Page 18 - Avonmouth FC v Almondsbury 160124

Almondsbury edge out Broadwell
Amateurs
Mark Simpson
A reduced league programme due to the County Cup. Three points separate the bottom
eight Clubs so there is bound to be fairly significant changes amongst these clubs in league
position each week. In the County Cup only Sharpness was eliminated, the other three
progressing.
As good a place to start is at Almondsbury who took on Broadwell Amateurs and early
on Jack Watkins made a very good save to his left from Almonds Ashley Knight and a few
minutes on Knight played Matt Davies down the line who pulled back to Connor Peberdy who
fired over. But it was the visitors who got the early goal, on seven minutes a long ball out of
defence picked out Liam Thomas who controlled with his first touch and fired over Sam
Burgess with his second. On 25 minutes the ball played through to Oakley Dawes who was
one on one with Watkins who saved with his legs and Peberdy’s follow up was blocked on
the line. Four minutes later the hosts were level, Harry Greenbury playing in Peberdy on the
left, beating his man, pulled back to Greenbury who passed across to Knight at the back post
to finish. Shortly after half time Broadwell took the lead again, poor defending from a long
ball let in Ethan Wilkins to lob Burgess. On 54 Almonds had a penalty from a handball but
Dawes spot kick was saved by Watkins. Twenty minutes from time Greenbury played over
to Stuart Alexander who hit a half volley from the corner of the box over Watkins for Almonds
equaliser. On 81 Alexander was this time the provider from a pass down the line putting in
Greenbury to head over Watkins for a 3-2 Almondsbury win.
On an excellent surface at Fairmile Gardens Gala Wilton hosted Stoke Gifford
United hoping to build on positive recent results. But it was Gifford who took the lead
quarter of an hour in, Dan Dunt’s close range header from a free kick. Gifford should perhaps
have made it two shortly after, but a fine save from Gala’s Oscar Bignell kept out an excellent
free kick. Bignell also tipped another free kick around the post on the half hour. It was at
this point that Gala got a foothold in the game and on 38 Antonio Pirelli forced a good save
from Ollie Gargett. Gala ended the first half the stronger of the two and started the second
half in the same fashion and around the hour mark were denied an equaliser by three
excellent saves by Gargett within five minutes from a Jacob Eakers volley and two efforts
from Pirelli. Gala continued to press and got the equaliser they deserved when on 82 Jerzy
Marszalek calmly slotted past Gargett. But there was still time for one last twist, and it was
provided by Spike Weaver’s 89 minute header to give three points to Stoke Gifford 2-1.
th
Up to Ruardean Hill, where Rangers took on second place Frampton United and the first
chance fell to Hill’s Ollie Mason out wide, but his fierce shot flew just over, Frampton were
in front on 11 when a corner in was missed by the defence leaving Steve Jackson a back
post tap in. On twenty Jacob Geddes should have made it two but his free header was wide
of the mark. But five minutes later Ollie Mason’s weak volley went through keeper Tom Kaye
for a red-faced moment and 1-1. Two minutes from the break Hill battled for the ball and
Steve Clark put it through to Max Telling who found the corner of Kaye’s net for 2-1. Right
on half time great play from Fin Jones to the bye line squaring to Clark to shoot home but
Kaye made a great save to keep Frampton in it. On 47 Stuart Maule was through for
Frampton but Aaron Underwood made a good save, but only a minute later it was level, the
home defence failing to deal with a through ball leaving Freddie Porter to slot home. On 55
Ruardean were almost back in front, but Ollie Mason’s fierce shot was just wide with Kaye
stranded. Manola Espada tried his luck from distance forcing Underwood to tip his shot wide.
With quarter of an hour left Fin Jones forced a save from Kaye who almost made a mess of
a fairly routine effort. On 80 the Referee was said to have made a terrible decision to give a
penalty to Frampton for a tackle allegedly outside the box and then sending Dave Matthews
off for the tackle! Espada duly slotted home the resultant kick. But that wasn’t the end of it,
a minute from time Alex Stephens got the ball out of his feet and put in a great shot for 3-3
and probably the least Hill deserved.