BROMSGROVE Rovers AFC brought down the curtain on their league campaign with a disappointing 4-3 home defeat against Hopwood Swifts, writes Neil Gordon.
Tom Clews opened the scoring early on before George Tolley and Joe Cowman both scored second-half equalisers on Wednesday at Eldorado Close, Studley.
For Hopwood, Brad Field levelled in the first-half and Calum Harper twice put the visitors ahead after the interval, before Ryan Grundy grabbed a last-gasp winner.
Rovers missed the opportunity to top Division Two of the Birmingham and District Football League and finished the night third, two points behind leaders North Solihull.
The Division Two title will go to either North Solihull or Silhill who are separated by one point with three games to play, with Hampton Sports also mathematically in with a chance.
Bromsgrove will take much credit from their first season playing in the higher Division Two, but also frustrated at what could have been.
Clews put Bromsgrove ahead on eight-minutes when he clinically finished a rebound after the visiting goalkeeper had failed to hold Tolley’s powerful shot, as Rovers looked to complete a double after beating Hopwood 4-2 away on Saturday.
Jack Dawkins, Clews and Jake Evans each had chances to increase Rovers lead but failed to capitalise with Bromsgrove punished on the stroke of half-time.
Field won possession deep in the Rovers half and ran through to fire home a firm shot inside the far post to make it 1-1 at the interval.
Just after the hour mark Calum Harper put Hopwood ahead when his curling shot beat George Harris in the home goal.
The Greens hit back and the onrushing Tolley skilfully guided home an equaliser with the outside of his boot after Dan Gibson’s superb ball picked out the scorer.
Hopwood then restored their lead with Rovers down to ten men with Jack Hopper in the sin bin after he received a yellow card for dissent. Harper went on a brilliant mazy run from the right and coolly slotted home to make it 3-2.
And as the clock ticked down substitute Cowman’s close-range bullet header at the near post from a corner brought Bromsgrove back to level the scores at 3-3.
However, Grundy had the final say with the last kick of the game when he found the net to inflict a 4-3 defeat on Bromsgrove in their final league match of the season.
Bromsgrove Rovers AFC manager, Spencer Machin said: “It would have been nice to end the season with a win but we missed good chances in the first-half and let Hopwood back in.”
