began to get niggly and bad tempered and boiled over on 70 minutes when Barnes reacted angrily to a heavy tackle by Liam Mansell. Just about all 20 outfield players joined in the ensuing scuffle before the referee showed the yellow card to Mansell but sent off Barnes. This was a puzzling decision. It surely takes two to tango. Not that this excuses Barnes. From my vantage point the tackle was fair and the player won the ball.

After that the match appeared to be petering out into a draw until the Sporting defence obliged again after 81 minutes, parting to let in the hampton left-winger, Biddle's alertness saving Sporting at the expense of a corner, from which Hampton had, inevitably, a free header to score the winner. Hampton actually had the ball in the net again right on full time but the referee had blown before the ball crossed the line.

This was as bad as the Archdale performance and the comments I made then still apply so I won't repeat them here. I will, however, mention one of the Hampton players. You couldn't miss him, loud, foul-mouthed and obnoxious, not least to his own team mates. For me he stood out for his total commitment to the Hampton cause and desire to win. Sporting's players could usefully learn from his example.

Sporting: Biddle, Lismore, Gareth Rogers, Cooksey, Allen, Harris, Molesworth, Jamie Rogers, Barnes, Jon Rogers, Blood
Sub Not Used: Brighton, Whitehouse, Wilkes

Rouslers Man of the Match : The Sporting supporters (also complimented in Liam Mansell's post on the MFC forum)