Midland Football League Division 1
Pilkington XXX 2 (1) Bromsgrove Sporting 3 (1) Monday
Hinckley 1 Sporting 2 Saturday
Josh McKenzie scoring his first against Hinckley
BROMSGROVE Sporting travelled the short distance to Kings Norton for their Bank Holiday fixture against Pilkington XXX and again had a debut boy with Gary Hay starting up front writes David Stephens.
On a very wet afternoon, which made ball control difficult, Sporting were out of the traps quickly taking the lead in the seventh minute when Jozsef Jakab received the ball on the edge of the penalty area and slipped in Gary Hay to score from 12 yards.
Pilkington gradually got back into the game and started to control and their pressure finally paid off in the 25th minute when a Jack McGinn shot took a deflection and wrong footed Bedford.
After the break Sporting put the pressure on and re-took the lead after 53 minutes when Taylor jinked past two defenders and set up Jakab who scored with aplomb from the left hand side of the penalty area.
Sporting at this stage were controlling matters and seemed to make the game safe when in the 71st minute when a Simon Fitter free kick found the head of Hay in the area and despite a valiant effort by Reece Francis in the Pilkington goal, couldn’t keep the ball out of the net.
Pilkington got back into the game in the 76th. minute following a corner from the left and after a goalmouth scramble the ball was bundled home by Josh Lloyd-Maddams, this encouraged the men from Kings Norton and were unlucky not to equalise when a fierce shot by Jack Gauntlett forced Bedford into a fine full length fingertip save.
Pilkington threw everything at the Bromsgrove defence in trying to get the all important goal, but with tiring legs the men form the Victoria Ground held out for a very important three points.
On Saturday Sporting beat Hinckley away 2-1 with a brace from Josh McKenzie.
The two wins have pushed Sporting up Division One were they now lie in eighth position.
Sporting are away at the weekend to Coleshill in the FA Cup Preliminary round after beating Bewdley 2-0 a fortnight ago in the Extra Preliminary round.
