Football
Superb Sporting defeat the league leaders

Buy photos » Aaron Roberts drives forward at Walsall Wood. Picture by Rob McLaren.

Walsall Wood 1 Bromsgrove Sporting 2

Midland Combination Premier Division

SPORTING picked up their first away points of the season at one of the more unlikelier venues on Saturday as they ended the unbeaten record of the early league leaders.

The visitors produced a confident and assured performance to take all three points despite going into the game with a number of absentees.

As it was, the management team of Keith Draper and Graham Scott played Chrisi Conway as a lone striker in front of a five-man midfield. Newcomer Luke Dugmore came in for James Turk, who is out for six weeks with a groin injury, whilst Jack Lodge stepped up from the reserves. Mike Thurbon replaced his brother Chris in the back four.

The hosts came out of the blocks the quickest and forced Reece Francis to save well from Lewis Boyce-Taylor and Cory Currithers twice inside the first ten minutes.

Sporting gradually eased themselves into the match though, retaining the bulk of possession and Conway was working tirelessly up front, only to be frustrated by several marginal off-side decisions.

He did give Daniel Ware in the home goal his first test on 27 minutes which the keeper blocked and also played a part in the opening goal of the game.

Conway won a free kick on the edge of the box which Danny Deehan took quickly and past Ware’s right arm to open the scoring despite protests from the home side.

Deehan almost made it 2-0 within two minutes but his shot came back off the post much to the visitors’ frustration.

The final chance of the first 45 minutes went Wood’s way with Currithers firing goalwards, only to be denied by a superb save from Francis.

Sporting remained the better side as the second half began and the much needed second goal arrived in the 59th minute, again from a free kick.

This time it was the impressive Luke Dugmore who was pulled down just outside the box and Deehan crossed for Thurbon to fire home, via a deflection on the line.

Francis punched away a Daniel Rock as the hosts tried to find a way back into the game and they gave themselves a lifeline with four minutes left when Craig Deakin’s free kick caught Sporting napping, allowing Harry Harris’ excellent volley to beat Francis.

Sporting will bid to secure a fourth victory of the season tomorrow (3pm) when they entertain struggling Castle Vale JKS.

THE Reserves were also in good form to defeat Racing Club Warwick 6-0 in the Midland Combination Urn with Alex Kelly grabbing a hat-trick.

The success came on the back of a 12-0 victory against Knowle seven days earlier.

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