Today we welcomed Bitton who last month we managed to beat one nil in a very close & even match. Since that game Bitton have beaten Bristol City JSC & drawn with high flying Yate in the league so it should be another close & exciting encounter in which again we will need to be on top form to earn anything from the game.
After a fairly quiet opening the first real chance came to Bitton on 10 minutes. A dangerous cross was delivered into the penalty box & keeper Ryan Scott managed to punch the ball out to the edge of the area. However, the ball arrived at a Bitton striker whose first time shot was aimed at what appeared to be an unguarded net but from nowhere Haydn Curtis flung himself into the air & managed to head the ball wide for a corner. Five minutes later Avonmouth produced their best effort of the first half when Sam Eastwood set Mitch Harris away on goal but as he went around the keeper the goalie stuck out his leg to deny the striker the opening goal. The rest of the half became a midfield battle with both defences well on top. There were a couple of shots from both teams, which did not trouble either of the 2 keepers.
Half Time: Avonmouth 0 Bitton AFC 0
Within a minute of the second half came the important first goal. From an Avonmouth throw in their own half which became loose, a Bitton player played a ball over the defence & a lapse of concentration allowed the speedy Bitton striker to run onto the ball. Advancing into the penalty box with only the keeper to beat his shot produced a great save by Scott however, on the rebound the ball then fell kindly back to the striker & his follow up effort looped into the empty net. Avonmouth responded & within five minutes almost got an equaliser when following an Eastwood free kick a cross arrived into the Bitton box but unfortunately for the home side, a Dan Steven header went straight into the hands of the Bitton keeper. On the hour mark Avonmouth then produced their best chance of the match. A lovely pass from midfield by James Skelton gave Harris a great chance to score but with only the keeper to beat his shot came off the post & then from the rebound & at a tight angle his follow up effort again hit the post & was then cleared to safety. For the rest of the match the home side had plenty of possession but could not create any real chances to score. Any good Avonmouth crosses / passes into the penalty box did not fall kindly to a home player & Bitton battled & worked hard to maintain their lead & at the final whistle had held on to avenge their narrow defeat to us by the same score last month.
Today was another close encounter where one goal was always likely to win the match. Both teams put a lot of effort in to their play & a draw would have been a fair result however, when their golden opportunity arrived they grasped it and took all three points. Despite their current league position Bitton are a good side & I would expect them to start climbing the table. Meanwhile we can pick ourselves up & look forward to next weeks GFA Cup Semi-Final against Warmley, where if we play to our full potential we can cause an upset.
Full Time: Avonmouth 0 Bitton AFC 1
