BROMSGROVE Sporting have appointed former England goalkeeper Tim Flowers as their manager until the end of the season.

Ex-Southampton and Blackburn Rovers ace Flowers, 57, brings in a wealth of experience and has had success at non-league level, particularly with Solihull Moors.

He will take charge of his first game in the dugout when St Ives Town visit the Victoria Ground on Saturday (3pm).

Flowers, a Premier League winner with Blackburn, replaces player-boss Michael McGrath who was fired with Sporting getting closer to the Pitching-In Southern League Premier Division Central relegation zone.

Chairman Rod Brown said: “The club is going through an extensive re-evaluation as a business off the field by re-engaging and creating a connection with the local and wider community in order to build a sustainable future. 

“With this in mind, we also want to build a football model to run parallel. We believe our initial priority is retain Step Three football while we work on the model that we want for next season and beyond.

“Tim comes with the pedigree and experience of an elite player, an excellent coach and a big character – all the attributes we believe will help us maintain our league status whilst we set out our philosophy to go forward. We look forward to working with him.”

Bromsgrove, with caretakers Luke Rowe and Aaron Roberts leading the team, only lost 1-0 to a late goal from Ethan Mann at high-flying Mickleover Sports last Saturday, writes Max Banner.

A close encounter saw the centre-back on hand to knock in Brendon Daniels' free-kick from close range in the third minute of added time.

Sporting keeper Ollie Taylor saved from Andrew Dales in the fourth minute before Keanu Cooper had a shot blocked soon after up the other end.

Taylor denied Oliver Greaves from an acute angle in the 15th minute but further opportunities came the visitors' way as Billy Shaw narrowly missed the target from the edge of the area before Jack Newell had a volley blocked.

Chances continued to be shared in the second half and Daniels saw a 55th-minute free-kick palmed over smartly by Taylor.

Six minutes later Shaw capped a sharp counter-attack with a shot that went just wide.

Another Shaw effort in the 67th minute was saved by Lewis Ridd.

Tyrell Waite almost headed Mickleover into the lead with 16 minutes remaining but he could not find the target.

The winner came through Mann striking home from six yards via a Daniels assist.

Seventeenth-placed Sporting are eight points off the drop zone but AFC Sudbury have two games in hand ahead of the clash with in-form St Ives who won 2-0 at Redditch United earlier this month.

Sporting: Taylor, White, Howell, Newell, Roberts, Derricott, Pais (Dunkley 71), Rowe, Cooper, Shaw (Leachman-Whittingham 87), Berry (Lekuti 61). Unused substitutes: Henry, Auld.

Referee: Mr D Smith.

Sporting player of the match: Billy Shaw.

Attendance: 325.