Page 4 - Yate Town FC v Salisbury 021121

The game of football can take you to ecstatic highs, as we at Yate Town have once
again become familiar with following the incredible win over Dover last Tuesday to
make the first round of the FA Cup for only the second time in our history. Football
can also bring you back down to earth with a bump, and so often reminds you that
it will not always be plain sailing.
Last Saturday’s FA Trophy match against Willand Rovers was always a banana skin
in the making. The Devon outfit were unbeaten in October and Paul Michael had to
make changes to his side, who have been relentlessly playing two matches per
week.

Nick Rhodes and Olly Mehew had picked up injuries against Dover and were ruled
out anyway, whilst many others were rested with future matches in mind. James
Harding was rewarded with a start after two goals in the last two games from the
bench, and there was also a first start for Luke Hopper following a long injury
layoff.
Willand came with a set game plan, executed it to perfection and fully merited
going through to the next round of the competition.
It took the visitors only five minutes to get in front as Archie Reay won the ball as
the home defence got into a tangle and his pass put Ben Griffith into space to fire
past Andy Hannah via the post.
Rovers, always quick to break on the counter, then went close through Rhys
Thomas and Bailey Kempster before they increased their lead after twenty-three
minutes when Kempster finished on the far post after a superb cross-field pass
from Louis Jagger Cane had totally flat-footed the Town backline.
Jagger Cane later had a shot saved by Hannah low down while at the other end a
James Harding strike sailed over the crossbar.
Town's cause suffered a further setback early in the second period when Stuart
Fleetwood was shown a straight red card after he over-reacted following what he
perceived to be a harsh challenge on fellow forward Hopper.

Willand, well organised at the back and with the extra man, did well to soak up any
pressure after the break and came close to increasing their lead when Jagger Cane
shot wide of the post after a good run by substitute Jack Rice-Lethaby.

Hopper and Mark Thuo went close for Town in the closing stages but, when Joe
Tumelty's free kick came back off the upright and bounced away to safety, the
home side knew it was not going to be their day.