PAUL SMITH was left pleased with the reaction his Bromsgrove Sporting players showed at Heather St Johns on Bank Holiday Monday following their “horrific” performance at Cadbury Athletic on Saturday.
Sporting’s 100 per cent start to the Midland League Division One campaign came to a crashing end over the weekend as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Athletic despite taking the lead from a Chris Lloyd penalty.
However, the Rouslers bounced back in style on Monday as they recorded a resounding 3-0 victory at Heather thanks to goals from Lloyd, Keenan Meakin-Richards and Sean Brain.
The result leaves Sporting top of the table on goal difference after five games and Smith told the Standard it was important his players returned to winning ways.
“For the first time this season we put on a real duff performance on Saturday and I don’t know why – it was horrific,” he said.
“I don’t know if the players thought they could turn up and just win the game but I gave them a roasting in the dressing room afterwards.
“It was a case of two points dropped but it was important to put on a strong performance at Heather and I was very pleased with the reaction.
“Heather are a very good young side with racks of pace and I think with one or two older additions, they’d be title challengers – they will take points off sides this season that’s for sure.
“The performance showed the roasting on Saturday worked but it’s a shame we’ve got to go two weeks without any football.”
After Sporting’s fixture at Stafford Town on Saturday has been postponed until April 8, the Rouslers return to action on Saturday, September 10 in the first qualifying round of the FA Vase when they welcome East Midlands Counties outfit Ellistown & Ibstock United to the Victoria Ground.
The fixture had been scheduled to be played at Terrace Road in Leicestershire but the Rouslers announced that the clash has been reversed.
“It’s not ideal that we have to have a break from football and I’ve put those feelings on record so it’ll be a case of having the lads in training on Thursday, Saturday, next Tuesday and next Thursday before the FA Vase game,” Smith added.
“It’s disappointing but I’m trying to arrange a friendly for Saturday or next Tuesday.”
