BRENDAN Kelly has called for Bromsgrove Sporting to set their 3-1 victory over Redditch United as the base level of performance going forward – after the Rouslers got off to a winning start in the Red Recruitment Trophy.
Two late strikes from Jason Cowley decided a heated derby with the Reds, in which a dismissal of the hosts’ Tom Taylor left Sporting with ten men for the best part of 40 minutes prior to United’s Branden Horton also heading for an early bath, after Daniel Sweeney’s penalty ruled out Josh Quaynor’s early opener.
And with Alvechurch next up on the horizon in a trip to Lye Meadow on Saturday, the Bromsgrove boss does not want his side to let up just yet.
“I was very pleased with the application and performance – it certainly wasn’t a friendly with the tackles flying in all over the place,” said Kelly.
“We played pretty much for 40 minutes with ten men, something I questioned the lads about pre-lockdown was their desire and their work rate, but they worked really hard tonight and I think we deserved the win.
“We weathered a little storm, they started brighter and had the better of the opening exchanges, Max [Beardmore] was the busier ‘keeper after Tommy [Taylor] was sent off. Then second half I thought we were better.
“The tempo and application was good and we were pretty much back where we need to be, they’ve set the standard now going forward – that was far better than what we offered pre-lockdown.
“It’s crazy what we have to deal with with all these obstacles, but we’ll see what happens [with the latest tier restrictions].
“We look forward to it [Saturday’s next match], it’ll be a good encounter between the teams and it’s another chance for lads to get minutes in the tank.”
Brendan Kelly wants his side to build momentum. Picture by Andrew Maguire.
Though Tuesday night’s battle could only be considered a friendly, the approach taken by both sides at the Victoria Ground was anything but, with full-blooded challenges and an evident will to win on show for all gathered at the home of Sporting to see.
Kelly admits that he was delighted to see what some would consider a throwback to football in days gone by, and could only take heart from the commitment levels of his players.
“That’s what you expect in non-league football,” he added.
“The lads are competitive, there’s nothing wrong with that, you have to enjoy that part of the game.
“It’s probably an art that’s gone out of the game in regards to competitiveness, especially at the top level, so it was nice to see that part of it.
“He [Jason Cowley] played really well I thought, he was up front on his own for large spells but the lads out wide – Lee [Chilton], Will [Shorrock] and Charlie [Dowd] – supported him well, especially in the second half.
“When chances did come his way he tucked them away, so I’m really pleased for Jason to get back amongst the goals.
“I’ve known Lee a long time, he’s got a lot of experience, same with Brad who’s a good competitor who adds bite and is stern in the middle of the park – his talking was very important for us in the second half especially going out there with ten men.”
And while the derby-day victory was a welcome sight for Rouslers fans, Kelly is still keen to address a pre-lockdown run which saw Sporting lose four fixtures on the spin.
“I’m still looking to bring a couple more players in, what happened pre-lockdown wasn’t good enough, a lot of lads had a lot of chances – some will move on but that’s just football,” he continued.
“It’s every man for himself in this squad at the minute, if you want to play you’ve got to play well every week.
“We’ve looked back and watched every game, scenarios, things that happened in games and what we can work on and do better.
“The lads have trained hard remotely as difficult as it is, but that’s why I’m so pleased with the result – we could have come back very rusty but I don’t think we did.”
