HEREFORD LADS CLUB 2 (Moon 55 (p), 70)

LEDBURY TOWN 5 (Sam Dixon 10; Gardiner 28; Welch 34, 57; Herbert 37)

DANNY Moon has called Hereford Lads Club’s derby defeat ‘a little blip’ and insists they can still clinch promotion from West Midlands League Division Two.

Lads Club are fourth in the table, six points behind second- placed Ledbury but have played three fewer matches than their New Street rivals.

With the likelihood of the top-two being promoted at the end of the season, Ledbury will feel points on the board gives them the edge.

Lads Club’s squad will be pushed to the limit over the next month – they have a gruelling run of 10 league matches in just 27 days.

It looked like men against lads at times, in the first period last Saturday, as stunning strikes from Neil Gardiner and Jamie Welch led Ledbury’s four-goal first-half rampage in the sunshine.

“We didn’t deserve to win – Ledbury were the better side,” conceded Moon, who scored both of Lads Club’s goals, as his side slipped to only their second league defeat.

“We have still got three games in hand over Ledbury.

“We have to win those games in hand – and some of our final 10 matches are at home.”

A defiant Moon added: “We had a little blip today – we are a better side than we showed – and I think people know that. Our destiny is in our own hands.”

Bartestree are also involved in the promotion race and the third-placed villagers have to play both Lads Club and Ledbury in the run-in.

Lads Club host Newport Town this Saturday before travelling to title-favourites Gornal Athletic Reserves, who are 10 points clear at the top, in a crucial battle next Wednesday.

The Lads Club outfit will probably be without substitute Tom Harding, who was red-carded for comments to the match officials after the final whistle last Saturday.

Aaron Turner might also be on the sidelines - he was taken to hospital with concussion after colliding with the perimeter barrier at the County Ground.

Ledbury have seven league matches remaining and made light work of seeing off Lads Club with a clinical first-half display in front of their travelling supporters.

The Boyle brothers, Tom and Pete, and Scott Roberts were influential as Ledbury closed down the space in the opening 45 minutes.

Lads Club struggled to mount a meaningful attack.

Ledbury took the lead in the 10th minute when Sam Dixon connected with Neil Gardiner’s right-wing cross to direct the ball past Lads Club goalkeeper Danny Hill.

And the lively Gardiner increased Ledbury’s lead in the 28th minute, collecting a throw-in and then unleashing a 30-yard shot into the roof of the net.

Welch added a third goal for the visitors when he picked up a neat lay-off from Dan Herbert and then, with Hill off his line, superbly lobbed the ball in from long-range.

And, with Lads Club looking ragged, Herbert drove in Ledbury’s fourth goal after Hill had dropped a left-wing cross from Pete Boyle.

Lads Club rallied in a spirited second-half showing and caused more problems for Ledbury, whose players tired in the final 30 minutes.

But the result was beyond doubt by then.

Moon reduced arrears from the penalty spot in the 55th minute after Josh Pugh was fouled inside the box. But Ledbury hit back almost immediately, Welch picking up a throw-in and taking advantage of slack defending to hit a shot into the corner of the net for his second goal.

Moon replied with Lads Club’s second goal, heading home at the back-post, but Ledbury almost scored again when Tom Boyle’s corner bounced off the crossbar.

The emphatic win brought a smile to the face of Ledbury’s Chris Powell, who joint-manages Town with Phil Preedy.

“We have got some huge matches coming up,” said Powell.

“The boys are back on track – it was an outstanding performance in the first-half.

“Our next game is on Saturday at Malvern Rangers.

“Rangers are a side who have got stronger during the season but we will try to put it to them like we did with Lads Club.”

He added: “Stepping back into the West Midlands League was always going to be a test for us.

“The boys have handled it well and we will keep pushing up until the end of the season.”