BROMSGROVE Sporting began life under new manager Thomas Baillie with a 2-1 home defeat against St Ives Town on a frustrating afternoon for the Rouslers.
Sporting looked set to make the perfect start to the Southern League Premier Central season when Dan Sweeney netted on debut to hand the home side the lead at half time.
However, St Ives struck twice in the second period to take the points and ensure Baillie’s first game in charge ended in defeat at the Victoria Ground.
The Rouslers shaded an even first half with Sweeney scoring on 29 minutes from Ryan Edmunds’ free-kick as the two former Redditch United players combined to great effect.
St Ives drew level shortly after the interval when Jonathan Edwards found the net from a corner with Sporting goalkeeper Ollie Taylor crowded out by the amount of bodies in the penalty area.
And the visitors completed the turnaround on 72 minutes when Edwards scored his second of the game with a thunderous effort from another corner.
Sporting were unable to find a way back into the game and manager Baillie will hope his squad gel quickly over the coming weeks having made several new additions in the off season.
Sporting assistant manager Steve Walker said: “We were more than comfortable in the game in the first half and second half we didn’t come out – it’s as simple as that.
“I don’t know if the attitude was that the game was already won, we don’t need to put the work in, it was just nowhere near good enough.
“To concede two set-pieces in the manner that we have, after giving the players the information about how we think St Ives will score, is just very poor and we’re very frustrated.
“The attitude needs to change – we’ve already told them from day one that we won’t accept players attitude that they don’t need to do things.
“We’re here to win games of football, on that second-half performance we won’t win many games, Tuesday can’t come quick enough, we need to be ready for Needham next Saturday.”
Bromsgrove are next in action TOMORROW (Tuesday, August 9) against Kidderminster Harriers in a friendly with kick-off at 7.45pm at the Victoria Ground.
The Rouslers return to league action away at Needham Market on Saturday, August 13 with kick-off at 3pm at Bloomfields.
