Page 16 - Avonmouth FC v Bromley Heath 020324

Avonmouth extend lead
Mark Simpson
Three more matches lost to the weather and two of the Clubs involved are going
to have a very busy end to the season. Nevertheless, things press on, and are
Avonmouth out of sight, thirteen points clear with two games in hand? At the
bottom things are becoming increasingly difficult for the bottom three who I’m sure
will keep fighting.
Gala Wilton took on Avonmouth on a bright afternoon at Fairmile Gardens. And
it was Avonmouth who started the brighter of the sides and should have been in
the lead before they did so on 15 minutes with a neat finish off the post with a shot
from the edge by Matt Groves. The visitors continued to make the majority of
chances as they attacked with pace and numbers and looked particularly
dangerous from set pieces, but Gala defended stoutly and were just the one behind
at the break. Josh Pearce started the second half just as Avonmouth would have
wanted with a neat finish on 53 minutes, but Gala replied on 61 through a good
finish into the far corner from Mike Baron. After this Gala grew more and more into
the game albeit without creating anything clear cut and Avonmouth started to sit
deeper and appeared to be content to try to see the game out at 2-1, but an
interception from the Gala defence saw an excellent finish from Pearce for 3-1.
Then five minutes later on 89 a superb one-two on the edge of the box saw Pearce
complete his hat-trick for a 4-1 win and probably a rather harsh result on Gala but
another three points for Avonmouth.
Tewkesbury Road played host to a battle of the basement where the three points
would give Cheltenham Civil Service or Hardwicke a huge boost. Hardwicke
started well and after only four minutes a through ball found Harry Furniss in on
goal but he seemed to have got his feet tied up as he was about to shoot, and
Hardwicke’s appeals were a little too vociferous with Josh Vallis-Ridler being sin
binned. Service then stepped up and Dec Chick saw his effort from the edge of the
box hit the bar. On 25 minutes Civi took the lead, Brett Blake started the move,
then received the ball back from Sam Johnson to finish with a first time deflected
shot past Cam Wilce. Harvey Need in the Civi goal read a Hardwicke through ball
very well, claiming it on the edge of the box, before a further couple of Hardwicke
attacks led to nothing worthwhile. A wicked free kick from Lewis Driscoll was met
powerfully by Pete Guite but wide of the goal. Hardwicke started the second half
pushing men forward, but the home side were dangerous on the break.
Hardwicke’s Harley Mustoe was busy creating holes for asking questions of Service
and chances came either end Hardwicke’s Ed Rimmer taking a touch at the far post
before firing wide, then Blake breaking forward to square to Luke Finch with the
goal at his mercy only to put the ball wide. Tom Hobbs saw his header go over for
Hardwicke while Guite’s volley from a Mike Oliver flick also went over and Miko
Rewczuk burst through from Dan Wills pass but the ball bobbled, and the shot was
wide. In the end Hardwicke threw everything forward but it wasn’t to be, and at
the end their players were brought to their knees, Service holding out for 1-0 and
that huge three points.