Football
Sporting’s Lichfield jinx goes on

Lichfield City 2 Bromsgrove Sporting 0

Midland Combination Premier Division

SPORTING’S struggles at Lichfield continued on Saturday as they fell to defeat there for the third successive year.

The defeat was the start of a difficult week for Sporting who suffered a three point deduction to their tally on Monday when an appeal against a charge of failing to fulfil a league fixture against Brocton in August when the floodlights at the Victoria Ground were broken, was rejected at Wembley.

As a result they now sit fourth in the table, six points behind leaders Walsall Wood having played three games more, ahead of tomorrow’s trip to struggling Castle Vale JKS.

Sporting played some good football early on in difficult conditions at Lichfield, regularly opening the home side up with slick passing moves, only for a defender to get a block or last ditch tackle in.

Elliott Nash shot narrowly wide after 24 minutes and soon after Jon Rogers managed to round the goalkeeper but his shot from an acute angle was blocked by a defender.

Nash then had a 15-yard drive turned against the post by goalkeeper Johnson whilst little was being seen of Lichfield in attack.

Typically then, when the deadlock was broken on the stroke of half time it was the home team who did so, punishing Sporting for not taking advantage of their domination.

Lichfield were awarded a free kick a minute before half time and Fabian Facey was on hand to volley into the far corner after the initial effort deflected off the wall.

The visitors rarely looked like getting back into the game into the second half and their hopes took another blow in the 72nd minute when Matt Ross saw red after picking up his second yellow card.

Jacob Snape made it 2-0 from the resultant free kick to rub further salt into Sporting’s wounds and that proved to be the end of the meaningful action.

Tom Savage did make one more decent save to prevent the final margin of victory being greater but it was an ultimately frustrating day for the visitors.

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