Page 17 - Avonmouth FC v Little Stoke 071023

Quedgeley v Avonmouth
October saw league leaders Avonmouth make the journey up the M5 to the
Waterwells ground and the home of Quedgeley Wanderers. Avonmouth started
strongly and after just 6 minutes Matt Groves put Josh Pearce through but his shot
was blocked. Just a minute later Avonmouth were awarded a penalty when the
Groves-Pearce duo again caused the home side a problem with Pearce being taken
out inside the box. Up stepped Tommy Taylor who struck his shot against the left-
hand post and then hit the rebound into the net only to be penalised for playing
the ball twice.
On 10 minutes Quedgeley had their first shot from a free kick that sailed just over
the Avonmouth bar. Avonmouth then stamped their authority when Dillan Kerr
chipped keeper Nathan Charnock to put them deservedly 1 up. Avonmouth
continued to pressure the Quedgeley goal with a Kyle Donovan header clipping
their bar and then keeper Charnock saving well from another great Pearce effort.
It wasn’t until the 24 minute that Avonmouth keeper Tom Bradley was seriously
th
challenged following a free kick and he then had to make a smart save to his left.
Avonmouth’s second came on the half-hour when Charlie Aldom, outside the
penalty box and on the goal line, beat two defenders and pulled the ball back to
Dillan Kerr who confidently hit the target from 10 yards. Just 6 minutes later Pearce
and Groves again combined well enabling Kerr to score his second with a tap in
with Avonmouth 3 up and in control. With just 5 minutes of the half remaining
Groves spotted the Quedgeley keeper off his line and tried an audacious chip from
40 yards that was just wide. The final action of the first half saw Charlie Aldom
being cautioned on the half way line for illegally stopping a Quedgeley break away.
Avonmouth came out strongly in the second half again taking control with efforts
on goal from Groves, Donovan and two more from Kerr. The next goal however
went to Quedgeley with Ollie Curtis firing past keeper Bradley whose throw-out was
intercepted. This stirred the home side into action with Devon Morgan and Harry
Reynolds both going close. Avonmouth then brought on sub Sam Jackson for
Donovan for his first outing of the season following injury. Quedgeley continued
their best spell of the game striking the Avonmouth bar with a header from a
corner. But their pressure was snubbed out when Groves hit a fourth for
Avonmouth and despite several corners for the hosts, it was Jackson who pulled
the ball back to Jack Williams who converted a fifth for Avonmouth in added time
to make it a 5-1 victory away from home.

QUIZ ANSWERS
1. Ryan Giggs
2. 1992
3. Carling
4. 2003/04
5. Jamie Vardy
6. Harry Kane
7. Brad Friedel
8. It was for Sergio Aguero’s title-winning goal vs QPR
9. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
10. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer