Page 17 - Ashton & Backwell FC v Street 220423

Match Report

Ashton & Backwell 2

Saltash United FC 3
STAGS COULDN’T QUITE FINISH
SALTASH TITLE DREAMS
20th April 2023 at The Lancer Scott Stadium at Backwell
FINAL SCORE: A+BUFC 2 [LANGLAIS 73M; JAIYEOBA 88M] V SALTASH
UNITED FC 3 [SMITH 15M; CARTER 24M (pen); 41M (pen)]. HALF TIME
0-3
Saltash came to the Lancer Scott desperate for points to overhaul
Mousehole for the league title and guaranteed promotion. For much of
the first half the Stags seemed set on helping them, sitting deep and
letting the visitors pressurise them, with too many mistakes. And those
mistakes cost them the game, the first goal came from a slip in the away
half, United poured forward at pace, a quick through ball to Smith on
the left gave him a clear run at Roberts who could do little to avert the
inevitable.
Roberts was involved in the next two goals, the first a very harsh penalty
for a challenge on Smith for a 50/50 ball and the second when he was
left exposed, his clumsy challenge yielding a second spot kick for Carter
and a 3-0 lead at the interval. The Stags did have chances, though,
Walker’s free kick beat the wall but not Duffey, Man of the Match White’s
free kick was met by Bishop who headed just over and Langlais skipped
through the Saltash defence, again a desperate Duffey keeping the ball
out.
All credit to the Stags, they continued to fight and in the second period
stopped giving the visitors so much respect and battled back, disrupting
their rhythm, reward coming at 73 minutes, a corner kick into the five-
yard box, Langlais pushing home in a forest of legs. The second came
a similar way, again Langlais netting. In contrast the only real Saltash
chance fell to Card, a great Roberts save at close range keeping the ball
out.
At 3-2, Saltash nerves were fraying, and repeated Stags attacks did not
help! There were numerous half chances to equalise, the best falling to
Cummings, his powerful effort was parried by Duffey, Jaiyeoba following
up, could only find the side netting, not the goal, so Saltash hung on,
just!
Man of the Match: James White
Team: Roberts Anthony (sub Jordan Bishop 88m), Walker, White, Joe
Bishop, Pearce, Banks, Connor Saunders © (sub Cummings 85m)
Langlais, Charlie Saunders (sub Jaiyeoba 72m), Hardidge (sub
Bennington-Mannings 58m)
MATCH REPORTER DON DAVIES.