Brocton 0  Oldbury Athletic 3

Brocton’s game with title chasing Oldbury Athletic was a lot closer than the final score of 0-3 suggests as a young Badgers side took the game to the visitors for long periods but failed to capitalise on their goal chances.

Oldbury were the first to show and Dean Gillick had to get in a good tackle to break up an early attack. Brocton countered with a promising move involving a smart one two between Gary Fife and Ashley Philips but although that  attack petered out, in Brocton’s next move Fife got round the back and got in a cross that the Oldbury defence did well to head clear under pressure.

The Badgers then won two corners in quick succession and from the second one they worked an opening for Fife and from thirty yards he thundered the ball against the post.

At the other end Myron Sempler beat Brocton’s offside trap to go clear but Mike Shelper came out to narrow the angle and Sempler dinked his effort wide. After Sean Williams had won Oldbury a corner which came to nothing Brocton went forward again and set up a chance for Fife but he could only find the side netting. Jon Hodnett then made an intelligent run, losing his marker and using his pace to latch on to a ball into the box from Gillick but his shot lacked power and Oldbury ‘keeper John Carmichael gathered easily. Dean Gillick then won a free kick on the edge of the box but Fife’s hurried effort was well wide.

Badgers’ boss Dave Berks sent on subs Adam McMahon and Paul McMahon at the start of the second half and Brocton almost took the lead that their play had deserved when Ashley Phillips crossed from the right and Jon Hodnett produced an excellent near post header. Keeper John Carmichael made an excellent save that not only kept out the shot but pushed the loose ball away from the in-rushing Fife.

The save proved to be a turning point as on 51 minutes Sean Williams set up Garth Day and he lobbed the ball over Shelper to give Oldbury the lead.

The visitors now had their tails up and a good run along the bye line by Myron Sempler looked threatening until Brocton skipper Danny McLeod managed to turn the ball behind for a corner. Garth Day who had got himself booked for a comment to the referee then fired in a shot that looked destined for the bottom corner until Shelper made a superb one-handed save low to his left. Shelper was soon in action again saving well with his feet to deny Sempler and then produced an even better one-handed save low to his right to deny Oldbury’s impressive centre forward Luke Reynolds.  Reynolds had the last laugh though beating Shelper 4 minutes from time to make it 2-0 and then Andy Chandler headed into his own net in stoppage time to give the visitors a largely academic third goal.