Page 18 - Ashton & Backwell FC v Wellington 070123

Match Report

Cadbury Heath FC 1 Vs Ashton & Backwell utd 3

FINAL SCORE: A+BUFC 3 [HARDIDGE 49M; CUMMINGS 55M; CATTERMOLE 73M] V
CADBURY HEATH FC 1 [BOYER 87M]; HALF TIME 0-0
On a very wet and greasy pitch that must have only just passed a 10am inspection, the
Stags were dominant, an all-round display to match anything we have seen this season.
Whilst the Heathens were poor, there is nothing to take away from such a fine
performance; there is no Man of the Match, there were instead fifteen!
Such was the Stags supremacy they almost seemed surprised by their dominance, and
this manifested itself in playing a lone man up front for much of the first half. When in
the second half they decided to commit more forward, then possession turned into
goals. That’s not to say there were no first half chances: Charlie Saunders sent a long
ball forward for Newman, his low shot saved by Schofield; White’s free kick narrowly
wide from 25 yards out; Hardidge’s cross along the goal line to Cummings whose shot
just passed the post; a Charlie Saunders left sided punt into the box, met by the ever-
lively Hardidge at pace, with Schofield well-positioned to save and, just before the
break, a free kick out on the right found Cummings who crossed and Banks hit it very
hard, beating the keeper, but crashed against the cross bar. By contrast, the home
team’s sole attempt on target was a looping lob from Boyer that a leaping Roberts
comfortably gathered.
Four minutes into the second half and the deadlock was broken, a White corner, ball
pushed out to Hardidge on the edge of the box, he made no mistake as he watched his
chip from 20 yards curled into the top corner. Banks might have made it two minutes
later when he shot just wide, from a Cummings cross, Reece Hedges having gone long
from the right to supply. Cummings then scored the second himself, shooting from a
sharp angle from the left after Hardidge and Anthony had worked the ball cleverly to
him. And then it should have been three, Lewis Hedges upended in the box, penalty
given, Banks shooting too close to Schofield who saved. That third goal did come soon
after, a Heathens attack culminating in Boon’s weak header straight at Roberts, Stags’
fast movement forward, Cattermole gathering, taking into the box past the home
defenders and slotting neatly home.
The only low point was the consolation goal from the home team, the Stags distracted
by Fillingham’s sending off for dissent, an act of stupidity querying an offside decision
with your side cruising three up! Heathens went forward, the first Boyer shot was
pushed away by Roberts, the loose ball eventually came back to Boyer to score three
minutes from the end.
In a report such as this it is easy to concentrate on the goals, yet the most pleasing part
of the performance was the total commitment throughout the team to both move
forward in attack, but equally to get back and give the Heathens zero time on the ball
when they tried to advance. The energy levels shown by the Stags are worthy of much
praise and let’s hope this is maintained for the visit of another basement side in
Wellington next Saturday.
Team: Roberts, Anthony, Newman (sub Ford 65m), White, Reece Hedges, Pearce (sub
Bishop 76m), Cummings, Lewis Hedges (sub Connor Saunders 65m), Banks (sub
Fillingham 70m), Charlie Saunders (sub Cattermole 56m) Hardidge