Avonmouth V Keynsham Town Colts
Today Avonmouth could forget about the league as they welcomed division 2 team Keynsham Town Colts for a second round AYL Cup match. Keynsham gained promotion last season and have had a good start to the current campaign, winning 3 of their 4 games so far. We have had good games against them in the past so we knew we would have to maintain our form to ensure a victory today.
Avonmouth started confidently but after only 5 minutes Keynsham took an early lead when following a ball over the top, a striker ran through the middle and calmly put the ball past the advancing keeper Sam Reynolds. The home side started to play some neat passing football but did not really threaten the keynsham goal. In fact, on 13 & 23 minutes, the away side could easily have doubled the lead with almost exact replicas of their opening goal. Balls over the middle created great scoring chances but fortunately Reynolds was able to make good saves to keep the one goal difference. However, on 28 minutes Avonmouth got the equaliser. The ever lively, James Skelton was judged to have been pushed in the back by a Keynsham defender in the box & the resultant penalty, was coolly put away by Mitch Harris. Keynsham responded & 5 minutes later regained the lead. Again, a ball over the top left a striker 1 on 1 with the keeper. However, Reynolds produced a superb save again to keep the score level. The resultant corner was floated in & an unmarked Keynsham player headed the ball towards goal, Reynolds made a great attempt to stop the ball crossing the line but following a discussion between the referee & linesman a goal was given. A few minutes later Keynsham almost got a third when following a cross & scramble in the box the ball came off the post & was then kicked to safety. The final action of the half came with Prevan Rajh making a great run on the left hand side, but unfortunately his shot was deflected just over the bar. The colts went in ahead at half time but would they pay for their missed chances?
Half Time: Avonmouth 1 Keynsham Town Colts 2
You would expect a response from Avonmouth & straight from the restart Skelton went on a run at the away defence, but his cross was scrambled away to safety. Then almost immediately Keynsham almost scored again, but there was no one at the back post to put the ball into the net. Avonmouth now began to get on top & Harris had three good chances to score but they were not taken. Keynsham were dangerous on the counter attack & on one such opportunity they got a third goal after 62 minutes. As a striker ran on goal, Reynolds again pulled off a good save but the rebound fell kindly to another Keynsham player who calmly placed the ball into the unguarded net. Avonmouth did not give up & a few minutes later a superb pass from inside his own half by Rajh gave Harris another chance, but this time he saw his shot cannon off a post. Shortly afterwards Harris found himself with only the keeper to beat but the goalie denied him with a good save. Having missed so many chances & with less than 10 minutes left Avonmouth changed formation in an attempt to remain in the cup. There then followed 6 minutes of the most amazing football seen at the club. On 73 minutes a Raj run from midfield created chaos and via Luke French the ball suddenly came to Harris who from close in this time saw his shot come off the post into the net. Almost from the restart a ball over the top saw Harris again with only the keeper to beat & unlike previously he slotted the ball home for his hat trick. Two minutes later Haydn Curtis collected the ball out on the right & sent a pass out wide for Skelton to run onto. He then found Harris who sent over a lovely low cross for French to glide the ball past the keeper into the net. Another 2 minutes later, Mitch Day sent another ball over the top for Harris to run onto & again he calmly slid the ball past the onrushing keeper into the net. The whole crowd could not believe what they had just witnessed, 4 Avonmouth goals in 6 minutes & to go from 3 – 1 down to 5 – 3 up. The game was still not over & as it went into injury time Keynsham got a fourth with a good strike from their striker. This led to a nervous last minute but Avonmouth held on to grab an unexpected win, which did not seem likely less than 10 minutes earlier.
In a game with so many good chances to score the number of goals could have been doubled. Keynsham played their part in a game, which was great for the neutral observers and also eventually in the end for the home team. With less than 10 minutes left it seemed Keynsham were through to the next round but this current Avonmouth side don’t know when they are beaten & the goal blitz at the end was almost unbelievable to watch. We can now look forward to playing Warmley in round 3 of the competition.
Full Time: Avonmouth 5 Keynsham Town Colts 4
