Bromsgrove Sporting secure a point at Basford United

Sporting dominated the first half hour and unfortunately failed to score. Basford worked his way into the game and took the lead early in the second half, with Sporting scoring a deserved equalizer in added time.

The visitors from Bromsgrove, playing on an artificial turf pitch under a gray sky, started much stronger, with Brandon Smalley in particular testing Basford keeper Kieran Preston several times within the opening twenty minutes.

As the half progressed, the home side pushed forward, making use of their experienced striker and captain Greg Smith, whose presence in the box worried the Sporting defense, particularly in the 36th minute when he forced a good try from Rouslers’ keeper Ollie Taylor Save with a well-placed header.

However, neither side was able to gain enough lead to be on the top scorers list, and the teams went into the game goalless at half-time.

The start of the second half certainly belonged to Basford, who successfully forced an increase in the pace of play and a more assertive play. And it worked well for them in the 56th minute, when Courey Grantham floated a good cross from the left to Smith at the far post; He headed back to fellow forward Kameron Campbell at the far post, who had the easiest header into an empty net to put his side ahead.

Midway through the half, Miro Pais and Ayo Lekuti, who had previously played well, gave way to Jack Tolley and debutant Nathan Kebeya in hopes of changing the momentum and opening up opposition defences, and it worked almost immediately as Tolley fired wide along his first touch a few minutes later.

Sporting, meanwhile, were more than equal to their opponents, using Kebeya on the right and Ammar Dyer on the left to turn balls off the wings and into the box. Basford also missed a number of free-kicks and Sporting were unlucky to fail to convert the resulting set pieces, of which Smalley found Jack Newell in the 78th minute, heading just over the bar.

In the 90th minute the referee added four minutes of stoppage time and at that point Kartell Dawkins, who was superb in a sweeper role, broke up a Basford attack just outside his own box and sent a long ball down the home midfield to Tolley the full-back Owen Betts faked before praising Preston for improving procedure. The drama wasn’t over, however, as Basford almost scored the winner two minutes later, but Smith’s shot for the Rouslers happened to hit the left post to level the final 1-1.

Athletic line-up: Ollie Taylor, Jack Newell, Kartell Dawkins, Joe Curtis (Callum King-Harmes 78 mins), Tom Taylor (Capt), Mike McGrath, Ammar Dyer, Mo Njie, Miro Pais (Jack Tolley 64 mins), Brandon Smalley, Ayo Lekuti (Nathan Kebeya 64 mins). Unused Substitutes: Lewis Wright, Blake Kindred.

Quantity: 308

Sporting man of the game: Cartel Dawkins