BROMSGROVE Rovers AFC have achieved a credible fourth place finish after concluding their first season playing in a higher division, writes Neil Gordon.
The Greens rounded off their inaugural season in Division Two of the Birmingham and District Football League with an agonising 4-3 defeat against Hopwood Swifts in mid-April.
The side accepted promotion from Division Three last summer after an impressive third-place finish in only their second season of competitive football for the club formed in 2021.
Bromsgrove went into their final game knowing victory would put them top of the table overnight, and they went ahead with an early Tom Clews strike before Brad Field levelled for the visitors.
After the interval George Tolley and Joe Cowman both equalised for Rovers after Calum Harper had twice put Swifts ahead.
However, Ryan Grundy grabbed a last-gasp winner to inflict defeat on Bromsgrove and leave them third in the table on 37 points.
Since then Bromsgrove have dropped a place to fourth after Hampton Sports completed a double over struggling Redditch Borough.
Elsewhere, title contenders Silhill and North Solihull faced off in a dramatic final game of the campaign.
North Solihull led Silhill by a single point heading into the fixture although the latter side had home advantage at Sharmans Cross Road.
Silhill triumphed 2-1 to overtake North Solihull and claim the league title and also won the Junior Cup with a 2-0 victory against Division One side Sutton United in the final.
Silhill’s victory brought an end to a gripping title race which saw the Solihull club’s penultimate game of the season abandoned at half time due to floodlight failure at Redditch Borough’s Cherry Tree Walk ground.
However, with Silhill 3-0 up at the time, the result stood, sending them top of the table for 24 hours until North Solihull won 3-1 against Walsall Phoenix.
Silhill would ultimately come out on top in the title tussle.
Elsewhere, Boldmere Sports and Social Falcons rounded off their campaign with away wins over Walsall Phoenix and Hopwood Swifts to finish fifth on 34 points.
Hopwood would have finished fifth themselves had they avoided defeat against Boldmere but instead they finished sixth on 32 points.
Match of The Day endured an unhappy Easter. The club were unable to field a team against Silhill for which they were deducted three points by the League.
Silhill were awarded a 0-0 walkover result and three points.
The Day also went down 3-1 away to Polesworth which saw the hosts leap-frog Redditch Borough and climb off the bottom of the table.
And Nechells Athletic consolidated seventh place with a 3-1 victory away at Redditch Borough following a 4-2 defeat at the hands of North Solihull.
