GSA Sports 1 Brocton 0

A balmy spring day following a fairly lengthy dry period had left the pitch hard and     bobbly and although Brocton produced a few passing moves which could have led to some success, it was the home side who dealt much better with the conditions.

Playing and maintaining to the end with high energy, GSA Sports had a twin approach. When gaining possession they got the ball forward quickly and often aerially, turning the defence for bright, quick forwards to attack and supported in as many numbers as could get there. When not in possession, they harried equally quickly and did not give any Brocton player time on the ball.

There were one or two bright moments early on for the visitors. Richards Jones and Miller combined well down the right flank, exchanging passes until Jones cut back from the bye line Miller unfortunately miscued his shot.

Then Gary Fife slipped his way through the defence to pull back for Lee Scott, whose shot on this occasion was well blocked and eventually cleared.

In between those two forays, Sports gave warning to their visitors not to put too much emphasis on attack as on both occasions swift breaks took them right into the danger area and whilst both attacks were repelled, the second was only with a kick out from keeper Mike Shelper, the signs were posted.

The break through came almost on the half hour, when an overlap on the left from just such a break resulted in a low cross which eluded several legs before being met on the far post with a simple tap in from Grey.

Immediately Fife was in the action once more on the edge of the penalty area, but had to juggle a difficult before finding Charlie Woollat to the left. Woollat found Miller coming in from the right and his shot brought a full length save, back towards his own goal from the keeper, who had advanced in an attempt to act as sweeper. Having performed minor heroics, the keeper then nearly spoiled his day by miss kicking the following goal kick directly to Miller whose quick thinking strike over the keeper’s head also cleared the bar.

The second half produced no more goals and precious little goal mouth action, but the Sports players continued their high tempo approach and rarely looked like relinquishing their lead. The keeper did well to adjust to a wicked upward deflection of a shot from Gary Fife and Ben Harrison was a whisker away from reaching a Fife free kick which found its way to the far post, but the only real chance came and went as a desperate appeal went up for hand ball on the edge of Sports’ area, but the referee was  unimpressed and although it looked a certainty, the result was the right one on the day.

Walsall Wood 0 Brocton 0

The first really balmy evening of the new year saw a lengthy break at half time whilst the unfortunate Andy Brookes needed paramedic and ambulance help after a nasty moment just before half time. Hopefully his injury will turn out to be less serious than it looked.

The match began well for Brocton as Richard Miller continued his good form by meeting a hard low cross from Gary Fife, at the far post. Walsall Wood’s keeper performed a minor miracle to deny the goal, saving  at the foot of his post. The resulting corner, just ten minutes into the match found the head of Matt Skinner and the keeper was well placed to beat away his powerful strike. Even then, Lee Scott got to the ball quickly and lobbed the keeper, only to see the ball drift over the bar.

The move of the match came as the twenty minute mark approached as the ball was kept on the left and then worked all across the field to the right with neat one touch passes. Richard Miller’s eventual shot was once again saved and he hit a second effort on the volley with tremendous power across keeper and goal, but wide of the target.

Walsall Wood stepped up their defensive work and stifled much of Brocton’s attacking threat from that moment, but despite becoming more comfortable in that respect, they could only manage to hit the ball long in the hope of getting the Brocton back line turning.

Half time arrived with Brookes off the filed briefly for treatment before an ambulance was summoned. His initial treatment held up the restart and once the game got underway, it was understandably no longer the match that it had been. Both sides worked hard, but defences were largely in control and what invention there had been earlier was never quite in evidence again.

An honourable draw was the fair result, although one or two gilt edged chances came to the home side as the game drew to a close.

Injury time goal cancels out the superb double strike by rising star Jon Hodnett.

The game was very patchy from the start with little football being played which was a sign of two mid table teams scrapping for points near the end of the season.  Initially however Cadbury looked the most purposeful and won a double corner on nine minutes from which Shelper failed to clear and it was bundled over the line by Cadbury’s Greg Bellard.

Following this Brocton started to assert themselves on the game and had the ball in the net on fifteen minutes through Gary Fife but this was adjudged to be offside.  Brocton however were trying to play football but many of their moves were too intricate against a very energetic side.

Fife again was put through on thirty minutes but unfortunately trod on the ball and the opportunity was lost.  Cadbury again went close to scoring upon the half time whistle but Shelper managed to palmed the ball around the post for a corner.

Brocton  emerged in the second half with a clear policy of getting the ball up to the front runners as early as possible, and this resulted in Wallace crossing the ball but neither Scott or Hodnett could get the vital touch. The game was played at a high tempo with end to end opportunities but both defences were holding firm.

Brocton made changes bringing on Richard Miller and Ben Harrison who both made an impact in the mid field and on sixty minutes Hodnett was released from the half way line and went on a direct run  for goal with the Cadbury defence trailing in his path and he hit the roof of the net from a fifteen yard strike.  This gave Brocton a real boost and an urgency as they now felt they could win the match. Cadbury were now looking second best and Harrison and Fife had further chances with Fife going very close on sixty seven minutes with Cadbury’s beaten. On 80 minutes Fife slotted the ball to Hodnett for his second goal. 

Cadburys now saw the game slipping away and started putting Brocton under pressure in pursuit of the equaliser, and following a succession of free kicks in the Brocton half, Ken Howells managed to force the ball over the line in injury time.

Heather St John’s 2 v Brocton 1

A brief flurry in the opening minutes of the game saw Adam McMahon burst into the box with only the keeper to beat, but his attempted lob did not quite have the height and a grateful keeper beat the ball away. Then Gary Fife found Matt Skinner with a deep corner and his powerful header flashed wide.

Then it was the home side with a good throw into the box which was heavily contested before being half blocked. A shot from the rebound was well saved by Mike Shelper..

Heather had the better of the midfield exchanges with time when in possession and swift into the tackle when the ball went to Brocton, but it was after Brocton had pressed in the home box that Heather broke out to score. An underarm throw found the centre back deep in his own half, but with time and space to consider his options. A simple pass all along the ground into the centre circle was met with an equally simple, but very effective side foot glance both setting Matt Moore free and catching Dean Crowley, who could do no more then than chase Moore’s shadow. Shelper stood his ground in goal, but Moore slipped the ball past him and into the net.

Despite the home side often looking in complete control of the game, still Brocton found their moments and an Adam McMahon throw and Lee Scott flick on gave Skinner yet another header in the box which the keeper was well placed to field.

The second half gave Brocton the advantage of distance with goal kicks, the wind now at their backs, but initially neither side could threaten. It was on the hour that once more a throw, this time gathered by Karl McLeod and fed to McMahon in the box, saw McMahon hit a shot on the turn, forcing a corner. Fife’s corner was pulled back low before being whipped across goal to the far post where Skinner powered his third time lucky header in from a narrow angle to bring the visitors level.

Heather immediately powered back and in quick succession broke beyond Brocton’s back line to produce one on one situations with Shelper. On both occasions the shot was hit wide, but the warning signs were obvious.

With Brocton still reeling a free kick on the left touch line was swung into the danger area where sheer determination saw a Heather St John head on the ball. Shelper parried, but was powerless to deal with the return just inside the post.

With the home side now rampant, they could have stretched their lead, but profligate shooting continued to let them down and they could easily have come to regret it as yet another flurry from Brocton late in the game saw Gary Fife go close twice and then see a third effort cleared off the line.

Continental Star 3 – Brocton F C 2

The sun shone over Oldbury but it was the home side which started the brighter with Green rising above the Brocton defence to put a powerful header over the bar. Brocton found it hard to get into their rhythm for the opening 15 minutes, but Mick Fox began to hold the ball up well and to bring others in to the play.

Brocton`s first clear chance followed neat interplay between Lee Scott, Fox and Gary Fife which finished with Fife striking the ball at the keeper from 6 yards.

Star were soon putting pressure on the visitors` defence and Mike Shelper was forced into a superb reaction save tipping a goal bound effort from close range onto the bar with an alert Richard Jones clearing the rebound.

Brookes for the home side crossed to Benjamin whose shot was just over.

Now the game was opening up and Fox showed fine skill to evade the Star defence and find Fife at the far post. Fife shot with his left foot into the side netting from close range.

Fox was proving a real handful for Star now and a deft ball to the advancing Scott resulted in the latter shooting over from 18 yards. Fox and Ashley Phillips combined well to find Fife once more who stretching to meet the cross struck it against the post.

But it was Star who created the last chance of the half when Benjamin, put through with a clear run on goal, showed inadequate control and Shelper reacted smartly to see off the danger. Half time 0-0

Within 15 minutes of the restart Star had raced into a two goal lead. On both occasions the Brocton defence appeared to have snuffed out a Star attack only to then fail to clear. On the first as the ball fell free Green was the first to react slotting a crisp shot past Shelper and on the second it was Brooks who scored from 8 yards.

Jon Hodnet who had replaced an injured Ashley Phillips at half time began testing the Star left back, and with Fox once more making inroads Brocton began to force star into some desperate clearances. From a resulting corner on the left Scott rose well and headed home.

There now seemed to be a belief in the Brocton ranks and the pressure on the Star goal increased with Brocton`s midfield gaining the upper-hand and  Charlie Jones working very hard and putting in some telling tackles. Once more however Brocton appeared to shoot themselves in the foot when the ball was passed across the front of goal and Benjamin intercepted and struck the ball impressively inside the post for Star’s third goal on 75 minutes.

This was against the run of play and within 2 minutes Brocton were back in the match when Fife cut in from the left a curled the ball inside the far post and past a diving Amos.

Now Brocton`s tails were up and Hodnet outpaced the Star defence to swing in a cross to which Amos could only get his finger tips deflecting it across the face of goal. Scott advancing at pace flung himself at the ball only to see his header pass narrowly wide.

Fox showed trickery on the left to weave through the Star defence. He withstood a lunging tackle which made no contact with the ball and squared into the 6 yard box but the ball was hoofed away.

In what proved to be the last minute of the match Scott breached the home defence for a one on one with the home keeper. His side-footed shot, however, was read by Amos who diving to his left gathered and cleared leaving Brocton`s players, management and supporters somewhat bemused at the failure to secure any points.