BROMSGROVE SPORTING brought the curtains down on their home campaign with a 2-0 victory over a stubborn Heath Hayes outfit.
A goal from Luke Dugmore after 78 seconds and a penalty from Josh Westwood in the 54th minute ensured the Rouslers walked away with the three points in front of 423 supporters at the Victoria Ground.
Going into today’s game on the back of a 1-1 draw against Racing Club Warwick which all but ended promotion hopes for Sporting, they started fantastically well as they opened the scoring early on.
After Sean Brain’s cross somehow reached Westwood, the ball landed at the feet of Dugmore on the edge of the area who rifled the ball into the roof of the Heath Hayes net.
Sporting continued to apply the pressure with Brain and Will Tibbetts looking bright down the wings as they time after time got in behind the Heath Hayes defence.
Westwood almost capitalised on Sporting’s superior wing play in the 12th minute when he collected Tibbetts’ shot in the centre of goal before turning his man and unleashing a rasping drive that went agonisingly wide of the angle.
Again, Brain continued to be the outlet for Sporting and he almost made it 2-0 in the 20th minute but he glanced a header from Tibbetts’ cross wide of the far post followed by Dugmore blazing over from the edge of the area three minutes later.
Heath Hayes, despite their pace up front, didn’t threaten Sporting’s Chris Jay at all with one key chance falling to Daniel Scragg but his drilled free-kick from 20 yards out was well blocked by Tibbetts.
Despite their blistering start, Sporting failed to add to their tally going into the break.
After failing to trouble Jay in the first half, Heath Hayes actually started the second the brighter of the two sides but Liam Degville could not equalise within the first minute of the second half as he volleys well wide.
Sporting were awarded a penalty in the 53rd minute when Sam Wills was hacked down in the box and up stepped Westwood to convert, going the opposite direction to keeper Wiggins who was booked in the build up for the penalty for dissent.
With the wind in their sails, Sporting showed more confidence as Dugmore and Aaron Roberts showed some neat skill before the latter was played in but he saw his dangerously delivered cross just about dealt with.
Heath Hayes almost got themselves back into the game on the hour mark but Jay stood tall to save brilliantly with his feet. A let off for Sporting.
Joe Pickering tried an ambitious free-kick from 30 yards out for Heath Hayes in the 75th minute but it was comfortably saved by Jay.
Going into the final 15 minutes Heath Hayes tried to force their way back in the game but found it difficult against a Sporting side that, despite their odd moment here and there, had been solid all game.
In the dying embers of the game, Tibbetts almost added a third but when substitute Connor Collins forced his way into the box, he drilled a cross low into the danger area but the Heath Hayes defence managed to poke the ball away with Tibbetts primed and ready to fire home.
Kyle Turner must have thought he put Sporting 3-0 up in injury time but Mark Wiggins put up a strong right hand to deny him from close range.
Sporting return to the Victoria Ground on May 7 for the final of the Smedley Crooke Memorial Charity Cup against Pilkington XXX but before that, the Rouslers travel to Southam United on Tuesday night followed by Bolehall Swifts on Thursday night.
