BROMSGROVE SPORTING began the year with a pair of goalless draws after being held by both Stratford Town and Biggleswade Town respectively.
The results mean Bromsgrove are now 12th in the Southern League Premier Central table, seven points clear of the relegation zone.
Sporting shored up at the back for their New Year’s Day clash at Stratford in a game of few chances at the Arden Garages Stadium.
Josh Quaynor’s early effort from distance went wide with Jack Storer’s free-kick blocked by the Bromsgrove wall at the other end.
Ollie Taylor made a good save to keep out William Dawes strike from inside the area before Connor Taylor saw his cross pushed away by Town keeper Murphy Mahoney.
Chances continued to come Sporting’s way in the second half with Quaynor’s 25-yard effort well-saved by Mahoney after Jack Newell had struck wide from distance.
Jamie Molyneux, Nathan Hayward and Joe Willis were all denied before substitute Callum Ebanks produced a powerful header that hit the crossbar in the third minute of time added on.
And Bromsgrove were left frustrated in their clash at Biggleswade on January 3 as Gavin Hurren’s side spurned numerous chances to take the points.
Demetri Brown wasted Sporting’s first chance of the afternoon when he found himself one-on-one with Town keeper Josh Hill only to shoot straight at the Biggleswade stopper.
Hill then kept out Willis’s superb free-kick with a diving save before denying another Brown effort moments later.
A flurry of chances came the Rouslers way towards the end of the half with Molyneux denied by the feet of Hill before the Waders keeper was also equal to shots from Ebanks and Hayward.
The closest Sporting came to a winner in the second half was through Tom Taylor but he could only loop C. Taylor’s free-kick narrowly over the bar.
After going three games without a goal, Hurren said: “The Biggleswade game feels like two points dropped, it was a shame we didn’t put the ball in the back of the net.
“Their keeper pulled off five or six really good saves, it shows how far we’ve come as a team collectively.
“Joel [Kettle] unfortunately tested positive for Covid-19 last Saturday night which was a bit of a blow, he was fantastic against Stratford, Cody Fisher and Jordan Goddard have got it as well.
“These boys know how we set-up, we’re hard to beat, we’ve got to kick on now, we’ve got to change our mindset and take these chances.”
Bromsgrove are next in action away at Leiston on Saturday, January 8 with kick-off at 3pm at the Watson and Hillhouse Stadium.
