With the manager trailing a new formation and four new players, Mark Alston, James Richards, Chris Jones and Chris Harber making their AFC bow, Ross Skeet and Andrew Alston returning to the club after a season away, also the long awaited return to action for skipper Matt Hickman from injury, AFC traveled to Abbeymead for their first pre-season fixture. The game started and Abbeymead made the front running and had three quick fire efforts but didn't hit the target, the pressure continued as AFC struggled to get a foot hold in the opening exchanges but the new look back four of Street, Richards, Hughes acting captian and Jones stood firm and socked up the pressure and pushed AFC forward with Jones finding loads of space on the left, as the half continued AFC struggled to win the ariel battle in the middle of the park, until the manager fired into his side and then the challenges were being won which brought the three attacking midfielders Skeet, Williams and Harber into the game, Williams and Harber started to work the flanks and the movement of Skeet started to cause Abbeymead problems. Harber and forward Parry combined and the ball was played though to Skeet down the right hand side and fired in a cross, which found Jones at the back post only for the new man to put his header narrowly wide.
Now AFC were moving then ball better but it took a long kick from keeper Claxton that found forward Puddy who was in space on the left hand side of the box,
Puddy took a touch and picked out Skeet at the back post who placed the ball into the bottom corner to give AFC the lead. ( 35th min )
The goal came against the run of play and Abbeymead didn't let it phase them and came back at AFC, after a goal mouth scramble Hughes cleared and the ball came straight back down the right and the winger cut inside and hit a low drive past Claxton koto level the score. ( 40th min )
Abbeymead's goal was fully deserved after their first half performance but the wonderful show the AFC back line put in kept the score down.
At half time the manager made his changes with Mark Alston, Leon Gaylard and Matt Hickman coming on for James Richards and Chris Jones who picked up knocks and Chris Harber, the game got under way and again AFC were found missing in the middle so a quick switch of Skeet and Gaylard and it paid dividends with Gaylard winning the battle as Abbeymead kept trying to hit the big midfielder and this unleashed Skeet's pace down the right and within minutes Skeet has played another driven cross into the box and Mark Alston was inches away from a curtain goal, the Gaylard and Skeet combination and Alston's tireless running was cause problems and with Parry and Puddy working the Abbeymead centre backs chance were coming with Puddy having a low drive defeated, Parry having a shot blocked on the line the introduction of Andy Alston for Puddy also added a new threat and a minute of being introduced he broke down the right and pulled the ball back to the on rushing Skeet who finished well to give AFC the lead. ( 69th min )
The goal knocked Abbeymead but again they still came back and managed to win a free kick which was flung into the AFC box and sliced in passed the mass of bodies to equalise, ( 73rd min 2:2 ). Gaylard and Street played a neat one two and Street curled the ball down the right to Skeet, who took a touch and delivered yet another brilliant cross to Andy Alston who controlled and shifted the ball to his left and smashed it into the bottom corner leaving the keeper planted. ( 75th min )
Before the game could restart Andy Alston had to make way after a small tweak to his calf with Puddy returning and Parry made way for Harber, AFC were in a great position to see the game out and Hickman was doing a fine job clearing up in the holding midfield role and also Aaron Beard who had done the holding roll to great effect in the first half was having a good second half at centre back, Abbeymead then started to hit the long ball and use the pace of their young forward which worked to great effect with AFC starting to tire. Abbeymead then throw caution to the wind and went for it, the same trick was played and resulted in them scoring in the 85th minute and the 89th minute to win the game, final score being Abbeymead 4 : 3 AFC Cheltenham.
With loads of new faces and changes happening throughout the game this was a good test, now we have some work to be done and the positives out weighed the negatives, A big thanks to Abbeymead for a very good game and the overall result was the correct one, good luck to them this season. #AFC
