Football
Sporting ease through

Bromsgrove Sporting 4 Bloxwich United 2

Les James Memorial Challenge Cup Round Two

TWO goals from Elliot Nash helped a depleted Sporting progress to the third round on Saturday where they will meet Lichfield City.

In contrast to previous mild but damp conditions, the game was played with a raw, cold wind blowing down the pitch and although it did not materially affect the play, the game seem to take time to really get started with neither side looking to risk much until they had sized up the opposition.

Sporting had the best chances early on with Keith Draper curling a delightful shot just over the bar after six minutes whilst Bloxwich nearly put the ball in their own net three minutes later when Wayne Hayward's poor header was fumbled by keeper James Fryer who just managed to stop the ball rolling into his own net.

Sporting went ahead in the 22nd minute when Nash found himself with plenty of space to make a run down the right and his attempted low cross became more of a shot that caught Fryer out as he could only help the ball into the net.

Draper and Jovan Blake-Walker, making his first start for Sporting, both went close to adding to the lead whilst at the other end, Adrian Jones had a good effort saved by Tom Savage.

The Rouslers increased their lead courtesy of the lively Nash whose shot looked to have been saved by Fryer, only for the ball to dribble over the line. To add to his misery, the hapless keeper also got a kick in the face and had to be substituted just before the interval.

Sporting continued their dominance in the second half and got their third after 64 minutes. Aaron Roberts, playing in midfield, received a good pass out of defence from Nick Martin and with the Bloxwich defence on the other side of the pitch he had plenty of space and time to advance down the left and beat the keeper at his near post.

Jon Rogers came off the bench when the impressive Nash went off with a hamstring injury and his first contribution to the match was Sporting's fourth goal when the Bloxwich defence failed to pick him up just inside the box and he had time to hit a shot wide of the keeper's left arm.

That was about the last seen of Sporting as an attacking force as Bloxwich finished the game the stronger, netting two consolation goals.

Mark Wooldridge pulled one back in the 76th minute when finishing from ten-yards and he grabbed a second in the 88th minute to give the final scoreline a degree of respectability.

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