After last weeks great team performance against Bitton we today welcomed old rivals Coalpit Heath. Over the seasons we have always had close & exciting matches against this team & earlier in the season Heath got a last minute equaliser to deny us top spot in the league.
In windy conditions Avonmouth started well & produced plenty of probing passes but no clear chances were created, however on 17 minutes they scored one of the goals of the season. There seemed to be little danger wide on the right but Alex Wilkins clever play enabled him to pass to Dan Steven whose excellent first time cross into the box was met with an acrobatic volley by Mitch Harris whose shot fizzed into the net. A few minutes later a Prevan Rajh corner was met by James Skelton whose, close in first time shot went straight to the keeper. On the half hour a Sam Eastwood free kick was headed on by Rajh, which found Harris who at the back post swept the ball into the net, however the Heath linesman gave offside & the goal was disallowed. Coalpit created a few chances, first when a corner produced a header on goal, which when saved at the post by Skelton, fell kindly into the arms of keeper Ryan Scott. Scott also had to produce a good save when he had to stretch backwards & tip a cross / shot onto the bar & over. Avonmouth needed a second goal & it arrived just before half time when a Rajh corner found Steven who, from close in prodded the ball home.
Half Time: Avonmouth 2 Coalpit Heath 1901 0
Previous encounters with Heath had shown that a 2 goal lead, may not be enough & within 2 minutes of the restart they had got a goal back. Following an Avonmouth attack the away side broke quickly & after some interchange passing a striker found some room on the left & as keeper Scott advanced he coolly slipped the ball past him into the net. In previous seasons Avonmouth may have wobbled at this stage but within 8 minutes they had virtually made the game safe. First another Rajh corner produced confusion which allowed Steven to have a shot which produced a great save by the keeper, however the rebound fell kindly to Wilkins whose shot went through a crowd of players into the net. Minutes later a Mitch Day pass found Rajh whose low left foot shot from the edge of the box got through both the keeper & player on the line & into the net. Avonmouth were now playing with great confidence & their football produced further excellent shots by Josh Beecham & Sam Eastwood that brought great saves by the Heath keeper. The flowing football had to produce goals & the next dually arrived on 70 minutes. Good play by Lukas Tsiopani found Sam Reynolds whose pass was picked up by Rajh who after shrugging off a few challenges let fly from outside the box, the keeper saved but could not hold onto the ball, which then agonisingly trickled past the line. Two minutes later it became six when a lovely Beecham cross into the box was headed into the air by Reynolds, there seemed to be little danger but the Heath defence & keeper all left it to each other which allowed Reynolds time to get off the ground & then drill the ball into the net from close in. Further chances were missed by the home team, when with a few minutes left, another contender for goal of the season arrived. A Harris free kick was headed out to the edge of the area but with a swivel & right foot volley Rajh smashed the ball high into the net giving the keeper no chance (words cannot do justice to this goal). Normal 0
Today was another convincing display from the Avonmouth players. After last week’s great defensive performance we showed that at the moment we are also still capable of playing good flowing attractive attacking football, creating chances & scoring good goals. We may have caught Coalpit Heath on one of their few bad days but this should not take anything away from the boys & their hard work – again well done to everyone.
Full Time: Avonmouth 7 Coalpit Heath 1901 1
