Bromsgrove Sporting 3, Studley 1

WILL Tibbetts made a goal-scoring return as Bromsgrove Sporting saw off derby rivals to keep up the pressure on the Midlands Division One leaders.

With Coventry United's game Coventry Copsewood, the second-placed Rouslers closed the gap to four points in front of a Club record crowd of 562.

The game started fairly evenly with Sporting struggling to break through a well-drilled and compact Studley defence - that also looked dangerous on the counter-attack.

Sam Wills came within a whisker of opening the scoring when his free-kick hit the bar.

But Sporting opened the scoring in the 41st minute, when Sean Brain skipped around two Studley defenders before striking past a ex-Sporting keeper Brendon Bunn into the left hand corner.

However, Studley were still a threat on the counter-attack and after a handball on the edge of the area the resulting free kick was expertly curled round the wall and into the top corner by Dan Dineen with a strike that would not have looked out of place in the Premier League.

After the break, Bromsgrove came out with intent and several chances fell to Brain and his strike partner Connor Collins without any success.

It took the introduction of the returning Tibbetts to provide the impetus for Sporting.

Shortly after coming on Collins played a lovely through ball for substitute Kyle Turner.

Bunn got the ball first but could only send it high into the air and onto the head of Tibbetts who has probably never had a more productive first touch.

Sporting and they should have scored a third before they did when a Reece Hewitt danced through the Studley midfield before passing to substitute, Luke Dugmore who struck home.

The final whistle was greeted with a euphoric cheer from the Sporting faithful.

SPORTING: Jay, Roberts, Wilson, Walker (Dugmore, 80), Jones, Willcox, Brain (Turner, 64), Hewitt, Collins,Wills (Tibbetts, 64), Spink.

Substitutes not used: Edwards, Corbett

STUDLEY: Bunn, Turner, Mullen, Evans (Manoochehri, 76), Jones, Edwards, Byford (Edwards, 73), Dineen, Stokes, Hylton (Bradley, 70), Knight.

Substitutes not used: Wright, Hancox

Referee: Mr O Williams (Kidderminster)

Attendance: 562

Reporter: Adam Warner