Under 9s Reports - 2004-05

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 Sat Jun 18: Fownhope Tournament - Semi-Final:
Ledbury Swifts - 0, Newtown Sports - 2

Registration took place at 9am and with the temperatures already soaring and with the winners needing to play as many as nine games - it was always going to be an energy sapping event. The Swifts were drawn in an extremely tough group; they opened with a challenging game against Newtown Sports and the Swifts were relieved to go in front when Dan Sewell scored with a deflected free kick in the first half. Newtown responded with some fine inter-play in midfield and quickly levelled the game. Ledbury's defence of Kieron Danter, Ben Butler and Jonathon Gooch in goal raised their game and managed to keep Newtown's strikers at bay and earn the Swifts a well deserved draw. In the second match, Ledbury came up against their league rivals from Bartestree who started the game very brightly and took the Swifts by surprise when they scrambled the ball home to take an early lead. However, Ledbury quickly responded when Danter fired the ball home after a determined run down the right wing. Then, just as the Swifts were getting on top of the match Bartestree scored a second, but some strong running from Daniel O'Neill in midfield, who was having his best game of the tournament, ended in a slide rule pass into the feet of Jack Pritchard who stroked the ball home under the keepers body. With everyone's adrenalin running on overload Pritchard was able to win the ball after a short Bartestree goal kick, advance on goal and strike the ball home for his second of the game. This was quickly followed by a trademark run and shot off the post from Daniel Sewell to give Ledbury a well deserved 4-2 lead. Rob Phillips and James Charlesworth then came on for the Swifts to strengthen the midfield and ensure a solid win. Ledbury's third match was against their old rivals from Ross. In another tightly contested game the Swifts were unlucky to lose the match 1-0 after being on top for most of the game. This was quickly followed by a fourth match against a very strong Greyhound City Sports team which unfortunately resulted in a 2-0 defeat despite some very good defensive midfield work from Charlesworth. With one win, one draw and two defeats, the fifth and final group match against Wellington became a must win game. The tie was finely balanced throughout with Gooch making a number of important saves. Ultimately the Swifts had some good fortune when Sewell was able to squeeze the ball home from close range. The Swifts management immediately made a tactical change in bringing Charlesworth and Rob Phillips on to strengthen the defense. The seconds ebbed away and the Swifts made their way through to the quarter finals. There they were pitted against Belmont who had won the other group. This also proved to be a closely contested game and with extra time looming, the Swifts won a throw in close to the right hand corner flag; it was taken short to Pritchard who  looked up, struck the ball with great precision into the top left corner of the goal giving the Belmont keeper no chance. In the semi final, Ledbury came up against Newtown Sports for the second time, but on this occasion the technical ability of the Newtown team shone through as the Swifts struggled to exert their all action style in the latter part of the day. Newtown eventually emerged as 2-0 winners before going on to lose a tightly contested final against Ross. Although the Swifts did not quite make it to the final, they were really pleased with their performance against such strong opposition and would like to thank everyone in Fownhope for such a well-organised tournament. 

First round results:
Swifts - 1 (Sewell), Newtown Sports - 1 // Swifts - 0, Ross Juniors - 1
Swifts - 3 (Danter, Pritchard 2, Sewell), Bartestree - 2
Swifts - 0, Greyhound City Sports - 2 // Swifts - 1 (Sewell), Wellington - 0
Quarter-Final:
Swifts - 1 (Pritchard), Belmont - 0



Sun May 29: Hereford Lads Club Tournament
Ledbury Swifts - 2 (Sewell, Danter), Hereford Lads Club - 0
Ledbury Swifts - 0, Pegasus Juniors - 1
Ledbury Swifts - 0, Greyhound City Sports - 0 
There were nine teams in the Under 9's age group with the teams being split into two groups for the initial mini league stage. On arriving for the tournament and studying the match programme the Swifts quickly realised that they were in for a tough afternoon. The programme revealed that the other three members of the group were Greyhound City Sports (League Champions), Pegasus Juniors (Hillman Florist Cup Winners) and Lads Club (who have proved to be tough opposition on more than one occasion). Undaunted by the task ahead and in brilliant sunshine, the Swifts got off to a good start with a 2-0 win against Lads Club. Dan Sewell scored with a fine shot in the first half after some solid midfield work by Tyler Broughton and James Charlesworth. In the second half Kieron Danter launched a long forward pass to Jack Pritchard in the Lads Club penalty area. The Lads Club keeper failed to collect the ball under pressure from Jack and the ball slipped into the net to give Kieron a spectacular goal. In the second game, Swifts played Pegasus Juniors in what proved to be a very tight and finely balanced game. Jonathon Gooch made some good saves in goal and Callum Green made a very positive contribution in midfield. Unfortunately after holding Pegasus for much of the game, Ledbury failed to clear their lines and Pegasus managed to scramble the ball home for a 1-0 win. In the final qualifying game, Swifts came up against the league champions Greyhound City Sports. Despite a lot of pressure from Greyhound, Ledbury played exceedingly well with Rob Phillips making some particularly important tackles in defence. With concentration etched on their faces, the Swifts took the game to Greyhound and almost took the lead. However, in these brief 5 minutes each-way matches, the referee's whistle is never far away and very shortly thereafter the final whistle was blown and the match ended in a 0-0 draw. Although the Swifts played very well and won the first game and secured a very credible draw in the third game, their points tally fell short of that needed for entry into the final. Hence with their football proceedings at an end the Swifts were able to relax and enjoy the rest of the day. 

Sun May 08: Ken Long Trophy - Final
Ledbury Swifts - 2 (Sewell, Tomkins)
Leominster Minors - 1 
The tournament this year truly lived up to expectations with an attendance of almost 150 people, some great football matches and most importantly a perfect result. Swifts opened the afternoon with a tough game against Leominster. Ledbury enjoyed a lot of possession in the first half and forced several corners before Jack Pritchard was able to slide the ball home following a short pass from Daniel Sewell. Minors responded positively in the second half and would have drawn level if it were not for some solid defending by Ben Butler and Kieron Danter. Fortunately the Swifts were able to protect their lead and emerge as 1-0 winners. In the second match Swifts came up against Pershore in what turned out to be a very exciting game. Ledbury enjoyed a lot of possession created by the midfield foundation of Daniel O'Neill, Daniel Sewell and Josh Tomkins. Midway through the first half Sewell initiated a rapid counter attack from within his own half and made a slide-rule pass through the defence into the path of Pritchard who had eluded his marker. Jack collected the ball and deftly dispatched it past the diving keeper. Energised by this early success Swifts continued to press forward and it was not long before Jack was able to scramble the ball home for the his second of the game. The second half continued in much the same way with Rob Phillips creating a lot of forward momentum supported by Danter, eventually the pressure paid off and Sewell completed a great captain's performance with a firm strike from outside the penalty area. The third round match saw the Swifts pitted against Everside; despite having been on the wrong side of their previous encounter and playing up the slope, Swifts continued enjoyed a lot of possession and created some great passing movements which led to early first half goals for Sewell and Pritchard after a great driving run down the right hand side of the pitch and cross from Daniel O'Neill. Inevitably in the second half Everside responded positively and quickly scored their first goal to create a tense and exciting conclusion to the game. At this point the heavens opened and it would have been very easy to lose control of the game at this stage. However, some determined running from Tyler Broughton in attack, some solid defensive play from James Charlesworth in midfield and a fine diving save from Jonathon Gooch saved the day for the Swifts. The final was always set to be a tense affair as this was Swifts third tournament final and they had yet to be victorious. The first half was very finely balanced from the outset with both teams playing well. However, Sewell quickly had Ledbury supporters jumping for joy as he gave the Swifts the lead. Leominster responded quickly and secured a free kick on the edge of the Swifts penalty area that they scored with a great strike. At half time Swifts re-organised to get as many fresh legs on the pitch as possible and this tactical change was quickly rewarded with a fine long range strike from Tomkins. Inevitably the remaining minutes of the game proved to be nail biting as Leominster went in search of the equaliser; fortunately Ben Butler, Phillips and Gooch defended resolutely and Rob in particular made two vital tackles. Eventually Swifts were able to savour their first tournament victory. 

First Round results:
Swifts - 1 (Pritchard), Leominster Minors - 0 // Everside Eagles - 1, Pershore - 0
Swifts - 3 (Pritchard 2, Sewell), Pershore - 0 // Leominster Minors - 1, Everside Eagles - 0
Swifts - 2 (Sewell, Pritchard), Everside Eagles - 1 // Pershore - 0, Leominster Minors - 1

3rd/4th play off:  Everside Eagles - 4, Pershore - 1

Competition sponsorship courtesy of Friday's Fish & Chips and Tesco Ledbury. 

Sat Apr 16: Friendly
Pershore Town - 0 
Ledbury Swifts - 4 (Pritchard 2, Broughton, Danter)
Swifts, shorn of three first team regulars and with only seven players available, approached the game with a sense of unknown. However, the availability of a good pitch and the sunny weather appeared to re-assure them and they started the game in fine form. Early pressure created an indirect free kick within inches of the Pershore goal line; with the whole of the home team creating a wall along the line the chance of the Swifts registering the first goal seemed remote. However, some quick thinking by Daniel Sewell resulted in a cheeky back heel to Jack Pritchard who was able to squeeze the ball home from short distance. Ledbury kept up the pressure after the re-start and Daniel Sewell, Tyler Broughton and Jonathan Gooch enjoyed a lot of possession in midfield. On the occasions that Pershore did make an attack Kieron Danter and Rob Phillips were well positioned in defence to regain control of the ball. James Charlesworth was relatively untroubled in the Swifts goal - but his concentration did enable him to make one fine save. As the first half progressed some good inter-play between Sewell and Gooch created an opening for Broughton to drive the ball home from the edge of the penalty box. The second half started in much the same way as the first with the Swifts enjoying a lot of possession and forcing several corners. Pershore did create some attacking challenges but the well marshalled defence of Danter and Phillips always looked in control. Five minutes into the half, Broughton picked up the ball just inside the Swifts half and ran on before making a slide rule pass between two Pershore defenders to Pritchard. Jack collected the ball and advanced towards the goal with only the keeper to beat. Despite the close attention of two defenders, Jack sent the keeper the wrong way and despatched the ball into the right hand side of the goal to register his fourth goal in two games. With the game now firmly in their grasp, Swifts were able to relax and the whole team were able to play some adventurous football. During this period the Swifts secured a number of corners from which Gooch came agonisingly close to scoring on a number of occasions. Eventually a well worked short corner created a good opportunity for Danter who was able to drive the ball home from outside the penalty area in fine style. This proved to be the last goal of the game and hence the Swifts ran out 4-0 winners of an excellent game.

Sat Feb 26: Hillman Florists Cup Semi-Final
Ledbury Swifts - 2 (Sewell, Broughton)
Pegasus Juniors - 5 
Swifts began the game in high anticipation of winning the semi final and securing a much prized trip to Hereford United’s ground for the final and for that one last competitive game of the season. The match was played in cool and damp conditions on a good playing surface. The playing surface suited Pegasus’s passing game and as a result they quickly started to dominate the match. Consequently Ledbury struggled to gain enough good possession to begin their own passing game and to draw on the strengths of their own team. Increasingly the Swifts became reliant on long balls forward to Archie Day which were quickly intercepted and returned by a confident Pegasus team. It was not long before Pegasus’s controlled play began to pay dividends when they scored two simple goals in quick succession from scrambled shots within the Swifts penalty area. The Swifts responded by changing their formation and moving Daniel Sewell into attack to see if he could turn the tables in the way that he did against Wellington. However, in the first half, this did not bring the desired result and Pegasus continued to play most of their game in the Swifts half. Ledbury's midfield of Josh Tomkins, Daniel O’Neill, Tyler Broughton worked hard to gain control of the game – but further good defending by Ben Butler and Keiron Danter and good goal keeping by Jonathon Gooch were required to limit Pegasus to one further goal in the first half. During the half-time interval, Swifts decided to bring on Rob Phillips to man mark the most creative Pegasus player as a way to gain more control of the game. It was hoped this and the fact that the Swifts would now be playing in their favourite direction would bring more positive results. Indeed this proved to be the case and within a few minutes of the re-start Broughton released Sewell with a through ball which Dan was able to run onto in his ‘trademark’ way and slot the ball home past the advancing Pegasus keeper. This change of fortune created signs of hope for the Swifts, but Pegasus held true to their game and it was not long before they scored another two goals to lead 5-1. In a final attempt to turn the game around, Swifts withdrew a midfielder and brought on Jack Pritchard as an extra attacker and James Charlesworth to bring some fresh legs to an overworked defence. These changes appeared to bring some immediate benefits as the Swifts enjoyed some of their best moments of the game; a neat passing move between Pritchard and Tomkins created a simple chance for  Broughton to tap the ball home for the final goal of the game. Although Swifts were very disappointed to lose such an important match, they know that they were beaten by a better team on the day and would like to wish Pegasus all the best for the final at Edgar Street.

Sat Feb 19: Friendly
Ledbury Swifts U9s - 2 (Day 26', Broughton 34')
Ledbury Swifts U10s - 5 (Crichard 22' 29', Watkins 25', Brown 38', Rooke 40')
With both teams needing match practise ahead of Cup games next week, especially the U9s who face a tough semi-final against Pegasus Juniors, this friendly was designed to test both sides. Despite the age gap, the U9s’ enthusiasm and commitment made for an exciting, open game, and in the first half they gave as good as they got and could have taken the early advantage when Jack Pritchard’s short range shot was kept out by an excellent reflex save from U10s’ Patrick Merryman. While both defences worked hard, at the other end Matthew Rooke saw his low shot rebound off the post, while a rifling shot from Joe Crichard was tipped onto the bar by U9s’ Jonathan Gooch. Deservedly it was level at half-time, but two minutes after the re-start a good passing movement from Rooke to Brown opened up the U9 defence and Crichard was played on to score the U10s’ opener. Moments later Rooke played provider again as he squared a Crichard throw-in towards Anthony Watkins who slotted it low into the corner of the net for his first goal for the Swifts. The U9s though hit back quickly,, winning a corner on the left and the cross was drilled home by Archie Day. Both sides stepped up a gear as their passing became more fluid; Brown put Crichard through in midfield and he put in a jinking run past three defenders before beating Gooch for the U10s’ third. Again the U9s came back as Day broke free again and his shot was tipped over by Merryman for a corner, only to see Tyler Broughton meet the cross with a decisive volley into the back of the net. Despite staying with the game, it was obvious the U9s were tiring, and two late goals from Brown and Rooke made it 5-2. Although this final scoreline slightly flattered the older players, both sides should be applauded for such an entertaining and closely-contested game.

Sat Feb 12: League Match 18
Wellington - 4
Ledbury Swifts - 4 (Sewell 2, Tomkins, Broughton)
As the Swifts went out to warm up, it quickly became evident that the strong wind and the very soft ground conditions would have a big impact on the game. Daniel Sewell, the Swifts captain, elected to play into the wind in the first half and this initially seemed to be a wise decision as Ledbury enjoyed much of the early possession and with Jack Pritchard, Josh Tomkins, Daniel Sewell and Daniel O'Neill creating some nice passing movements. One of these movements nearly resulted in a goal as Jack received the ball on the edge of the penalty area, nudged the ball wide of the oncoming defender and struck his shot goal bound only to see it go just wide. Although Ledbury had much of the early play, Wellington posed an ongoing threat, especially with their shooting power and it was not long before two long range shots found their way into the back of the net via some wicked deflections. Sewell quickly reduced the arrears by forcing the ball home from a well worked corner - but within minutes Wellington had restored their two- goal margin with a firm shot across the face of the goal which found its way into the far corner of the net. With a clear need to limit Wellington's shooting opportunities Rob Phillips came on just before half time to add more defensive strength to the mid field and this change played a key role in holding Wellington's advantage to two goals. By the start of the second half, the central parts of the pitch were in such a bad condition that passing was virtually impossible and when goal kicks or shots were taken the ball just landed in the mud and didn't move. This was definitely a time for 'route one' football and with the wind behind him, Jonathan Gooch was able to rifle some long goal kicks into the Wellington half of the field where Sewell was waiting to collect the ball. Daniel then made a series of energy sapping runs through the mud towards the Wellington goal. One of these runs resulted in a great second goal, another in a free kick which Tomkins fired over the wall and into the back of the net and a third which resulted in a final tap in for Tyler Broughton. Swifts sought to use their scoring momentum to score that all important 5th goal, but it would just not come. Furthermore Wellington started to grow in strength again and it took two fine saves from Gooch and some resolute defending from Keiron Danter, Ben Butler and James Charlesworth to hold onto that one goal advantage. But eventually a neat passing move led to Wellington scoring the equaliser and finally the game ended as a 4-4 draw.

Sat Feb 05: League Match 17
Pencombe - 0
Ledbury Swifts - 6 (Sewell 3, Tomkins, Broughton, Day)
This was the Swifts first experience of a pitch that sloped significantly across the pitch particularly towards the goal that they would be attacking in the second half of the game. Although both teams coped with the surface very well, it certainly worked to the Swifts advantage in defensive terms in the first half and to Pencombe in the second half. Ledbury began the match by giving a league debut to Archie Day in attack and Jack Pritchard a start in goal. The Swifts started the game in a very determined mood and quickly won control of the midfield with Daniel Sewell, Daniel O’Neill, Josh Tomkins and Tyler Broughton all enjoying a lot of possession. Such was the pressure created by the Swifts midfield, that Keiron Danter, James Charlesworth and Rob Phillips had a relatively trouble free first half and Pritchard went the whole of the first half without having to touch the ball. It was inevitable with so much possession that the Swifts would soon start to score and the first came after about 5 minutes when a well worked corner involving Tomkins and Sewell resulted in Daniel scoring with a low shot into the goal. This was quickly followed by a first league goal for Archie Day; he received the ball in the penalty area with his back to goal, turned quickly and scored with a crisp drive. As the mid point in the first half approached Sewell was making a number of surging runs down the left and Broughton was intercepting many of the Pencombe goal kicks such that more goals had to follow before the break. Sewell scored his second with a shot from outside the penalty area and completed his hat trick with a carefully deflected volley from a cross-field ball by Tomkins. Although Pencombe had been under a lot of pressure in the first half, they played with excellent spirit, defended resolutely and limited the Swifts chances to score further goals. In the second half Charlesworth took over in goal and it was not long before he was called into action after a Pencombe player intercepted the ball in the middle of the pitch and ran forward to strike the ball firmly towards goal. Fortunately James managed to get his legs in the way and the ball bounced away to safety. Swifts struggled with the slope of the pitch in the second half and were unable to create the same goal threat, however, Tomkins scored a fourth goal for the Swifts with a trademark long range shot which went in off the post. The ball was travelling so quickly that if the net had not moved questions would have been raised about whether it had crossed the line. Finally another well worked corner between Pritchard and Sewell resulted in a goal mouth scramble which enabled Broughton to strike the ball home and set the Swifts up for a 6-0 win.

Sat Jan 29: League Match 16
Westfields - 2
Ledbury Swifts - 1 (Tomkins (pen))
Swifts started the match with a strong midfield made up of Daniel Sewell, Daniel O’Neill and Josh Tomkins and with Tyler Broughton starting his first game as the lone striker. This formation began well as Ledbury enjoyed a lot of possession in Westfield’s half of the pitch and created a number of goal scoring chances. However, despite a lot of hard and effective work the Swifts again failed to convert their possession into goals as Westfield’s defended resolutely. As the first half progressed, the home side's physical strength and composure on the ball started to tell and they created a number of goal scoring chances of their own. Indeed, Ben Butler and Keiron Danter had to be particularly alert in defence for the Swifts to keep the score at 0-0. Eventually the quality of play by Westfields paid dividends when a run down the left wing resulted in a low and finely angled shot across the face of the goal. Unfortunately the ball ‘bobbled’ on the uneven surface just as Jonathon Gooch was about to grasp it and bounced over his diving body into the goal. Ledbury came back brightly from going a goal behind. However, it was not long before another crisp passing move from Westfield’s created another clear opening for their lone striker, who scored with a fine shot. Undeterred Swifts pressed forward again and unlike the previous week, fortune was on their side when the referee awarded a penalty for hand ball in the Westfields penalty area. Tomkins duly stepped up to drive the ball home with a low shot into the centre of the goal. After the half-time break, both teams worked hard to create further openings, but without posing any serious threat. James Charlesworth (on for Danter) and Butler had a particularly strong second half with Ben in particular making a number of important interceptions. As the second half was drawing to a conclusion, Ledbury created a number of more fluent passing moves the best of which involved a cross field pass from Tomkins into the path of Jack Pritchard who collected the ball and evaded his nearest defender only to see his shot go just wide of the post. Ultimately the final whistle went to give the Westfields a well deserved 2-1 win.

Sat Jan 22: League Match 15
Pegasus Juniors - 1 (pen)
Ledbury Swifts - 0
Swifts began the game playing up the slight slope and enjoyed a lot of early possession with Ben Butler making some good forward runs from his defensive position. However, Pegasus were very well organised in defence and the Swifts midfield of Josh Tomkins, Daniel O'Neill, Rob Phillips and James Charlesworth struggled to create clear opportunities for Daniel Sewell to score. On the occasions when Pegasus were able to break free, Keiron Danter and Ben Butler were able to win the ball back and give Jonathon Gooch a relatively trouble free first half in goal. As half time approached everything look set for a closely contested 0-0 draw. Ledbury began the second half hoping that the gentle down hill slope would work in their favour - but it was not long before Pegasus played a cross field ball which brushed the arm of a retreating Swifts midfielder. Unfortunately the referee deemed that an offence had been committed and a free kick was given just outside the penalty area. The Swifts put a three man wall in place and were well prepared to defend their goal. However, when Pegasus took their free kick the ball was again deemed to have hit the arm of a Swifts defender. On this occasion a penalty was given which a was driven home with a firm shot into the bottom of the net. To their credit, the Swifts reacted positively to a disappointing series of events and pressed forward in search of an equaliser. That equaliser almost came immediately with the best move of the match; Jack Pritchard received a great pass from Butler just inside the Pegasus half and immediately turned an played a diagonal cross field pass into the path of Tomkins. Josh quickly controlled the ball and struck a firm shot on goal that the Pegasus keeper only just managed to keep out. Ledbury continued to press forward whilst containing any Pegasus attacks and indeed had their own calls for a penalty turned down. However, despite lots of hard work the equaliser would just not come and eventually when the whistle was blown Pegasus Juniors came out on top with a 1-0 win.

Sat Jan 15: League Match 14
Westfields Colts - 1 (Craddock)
Ledbury Swifts - 5 (Tomkins 3, Butler, Pritchard)
Swifts started the match with a slightly different formation and with players taking on new responsibilities, and so started tentatively and struggled to retain possession against a competitive Westfields team. On the occasions when Daniel Sewell, Ledbury's lone striker, did break free he found the Colts' keeper was in great form. Eventually a Swifts attack did lead to a short corner that Josh Tomkins took quickly before moving wide to receive the ball again, when he struck a firm shot into the far corner of the net to give Swifts a 1-0 lead. Ledbury's celebrations were only a few seconds old when a strong attacking move from Westfields down the centre of the pitch led to a shot on goal which Jonathon Gooch was able to just push wide. The Colts were eager to maintain the momentum and quickly took the corner; it was driven high and hard towards the goal and in the following scramble the ball was headed into the net to level the match. Ledbury could have been disappointed at losing their advantage so quickly, but they continued to press forward and it was not long before Tomkins scored a second goal with another fine shot. Westfields tried to respond quickly for a second time and created a number of threatening moves down each flank. However, some combative midfield play by Rob Phillips and James Charlesworth, some good defensive work by Kieron Danter and some excellent reading of dangerous situations by Ben Butler ensured the Swifts retained their advantage. Indeed only a few minutes had passed before Daniel O'Neill put Tomkins through on goal and he was quickly able to claim his hat-trick to give the Swifts a 3-1 lead. In the second half, Ledbury had the advantage of playing down the slope and this helped reinforce their control. Early on Jack Pritchard received the ball just inside the Colts half and directed a great diagonal pass into the path of O'Neill who ran on and shot firmly on goal only to bring a great save out of the Colts keeper. However the pressure eventually paid off with Butler finishing a strong run from his own half down with a deft shot into the far corner of the goal. Despite being three down the Colts continued to battle away and create some nervous moments for the Swifts. Eventually though, Ledbury were able to score a fifth goal in the dying minutes when Pritchard latched onto a loose ball and forced it into the net after O'Neill had drawn another good save from the Colts keeper.

Sat Jan 08: League Match 13
Ledbury Swifts - 2 (Sewell, Tomkins)
Leominster Minors - 1 (Murphy)
It was crucial that Ledbury got off to a good start in 2005 in order to consolidate their position in the top four in the league, especially as Leominster were just below the Swifts in the table. The omens for a good game were not looking positive as a result of the gale force winds that were blowing across the pitch prior to the game. Indeed as the rain also set in there were concerns that the game would be called off. But as if by magic the sun came out and the wind dropped just as the referee arrived. Minors won the toss and elected to play down the slope and with the wind behind them. The game began brightly between two evenly balanced teams with both teams having good periods of possession. The Swifts midfield of Ben Butler, Daniel O'Neill and Daniel Sewell worked very hard in midfield and made a number of strong runs towards the Leominster penalty area, however, they were unable to create any clear cut chances. Indeed Minors managed to soak up the pressure very effectively and proved successful in drawing the Swifts out of position and making a number of good counter attacks. Fortunately Keiron Danter and Rob Phillips were very alert in defence for the Swifts and managed to contain the visitors' attack. Ultimately, however, the combination of a good counter attack from Leominster and the strong winds led to a curling shot from Murphy that just managed to evade Jonathon Gooch in the Swifts goal to give Minors a one-nil lead. Ledbury responded by bringing on Josh Tomkins and James Charlesworth to freshen things up and not long after Sewell was able to intercept a pass near the halfway line and make a driving run which finished with a strong rising shot into the centre of the goal that brought the score back to 1-1. In the second half the strength and commitment of the Swifts midfield created lots of pressure and for long periods they were camped in the Leominster half. However, the Minors' keeper was having a great game and managed to hold the Swifts strikers at bay. Increasingly, however, Jack Pritchard and Tomkins were able to intercept the goal kicks and Pritchard had one clear shot on goal that just went wide. This was almost immediately followed by a similar opportunity for Josh that he was able to convert to give the Swifts a 2-1 lead. The Minors never gave up and gave the Swifts a number of nervous moments as the game drew to a close; but Gooch and the Swifts defence managed to hold firm to give the Swifts a well-earned victory. 

Sat Dec 18: League Match 12
Credenhill Juniors - 3 (Pye M, Lloyd, Pye J)
Ledbury Swifts - 6 (Sewell 3, Tomkins 2, Butler)
The match was played on a cold and damp morning - but both sets of players quickly warmed to the task ahead as they began the game with some enterprising football. Swifts began with the same team and formation that started the game so successfully against Orleton last week. This tactic appeared to be going to bring the same result as the Swifts enjoyed a lot of early possession and so put Credenhill under a lot of pressure, which quickly told and Josh Tomkins scored a fine goal to put the Swifts 1-0 up. Ledbury expected more goals to quickly follow as they tried to take advantage of their attacking play. However after 10 minutes, Credenhill broke up the play in their own half and moved the ball quickly forward leaving the Swifts midfield trailing in their wake. As they bore down on goal they managed to evade the covering Swifts defence and score a well deserved equaliser. As the end of the first half approached, the Ledbury midfield of Tomkins, Daniel O'Neill and Ben Butler continued to press forward in support of Daniel Sewell's attack. However, Credenhill's improved confidence was evident as they played some great counter attacking football. James Charlesworth, Keiron Danter and Robert Phillips had to work very hard in the Swifts defence to keep Credenhill from scoring a second goal. However, after another goal-mouth scramble Credenhill managed to force the ball home from close range to take a 2-1 lead. Sewell was determined to not let this deficit last for long and within minutes of the re-start collected the ball near the half-way line and began a long and determined run forward which resulted in a fine shot and a great equaliser. During half time Swifts decided to make a tactical change and moved Butler into defence to try and stem some of the Credenhill counter attacks. The second half started in much the same way as the first with the Swifts having lots of possession, but with Credenhill maintaining their counter attacking threat. However, with Butler playing well in defence, Credenhill did not present the same threat. Indeed Ben was able to continue supporting the Swifts in attack and from one attacking move was able to strike the ball home from long range to give the Swifts the lead. Further goals quickly followed from Sewell and Tomkins to give the Swifts a firm grip on the game with a 5-2 scoreline. Despite the Swifts having an apparently unassailable lead, Credenhill never gave up and they commitment resulted in a third goal five minutes before the end. However, Ledbury were equally determined and it was only fitting for Sewell to seal a fine captain's performance with his hat-trick in the dying seconds of the game.


Sat Dec 11: League Match 11
Ledbury Swifts - 11 (Butler, Tomkins 4, Sewell, Pritchard 3, O'Neill 2)
Orleton - 0
As the Rugby World Cup was visiting Ledbury Rugby Club the venue for this match was switched from Ross Road to Much Marcle's Barton Playing fields. The pitch was in excellent condition and the game was played in warm winter sunshine. In the first half Swifts played up the gentle slope towards the village school. In the first 10 minutes of the game, the Swifts quickly established their superiority with the midfield trio of Ben Butler, Josh Tomkins and Daniel O'Neill playing particularly well. However, despite some excellent passing, the Orleton defence held firm and the game remained scoreless. In the end it took a lucky goal from Ben Butler to break the deadlock. Ben sprinted down the left touchline and crossed a speculative ball into the Orleton penalty area that just managed to evade the Swifts attack and the Orleton defence and creep into the bottom corner of the net. This goal seemed to give the Swifts that much needed confidence boost with Josh Tomkins and Daniel Sewell immediately going close with several shots on goal. Then as the first half ebbed away, Josh Tomkins scored two goals in quick succession with the second being a spectacular floating shot into the roof of the net. The second half started in much the same way as the first with Ledbury Swifts creating a lot of pressure. On those occasions when Orleton did break free the Swifts defence of Rob Phillips, Keiron Danter and James Charlesworth quickly intervened to give Jonathan Gooch a trouble free return in goal. Shortly after the break the goals started to flow again with Josh Tomkins completing his hat trick with a shot into the top corner and with Daniel Sewell scoring with a crisp shot from the edge of the penalty area. Jack Pritchard and Daniel O'Neill then took over the scoring responsibilities with Jack making good use of the space he created in the Orleton penalty area to score a quick second half hat trick. Daniel also scored twice following strong forward runs. Jack Pritchard even had time to create a 4th goal for Josh Tomkins before the final whistle blew to leave the Swifts with an 11-0 winning margin. Daniel O'Neill was named the Swifts player of the match for his excellent work in midfield and two goals. 

Sat Nov 27: League Match 10
Ledbury Swifts - 3 (Sewell, Tomkins, O'Neill)
Weobley - 0
This was a very important match for the Swifts as they needed to get their league form back on track after some recent defeats and drawn games. The game started brightly in good weather conditions and Ledbury started in a very positive manner with Josh Tomkins, Daniel O'Neill and Ben Butler quickly gaining control in midfield and moving forward on a regular basis to support Daniel Sewell in attack. Although Swifts had a lot of early possession they were not able to translate their advantage into goals. Weobley defended resolutely and occasionally broke forward on their own. However, on those occasions when the visitors did mount an attack the Swifts defence of Kieron Danter and James Charlesworth dealt with the threat in an effective manner. Eventually half way through the first half O'Neill made a surging run down the right hand side of the pitch before passing to Tomkins who crossed quickly into the Weobley penalty area where Sewell was waiting to stab the ball home through the goal keeper's legs. Ledbury kept pushing forward for the balance of the first half with Ben Butler making some telling passes. However, the final pass more than often undid all the good approach work and that second goal would just not come. After the break, the game opened up as Swifts, in confident mood, went in search of further goals. This led to more opportunities for Weobley to attack and they took good advantage of their opportunities on several occasions. However, some solid defending by Danter and Charlesworth and some clean handling in goal by Jack Pritchard ensured that the Swifts held onto their one goal lead. Again as the last quarter of the game approached Ledbury's expansive game paid dividends with Tomkins latching on to a through ball and scoring a great goal with a crisp and rising drive into the back of the net. This was quickly followed by another surging attack down the left had side of the pitch that resulted in a cross-field ball which was met by O'Neill who duly forced the ball into the net for that important third goal. 

Sat Nov 20: League Match 9
Bartestree - 2 (Selway 2 (1 pen))
Ledbury Swifts - 2 (Broughton, Tomkins)
Although the weather forecast had predicted that the match would be played in bright and frosty conditions, the day turned out to be very cold and damp. As the referee blew the whistle for the start of the game the first snow flakes began to fall and this set the tone for a bitterly cold match. Despite the conditions, both teams started in a purposeful manner with neither team gaining a clear advantage. Both teams had a number of shots on goal and there were a number of goal mouth scrambles without anyone being able to apply the final touch. It was inevitable that mistakes would be made in the cold conditions and approximately halfway through the first half another close encounter in the Ledbury penalty box led to an accidental handball by a Swifts defender. A Bartestree player stepped up to take the penalty and drove an excellent shot low into the left hand side of the goal past Jack Pritchard who was deputising in goal for the injured Jonathon Gooch. Ledbury responded positively to falling a goal behind, and with Ben Butler making some telling passes from midfield, started to put the Bartestree defence under consistent pressure. The pressure ultimately told and Josh Tomkins scored with a fine shot to level the scores just before half time. With the conditions deteriorating and all players suffering from the cold it was inevitable that the quality of play in the second half would be limited. However, despite the awful conditions both teams kept plugging a way. Rob Phillips and James Charlesworth were resolute in defence for the Swifts and with Daniel Sewell's drive from midfield further chances came the Swifts way - but the final pass was always missing. Eventually, some further good play by Tomkins on the left wing led to a firm cross into the Bartestree goal mouth. The keeper attempted to collect the ball but was only able to parry it into the path of the ever alert Tyler Broughton who stabbed the ball home from close range to give Swifts the lead. Ledbury worked hard to extend their lead, but it was not long before another goal mouth scramble led to Bartestree scoring an equaliser. With Daniel O'Neill re-joining the action and adding some much needed energy in midfield, Ledbury went after a third goal. However, time was rapidly running out and everyone was relieved when the referee blew the final whistle with the score at 2-2 and everyone was able to get out of the cold. The match was played in excellent spirit with both sets of supporters enjoying a closely contested game.

Sat Nov 13: League Match 8
Ledbury Swifts - 0
Greyhound City Sports - 1 (Rivers)
With Greyhound City Sports unbeaten in the league and Swifts having only incurred one defeat - this was always going to be a tight match. The game was played was played in bright sunny and frosty conditions - but as in recent weeks a heavy pitch and long grass made it difficult to play free flowing football. Ledbury began the match without three first team regulars and with James Charlesworth playing his first game in goal. The match started brightly and Swifts had an early chance on goal that just went begging. The rest of the half was played with in a true battling style with Kieron Danter and Rob Phillips holding firm in defence and Daniel O'Neill, Daniel Sewell and Tyler Broughton working tirelessly in midfield. Then just on the stroke of half time Greyhound City Sports scored after from Swifts' defensive error to go into the break 1-0 up. The second half continued in much the same way as the first in a tightly fought contest. There were several chances at both ends with Charlesworth making some fine saves and Josh Tomkins going close with a long range shot. Then in the last minute Ledbury earned a free kick on the end of the City Sports penalty box. Tomkins stepped up to take an excellent free kick which was heading for the top corner of the goal when a City Sports defender was just able to get his head to the ball and deflect it onto the cross bar. As the final whistle came, Greyhound City Sports ran out 1-0 winners in a match that was played in great spirit. James Charlesworth was nominated as the Ledbury's man of the match by the Swifts parents for his excellent debut in goal.

Sat Nov 06: Hillman Florists Cup Quarter-Final
Ledbury Swifts - 1 (Pritchard)
Hereford Lads Club - 0
This week's match was played in overcast but dry conditions. Although the pitch appeared to be in good condition it was in reality very wet and heavy under foot. Ledbury began the match with three in midfield to try and exert greater control and create more goal-scoring chances. This change in formation, a well practiced kick-off and set of corners led to Swifts camping in the Lads Club half of the pitch and putting them under intense pressure for most of the first half. The midfield trio of Daniel Sewell, Josh Tomkins and Daniel O'Neill worked tirelessly in midfield to create several goal scoring opportunities and win many corners. Although both they and Jack Pritchard had a number of chances to score it proved to be very difficult to make a clean contact with the ball in the heavy conditions. On the few occasions when Lads Club were able to break free and enter the Swifts half, Keiron Danter and Ben Butler were very alert to the danger and quickly broke up the attack. Indeed Jonathon Gooch only had to save one long attempt on goal in the first half. Despite all the pressure that first goal would just not come and when the referee blew the whistle for half time the score remained at 0-0 and Swifts began to wonder if it would be a repeat of the previous match. However they came out very strongly after the break with Sewell leading by example. As the second half progressed the game began to open up as the ground conditions began to take their toll and there was some exciting end-to-end play with Lads Club having their best period of the game. Ledbury were forced to make a change mid-way through the half due to injury with James Charlesworth coming on for Tomkins. James dropped into Josh's midfield position and quickly picked up the momentum of the game in what was to be a very critical period. As the end of the game approached Swifts started to win another series of corners. Although they were well taken the Lads Club goalkeeper continued to deal with everything that was thrown at him in a calm and efficient manner. However the intense pressure ultimately paid off; Pritchard floated yet another corner into the middle of the penalty area and as the ball was brought down to the ground Jack was able to run in from the wing and stab the ball home before Lads Club were able to clear their lines. With only two minutes to go Hereford responded very quickly to going behind and mounted a strong attack down the right wing. The attack led to a firm shot from outside the box that hit the post and bounced away to safety. This was their best attack of the game and they came so close to scoring a late equaliser. The remaining seconds of the game quickly ebbed away and the referee blew the final whistle to give Swifts a well deserved 1-0 win. Ledbury turned in a formidable team performance in very difficult conditions against a very good Lads Club side.

Sat Oct 30: League Match 7
Ledbury Swifts - 0
Hereford Lads Club - 2
Swifts were top of the League prior to this game with a six match unbeaten record. However, this all came to an end on Saturday when Ledbury Swifts lost 2-0 to Lads Club and in so doing surrendered the top spot in the league to them. Both teams started the match in a purposeful manner and made light of the heavy conditions underfoot. Both tested each other out in the first few minutes of the game with some attacking football. In one of these attacks Ledbury failed to clear the ball from their penalty area in an effective manner and Lads Club were able to squeeze the ball home after a goal mouth melee. Swifts immediately went in search of an equaliser and were successful in forcing a number of corners, however, only two half chances to score materialised and unfortunately the ball went just wide on both occasions. The match remained finely balanced for the rest of the first half and half time quickly came about with Lads Club still in the lead by one goal. Swifts emerged from the half-time break determined to push forward and get back on equal terms. However these good intentions were quickly thwarted when Lads Club were able to intercept a Ledbury passing movement and race away to score a good break away goal. Swifts immediately changed their formation in favour of a more attacking line up and went in search of at least two goals. However, Lads Club were very resolute in defence and as the ground conditions gradually worsened the deficit proved to be ‘too high a hill to climb’ with the visitors holding on to their 2-0 lead.

Sat Oct 23: League Match 6
Bromyard Town - 0
Ledbury Swifts - 0
> The match was in doubt until a few hours before the game due to the heavy rainfall. Fortunately the Bromyard groundsmen were able to mark out a suitable pitch and the game went ahead as planned. Both teams started the game cautiously as they came to terms with the muddy conditions under foot. Swifts in particular, took their time in adjusting to a smaller than expected pitch. Gradually Ledbury started to gain their rhythm and Josh Tomkins and Daniel O'Neill managed to create a number of openings for Jack Pritchard to score. However, the Bromyard goalkeeper was in good form and made a number of good saves to prevent the visitors going ahead. Swifts rotated their forward players at regular intervals to try and maintain their momentum in the muddy conditions. Daniel Sewell, the captain came on to try and break the deadlock but Bromyard defended resolutely and half time came with the score at 0-0. Ledbury  came out strongly in search of that important first goal with their defensive trio of Ben Butler, Keiron Danter and Rob Phillips moving forward to support their midfield. However, Bromyard continued to frustrate the Swifts with their determined defending. As Ledbury pushed forward in search of that elusive goal - a few gaps were inevitably left at the back and Jonathon Gooch was drawn into action to prevent Bromyard scoring a breakaway goal. As full time approached, Ledbury sensed that time was running out and stepped up their game for one last attack - but Bromyard managed to hold out for the final whistle and the game ended in a 0-0 draw. Despite the conditions the match was played in great spirit and although there were no goals to celebrate, the tense nature of the game kept a large group of spectators on their toes for the whole game. Swifts now begin their preparation for a double header against Hereford Lads Club with a league fixture at home on October 30th and a cup fixture on November 6th.

Sat Oct 16: League Match 5
Ledbury Swifts - 4 (Sewell 3, Tomkins)
FC Phoenix - 0
Both teams started the game in a conservative manner with their defences holding a firm line and preventing any serious threat on goal. However, after ten minutes had passed, the Ledbury's captain, Daniel Sewell, made a surging run towards the left side of the Phoenix penalty area and despatched a crisp rising shot to the right of the goalkeeper to give Swifts a 1-0 lead. Ledbury quickly sought to consolidate their lead and another strong run into the penalty box resulted in Phoenix conceding a penalty. Ben Butler stepped up to take the penalty only to see his low drive to the left of the goal pushed wide by a superb diving save. Phoenix responded to going a goal behind with some determined play in the middle of the first half and were unlucky to go further behind when Josh Tomkins intercepted a throw in on the right side of the field. Josh crossed the ball in front of the Phoenix goal for Daniel Sewell to score his second goal of the match with another fine shot. As the first half began to draw to a close the Swifts wing backs, Kieron Danter and James Charlesworth, were able to offer more support to their midfield. This created additional pressure that led to Ledbury's third goal of the match that was scored by Josh Tomkins with a firm shot from just outside the Phoenix penalty area. In the second half the game opened up a lot as Phoenix sought to get back on level terms an as Swifts sought to increase their lead. This led to an exciting period of play with several attempts on goal from both sides and some last ditch defending as lots of open spaces started to appear. Ledbury introduced Sam Brooks and Tyler Broughton to the action in the second half and both contributed to some entertaining football. As the second half proceeded, it came down to Daniel Sewell, to round off a great performance by securing his hat trick with a determined run into the Phoenix penalty area followed by another firm shot. Although Swifts won by a clear margin of four goals it was never a game in which Ledbury were in control for any extended period and Phoenix earned a lot of praise and respect for a very determined performance.

Sat Oct 09: Hillmans Florist Cup Round 1
 Westfields - 1 (Bristow)
Ledbury Swifts - 5 (Pritchard, OG, Butler, Sewell, Tomkins)
As in previous matches, Ledbury Swifts began the match quietly playing a 3-2-1 formation as if waiting to see what Westfields had to offer. But after 10 minutes Jack Pritchard, playing as the lone striker, seized on a through ball from midfield and eased his way past 2 defenders before bearing down on goal. As the Westfields goalkeeper sought to narrow the angle Jack deftly dispatched the ball into the far corner of the net to put the Swifts 1:0 up. Ledbury then quickly sought to press home their advantage with some good attacking play and quickly forced Westfields into conceding a penalty. Ben Butler stepped up to take the penalty but unfortunately saw a firm strike go just wide of the left post. Ledbury’s initial euphoria was further dented when Westfields scored an equaliser just before half time with a strong run down the left followed by a firm shot which was deflected into the goal by a trailing Ledbury Swifts boot. After a motivating half time team talk, Ledbury Swifts started the second half in a very positive manner with some strong attacking play from Josh Tomkins, Daniel Sewell and Daniel O’Neill. This passage of play led to a number of corners taken from the left by Josh Tomkins. The first corner was an in swinging ‘corker’, which was deflected into his own net by a Westfields defender. The second corner was only partially cleared by the Westfields defence before it was met on the edge of the box by Ben Butler who drove it into the top of the net with a fierce driving shot. At 3:1 up it was starting to look like Ledbury Swifts were in control, but in the middle of the second half Westfields started to come more into the game. In this period of play Westfields secured a free kick on the edge of the penalty box and had a number of other goal bound attempts which were effectively dealt with by Kieron Danter, Rob Phillips and Jonathon Gooch. James Charlesworth, playing in only his second game for the Swifts, also made a number of important tackles as Westfields exerted further pressure down the right hand side of the pitch. As the end of the game approached Ledbury Swifts started to gain the upper hand once more with Daniel Sewell scoring a fourth goal with a crisp shot following a corner from the right and Josh Tomkins following up to slot home a final goal to give Ledbury Swifts a 5-1 winning margin.

Sat Oct 02: League Match 4
Ledbury Swifts - 3
Belmont Eagles - 0
No report available.

Sat Sep 18: League Match 3
Ledbury Swifts - 1
Ross United Services Rebels - 1
No report available.

Tue Sep 14: League Match 2
Ross United Services Colts - 1
Ledbury Swifts - 9
No report available.

Sat Sep 11: League Match 1
Ledbury Swifts - 3 (Danter, O'Neill, Tomkins)
Pegasus Juniors Colts - 1 (Norman)
No report available.