Page 18 - Ashton & Backwell FC v Buckland Athletic 020422

Match Report

Street FC 2 v ASHTON & BACKWELL UTD 2

This basement battle, with both sides desperate for points to escape the drop, was fought
out in a gale, blowing directly down the pitch, meaning, on a bouncy pitch too, that nothing
was very predictable. Whoever had the wind behind them, had an advantage of being to
move the ball more easily, and clearly that would count to Street’s benefit in the first half.

Stags struggled to get the ball forward because of this which meant that Street were able
to apply pressure on the away goal. This was soon evident when a thirty-yard free kick
from Dickens beat Coombes all ends up but hit the cross bar and on the half hour the Stags
wall eventually crumbled when Skiverton was able to slip through into the box and shoot
low for the opener. He would have had a second ten minutes later, but for Bishop’s telling
intervention, though the overreliance on Skiverton meant that their attack resembled a one
trick pony most of the time and made the defence’s job easier.
It's not to say that the visitors were not a threat and Anthony’s deep volley from Hardidge’s
cross was just wide and White’s long-distance strike, swerving as it flew goalbound, took
a desperate effort from Davey to keep it out. Clearly the Stags’ plan was first half
containment and second half strike, but two fouls changed the game.

In added time before the interval Hardidge, for reasons unknown, went for 50/50 ball with
boot raised so high he made contact with the host’s centre half, both players leaving the
field, one through injury and one a red card. Against the run of play, in the 90 minute
th
Bishop conceded a silly free kick, from which Hegarty poked home Street’s second as the
ball bounced around in the box.

In between 10 man Stags had regrouped, brought on Hartley and Sell, and taken the lead
with the wind at their backs, for a game they should have won. Hartley added energy,
sliding through the defence and tackling hard, Sell immediately made an impact, probing
the Street defence time after time and shooting goalward. On the hour he won a corner,
White swung it in for Hedges to head home the leveller, Bishop having narrowly missed
from a previous attempt. And that energy led to Stags taking the lead, a speedy ball from
defence was picked up by Sady and he moved clear of the home defence for a delightful
volley to beat Davey from distance.
Street continued to rely on Skiverton and he and Strange had opportunities, but the Stags
defence, Press, Bishop and Hedges, were all able to counter, until that final blow. M.O.M
Jamie White
Team: COOMBES, ANTHONY, SOLLARS (sub HARTLEY 46m), WHITE (sub CUMMINGS
86m), HEDGES, BISHOP
CHARLIE SAUNDERS (sub SELL 46m), PRESS, MILES HARDIDGE , CONNOR SAUNDERS
(C), SADY