A PENALTY miss, injuries and a score-draw all lay in store for the 300 fans gathered in the Victoria Ground last night for Bromsgrove Sporting’s friendly with Southern League Premier Central rivals Hednesford Town.
Both goals fell within the opening half, with a trialist cancelling out Danny Glover’s eighth-minute opener for the visiting Pitmen just before half-time.
But with injuries to Mikey Taylor, Josh Ezewele and Jake Bloomer suffered on the night, the warm-up slowly developed into a nightmare for Rouslers manager Brendan Kelly.
A fast-paced opening saw Leon Broadhurst hit the bar with an improvised back-heel, with Hednesford instead going in front minutes later from the spot.
Taylor and Ezewele were both then replaced within three minutes of each other after sustaining injuries, replaced by Will Shorrock and Jack Wilson respectively.
Even with the set-backs suffered so early on, it was the hosts who were asking the majority of the questions, going close through Nathan Hayward and another trialist with drives from range.
And while Broadhurst again went close with a header that flew narrowly wide from a set-piece, Bromsgrove drew level when Trialist A dispossessed former Solihull ‘keeper Andy Wycherley before firing home.
With no changes at half-time, the second half was slow to start in comparison to the first, though a major flashpoint arrived with 23 minutes left to play when a foul on Gift Mussa handed Sporting a penalty.
But having drawn the scores level, Trialist A was unable to put Bromsgrove in front when being denied by Wycherley, a chance that proved the only real effort of an otherwise drab second half.
A lengthy break in play following a head injury sustained by Bloomer meant the game petered out towards it’s conclusion, though a late Shorrock cross threatened to win the game for the hosts when being turned onto the post by a Town player.
The games continue to come thick and fast for Kelly’s men, with the visit of National League North side Leamington to the Victoria Ground next on the agenda tomorrow (Saturday, 3pm).
The penultimate friendly is a pay on the gate fixture at £5 entry, with up to 600 fans allowed into the ground in line with COVID-19 precautionary restrictions.
