Page 20 - Ashton & Backwell FC v Torpoint Athletic 290423

Match Report

BARNSTAPLE TOWN 2 v ASHTON & BACKWELL UTD 1
CONTROVERSIAL DECISIONS ROB BACKWELL
From the first whistle, Ashton Backwell did not look like a group of players who had to finish work
by at least 3 pm to catch a 4 pm coach to travel to North Devon on a Tuesday night. From the 1st
whistle the whole team were on the front foot, particularly a dangerous front three of Shea
Manning, Jarmani Langlais and Charlie Saunders. The trio simply had too much pace for the hosts
back 4 who looked worried each time we attacked.
Jarmani quickly broke down the right way to the byline. His near post shot was cleared off the line,
cleared to Conner Saunders, his 20-yard shot cleared the crossbar. 5 minutes later, Jarmani broke
into the box to square to Kitan who, in turn found Shay. He beat two men before slotting his left
foot shot into the bottom corner to give Ashton Backwell an early deserved lead. 0-1.
Barnstaple replied, with a fierce shot from Morrish, Charlie Saunders, protected himself, but then
allegedly handled right on the 18-yard line. Billy Tucker took the freekick, curled the ball over the
bar.
15 mins, home centre half, Montague broke into midfield. The ball sat up kindly and from 35 yards,
his well struck volley, dipped but just cleared the crossbar. Tucker then saw his close-range shot
saved by the feet of our keeper Tom Roberts. It was the turn of the visitors to test the home
defence with some very fast breaks from defence, but Barnstaple held firm.
On the 35th minute came the first of quite a few controversial decisions. Conner Saunders made a
challenge in midfield, turned quickly and collided with a Barnstable midfielder whose shoulder
smacked Conner on the jaw and knocked him to the floor, however, both the referee and Barnstaple
played on ignoring the protests of the whole Ashton Backwell team. Town swept the ball out to the
right wing, a quick cross, found players unmarked at the far post, Rhys Thomas finished from close
range 1-1, the referee clearly missed how serious the head collision was and wasn’t helped by a
linesman 10 yards away. Even the home manager admitted that the game should’ve been stopped.
Barham continue to pressurise, Stuart Bowker, who loves to play the pantomime villain, saw his
30-yard effort, well saved by Tom Roberts, and this was repeated four minutes later with Roberts,
quick reactions tipping over the crossbar again. Just before the halftime whistle, Tom made his 3rd
good save in 10 minutes this time from Turner, Morrish follow up shot was well blocked by Joe
Bishop.
H/t 1-1
It was inevitable that the 2nd 45 could not be played at the same frenetic pace with the same
amount of action. The dangerous Tucker forced 2 more good says from Tom Roberts in the opening
minutes of the half. Impressively Backwell upped the work rate in midfield, and as a defensive unit,
contained everything that the hosts tried to throw at them without any further threats on Robert‘s
goal. Equally the home defence marshalled our front 3, so chances became very scarce.
Joe Bishop was booked for an innocuous tackle, which had consequences 25 minutes later. Shea
Mannings forced a save from home custodian, Liam Kingston.
less than 10 minutes on the clock, Ashton Backwell battling away, along came another controversial
decision from the same linesman. Barnstaple midfielder stood inside a box, comes back out from
an offside position, A & B players and supporters immediately appealed for offside, it was right in
front of us, but the assistant wasn’t even looking. Thomas crossed to the far post where right back
Callum Laird finished from close range, 2-1. All the lads, hard work and efforts undone by two
controversial decisions. Things got worse when Jordan Bishop was shown a straight card for
alleged use of foul language. However, that language came from the crowd not Jordan, another
decision by the assistant. Joe Bishop made another good tackle, the referee blew for foul, Joe was
shown a 2nd yellow. Final score 2-1. M.O.M. Tom Roberts
Team, Roberts, Newman, (Sub Jordan, Bishop), Walker (sub Tom Press), Anthony, Hedges, Joe
Bishop, Jayieobia (sub banks), Conner Saunders, Langlais, Charlie Saunders, Shea Mannings