Town sign off at home with disappointing defeat
Stratford Town 1, Bromsgrove Sporting 2
STRATFORD Town’s biggest crowd of the season witnessed their side’s worst display of the campaign as relegation-haunted Bromsgrove secured the win needed to keep them in the league.
As a result, the Bards must now rely on results elsewhere going their way if they are to have a chance of making the play-offs - they have now slumped to seventh behind rivals Leamington, Redditch United and Stamford.
A healthy 1,237 were in the Arden Garages Stadium and they saw the visitors dominate the early exchanges, culminating in their 23rd minute opener.
On eight minutes, powerful Bromsgrove left-back David Solademi fired wide with Billy Shaw then firing a first time effort straight at Bards keeper Callum Smith.
Sporting continued to hold the upper hand and they were rewarded when Aaron Roberts picked out the unchecked run of Shaw who was allowed the time and space to guide a shot beyond Smith and into the bottom left-hand corner.
Stratford’s first effort of the game came on the half-hour when Callum Coyle fired wide and visiting keeper Ollie Taylor was finally called on to make a save two minutes later when he blocked a Lewis Ison shot with his legs.
Ison was one of the few Town players to emerge with any credit as he tried to provide a spark for those around him. Lewis Wilson was unruffled at right-back until the late arrival of Sporting substitute Miro Pais and Dan Lafferty showed his usual enthusiasm both with and without the ball.
Other than those it was a day to forget as far as the Bards were concerned and it came as little surprise when they fell further behind on 53 minutes, Nathan Blissett finding space in behind the defence before dispatching a shot across Smith and into the bottom left-hand corner.
At the other end, Ison put a header over the target as Bards boss Gavin Hurren sent on the artillery in the form of makeshift striker Liam Daly. Any thoughts of intricate passing from the home side were soon forgotten as balls were hoisted into the air for Daly whose arrival saw striker Andre Landell moved into midfield.
Tyrell Hamilton, another of Stratford’s replacements, went close midway through the second half only to be denied by a point-blank save from Taylor.
And it was Taylor who gave his side a slither of hope on 89 minutes when his blocked shot spun high into the roof of the net in spite of the Bromsgrove keeper almost keeping it out.
Added time presented a guilt-edged chance to Jack Storer in front of goal but his header lacked power and ended up in Taylor’s grateful arms. That just about summed up his side’s afternoon.
Stratford: Smith, Wilson, Worley (Daly 62), Hussey, McCone, Coyle (Solanke 66), Storer, Hawker (Hamilton 46), Landell, Ison, Lafferty. Subs (not used): Clutterbuck, Vann
Bromsgrove: Taylor, Derricott, Shaw (Bruck 78), Rowe, Roberts, Richards-Everton, Solademi, Abimbola (Cooper 66), Obinna (Pais 72), Newell, Blissett. Subs (not used): Alamu, Leachman-Whittingham.
Referee: Neal Templey
Attendance: 1,237
Bards Star Man: Lewis Ison
Opposition Star Man: David Solademi
