Ledbury Town FC played host to the Jewson Herefordshire Sunday Football League Division 1 Cup Final between Ross Juniors and Woolhope Allstars recently ; and no one could have predicted the drama that was to play out over the 120 minutes. The 6-4 score line fails to reveal the full story of the match. A match that will live long in the memory of all who witnessed it reflects the story of a squad of players who refused to return to Ross empty handed.

After a delayed kick off, Woolhope were the first of the two teams to settle following a frantic opening ten minutes in which Juniors could only muster a yellow card for Luke Mayo. With 16 minutes played and Ross still looking unsteady, a good ball from midfield caught the Ross defence napping and lead to the opening goal. The game continued in scrappy fashion but Juniors slowly began to improve and just before the half hour mark some good work from Beaumont created an opening for Hall. His shot was saved but dropped to the lurking Francis who slotted home to level the scores.

This brought a spark of life to Ross, who narrowly failed to go in front after a delicate lob from Beaumont dropped just wide of the post. Sam Loftus was unlucky to find himself getting booked and things looked bad for Juniors as a superb strike from fully 25 yards screamed past Goode. With five minutes remaining in the half Ross pressed for an equaliser and Gray produced the goods after some great work from Burford to end the half 2-2.

Ross started the 2nd half in fine form, with Hall and Francis coming out of the blocks like tigers, harrying and hassling the Woolhope fullbacks. This was to no avail as Woolhope regained the advantage from the spot. Only five minutes later Woolhope doubled their lead and at 4-2 the cup should have been theirs. Maybe, against any other side it would have been but this season Ross Juniors have added a mental strength to their game and after a foul on Francis, Davies knocked in a lovely free kick that Damon Beaumont delicately headed past the Woolhope keeper and put Ross firmly back in the game.

Ross were now in the ascendency and their fitness was beginning to show. A free kick was knocked long and again Beaumont was making a nuisance of himself on the edge of the Woolhope box. The ball dropped to Gray who hit home his second of the game. With the score at 4-4 and 15 minutes remaining Ross went in search of a winner that didn't come inside the 90 mins. Some word of inspiration of Manager, Jim Loftus and some excellent work from the club physio prepared the team for extra time. Only minutes into extra time it could have been all over but for three world class saves from Ross keeper, Alex Goode. It seemed McAfee had been seeking inspiration from his 'keeper and how he did not get booked for a comical handball is anyone's guess.

In the second period of extra time destiny finally revealed its hand. Luke Mayo, who got better as the game went on popped up to put Ross in front for the first time in the match and a few minutes later Woolhope again put the ball in their own net as a defender tackled Gray and beat his own keeper. Scenes of unbridled joy and sheer relief on the touch line followed and Monday morning saw some very sore heads in Ross!

On a day when every player eamed his medal, Damon Beaumont took home the Eagle Inn Man of The Match award. .

Seven weeks ago 21 of the older members of Ross Rowing Club Junior section qualified, against 9 other local clubs, to represent The West Midlands at the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta at Nottingham. The competition took place on Saturday, 28th April over a six lane course, against eleven other regions from England and Wales.The weather was to play a major part with the wind becoming stronger and waves getting higher as the day progressed and it was a test of each crew’s skill and nerve.

First to compete was Johan Lai starting strongly and coming third in his heat. Next up was Pippa England taking part in her first JIRR and showing great determination to finish a close second in her singles heat. During the winter the fifteen year old girls had changed from sculling with 2 blades to sweeping with one blade and apart from the qualifiers this was their first event to test their new learned skill. They did not start well but showed great character to haul their way to second place; within three seconds of the heat leaders.

Last year, as fourteen year olds, the boys’ quad had missed out on a medal place by one second, so all winter they had trained hard, desperate not to be disappointed again. The weather by now was atrocious and the boys battled hard to win their heat. Dale, at stroke, commented that it couldn’t really be called rowing but it was great fun! However the event organisers did not agree and after the composite Ross/Evesham four completed their heat the event was cancelled with waves rolling over the jetties making it particularly hazardous to get the boats safely back to land. Unfortunately two crews, the coxed WJ16.8X and the J14 double did not get their chance to race.

Medals were awarded to the three fastest crews from the heats in each event. Pippa England was awarded a silver in the singles event, the J15 boys coxed quad of Dale Kernot, Henry Jones, Henry Vowles, George Probert and cox Rhodri Morris were rewarded with a silver medal and Catrin Morris, Jess Crossman, Molly Phillips and the two birthday girls Hazel Thomas and Olivia Baynham-Williams earned a bronze medal.

The hard work shown by the juniors throughout the winter has paid off and it is a brilliant start to the new racing season. Thanks must also go to the coaches, Ian Howell, Chris Jones, Morgan Baynham-Williams, Jackie Baynham, Mark Scott and Wendy Burden, who have shown as much dedication to training as the athletes.

Ross Juniors made the long trip to Credenhill to play Misfits on a miserable wet Wednesday evening this week for the 1st of four games in eight days, where at the end of this session they would hopefully had secured the title. The 1st half was miserable as the weather, with both teams finding the conditions difficult to play football and the score remained goalless.

After the half time pep talk, Ross came out flying and scored three goals in the first 9 minutes. The first in the 50th minute saw an Alex Goode long kick find Damon Beaumont whose muscle and close control evaded the defence and he finished with precision accuracy. The second came from an indirect free kick from 4 yards out in the home defence. A terrific training move was expertly performed. Andy Francis flicked the ball across goal and Luke Mayo acrobatically volleyed the ball into the back of the net. The third came after a scramble and eventually Luke Gray blasted the ball into net from 2 yards.

Ross were now in complete control and playing with great confidence. A quick free kick from Tom Burford found George Selwyn James and his long ball was sliced by a defender across the penalty box. It was met by striker Luke Gray and he had a terrific header from 18 yards that had the goalie looking in amazement at the accuracy as it sailed over his head. The final goal to make the score 5-0 was again started by full back George Selwyn James whose long ball from the defence found Joe Loftus who sprinted from deep to meet the ball and coolly finish. A much improved 2nd half performance that saw Ross Juniors remain in pole position for the title, knowing that one more win will suffice.

The Eagle Inn man of the match was Luke Gray for a terrific 2nd half battling performance.