Bridgemary 2-4 Chandlers Ford Youth
Mid Solent Under 15 B – 20th December 2008
Line up: Kelvin Bagot, David Kilcoyne, Josh Harrigan ©, David Smith, Liam Godfrey, Ahmed Sfagsi, Tom Ashton, Zak Pickett, David Bromhead, Michael Wall, Jozef Montigue.
Subs: Ryan Chinn, Miles Hodge.
After a couple of weeks without a game due to unplayable pitches in recent weeks, Chandlers Ford's last game came against a previously unbeaten Locks Heath Lions. Jozef Montigue grabbed two late goals that day to ensure victory and keep the fine league form running but today was a different game entirely.
Anyone thinking that playing against the bottom of the table Bridgemary, a side with no wins and just two points to their name, would be easier were very much mistaken. When the visitors arrived at the ground in Gosport, Richard and Neil's side discovered that their opponents had just ten players available. Again Chandlers Ford were to be in for a big shock in thinking that rolling over ten men would be a walk in the park.
Richard had his own selection problems with commanding centre back/centre forward Michael Sawbridge missing out through suspension, goalkeeper Kane Kellaway nursing an injury and both Jake Beattie and Daryl Winter out of the equation as well.
On a heavy pitch, Ford tried to make the best of what they had but found themselves second best in a woeful first half.
Despite the fact that Bridgemary had the majority of possession and opportunities where they looked to catch the Blues on the break, CFY came close in the 5th minute through a well-worked move.
A superbly executed touch from Zak Pickett set Michael Wall free on the edge of the penalty area, who in turn fired just inches wide on the half volley.
Chandlers Ford took the lead in the 14th minute through a mesmerising goal by Tom Ashton as Ford struck against the run of play. Weaving his way through a handful of defenders with unbelievably good dribbling skills, Tom left his markers in his shadow and picked out the top corner with a scorching left footed drive from 25 yards.
He may have been the smallest player on the pitch, but Bridgemary's centre forward was at the heart of everything good about the hosts play. Quick off the mark and always giving the CFY back line something to think about the tricky live wire created chance after chance for Bridgemary as Ford held on to the slender lead by the skin of their teeth.
Just three minutes after opening the scoring, Chandlers Ford were playing a risky game in failing to cope with the pace of the diminutive forward as he was in on goal again only for Kelvin to rush out of goal and get to the ball first. The keeper's clearance was weak and went straight to an opponent as Kelvin was still stranded some 30 yards out of goal when the lob came in. Thankfully the shot stopper recovered well to redeem himself and keep his side in it as he back-pedalled and just managed to keep the ball away from goal.
On the back foot once more CFY survived as a heavily wind-assisted corner kick swung dangerously into the Chandlers Ford penalty area narrowly missing the target.
It had been on the cards and was the very least Bridgemary deserved, the home side finding an equalising goal midway through the half. Kelvin was left unguarded and wide open as his defence had been outdone by movement and pace before the ball was rolled through Bagot's legs with the nutmeg and tapped into an empty goal.
Things went from bad to worse as the ten-men of Bridgemary helped themselves to a 2-1 lead. A deep free kick seven minutes before the break was headed across goal at the back post where an utterly static Chandlers Ford watched on as the ball was slammed home with a powerful volley by a completely unmarked lad in a yellow shirt.
Just wanting the half to come to an end, Ford finally got that wish as they reflected on an extremely off-colour performance and set out their plans to turn the game around in the second half to spare any further embarrassment.
HALF TIME: Bridgemary 2-1 CFY
Thankfully it was a completely different story in the second half as Chandlers Ford imposed themselves and took the game to Bridgemary at long last making good use of their numerical advantage.
Taking a much more attacking approach to the game with just three at the back and playing with three forwards most definitely gave Bridgemary a problem or two of their own as they sacrificed a second striker and sat back.
Most effective however was the way CFY passed the ball to feet along the ground as opposed to long ball tactics that were cut out so easily in the first half and led to many break away opportunities for Bridgemary.
Short, crisp passing together with a determination to put right their wrongs Ford showed great spirit to change the game right from the very start.
Tom Ashton fired narrowly over the bar early on from a short throw in on the far side, before the goalscorer struck the woodwork directly from a corner kick moments later.
The pressure eventually paid off as Liam Godfrey headed home his first goal of the season from a free kick to make it 2-2, and it was game on. This was the goal that mattered because you could just sense that should Ford draw level that they would go on and make it count from there, which proved to be exactly the case.
David Bromhead could not have come any closer as he rattled the cross bar with a shot from just outside the box, before Liam grabbed his second of the day to put his side 3-2 up. Joe challenged the goalkeeper from a ball into the box where the ball rolled through for Godfrey who was in the right place at the right time to stroke home from close range.
A relieved Chandlers Ford sealed the game with four minutes to spare as Michael Wall found himself in the clear and made no mistake with a quality chip over the goalkeeper to add to his ever-growing tally of goals – this was goal number 14 for the season!
Ryan Chinn may well have added a fifth but was denied by a good block on the line, meanwhile the defence must be praised for a perfect second half performance in stark contrast to a miserable and forgetful first 40 minutes.
The three at the back consisting of captain Josh Harrigan, David Smith and David Kilcoyne really shone and mopped up any minor threat before it could develop where they scrapped for every ball, as did the ox Ahmed Sfagsi, who was commanding in the middle of the park. The sound protection limited Bridgemary to just a handful of opportunities and bar a couple of late balls into the box, where Kelvin punched the ball clear, he didn't have a save of note to make.
Well done to all for a positive attitude in the second half. Let us learn from the first half and never take any game for granted whether our opponents are bottom of the league or have less players on the pitch. If we do not stand up and be counted ourselves things can go horribly wrong as proved by the half time score line.
Thankfully we relaxed, played with great confidence and looked much more like the team that have been winning games this season and came away with the three points, which is most important. It may not have been the goal-difference boosting result that we were initially looking for, however it does mean we have jumped to top of the table! A great achievement that you all deserve, now lets kick on and make sure we stay there come the end of the season!
FULL TIME: Bridgemary 2-4 CFY
Man of the match: Liam Godfrey
