On the opening day of the new season, Bowland FC Cs faced off against Furness Bs on the college pitches , ultimately succumbing to a shock 4-2 defeat.
Bowland FC Cs lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, which had been so successful under previous captain Jacob Austin, however with James Rist, Jai Kempster, Benn Cellamare, Peter Mohrasri and Ross Stodgell all missing from last years promotion fighting side among others the side had a very different look to it . Reuben Confue took his place in goal despite having been dropped in pre season in favour of new signing Kacper Kacjoch , shielded by a back four consisting of James Pike on the right, Connor Phipp and Max Munro in central defence, and the captain, Kayden Parish on the left, with the notable omission of former captain Jacob Austin a big talking point. The midfield trio featured Jake Hodgson on the right, Max Tovell centrally, and Michael Cossey on the left, while the forward line was spearheaded by Lawrence Hopper as the central striker, flanked by Dabelu Emecheta on the right and Luca Allen-Manry on the left. The substitutes for Bowland included Yanni Yianna, Henry Pollard, Jacob Austin, Raymond Kwashirai, and Louie Everitt.
The match began with an early flourish from Bowland, as Dabelu Emecheta opened the scoring in the 9th minute. Emecheta tapped in from close range after a clever flick assist from Lawrence Hopper, giving Bowland a promising start. However, the lead was short-lived as Furness Bs responded with a stunning equaliser in the 22nd minute, scoring from outside the area with a powerful right-footed strike that left Confue with no chance.
Furness Bs continued to apply pressure, and just seven minutes later, they took the lead with another goal from inside the box, capitalising on a defensive lapse from Bowland. The visitors extended their advantage further just before half-time, scoring a fluke goal from outside the box in the 42nd minute, leaving Bowland trailing 3-1 at the break, one many pundits will say Confue should have done better with
As the second half commenced, Bowland made tactical changes, bringing on James Pike and Jacob Austin for Henry Pollard and Connor Phipp, respectively. However, Furness Bs struck again in the 53rd minute, scoring a header from close range that further widened the gap to 4-1 in a moment that skipper Kayden Parish will not want to look back fondly.
Bowland refused to back down and found a glimmer of hope in the 59th minute when an own goal from a Furness player, following a corner taken by Michael Cossey, brought the score to 4-2. This moment reignited Bowland's spirits, and they pressed forward in search of another goal.
In a bid to change the game, Bowland made further substitutions, introducing Raymond Kwashirai for Dabelu Emecheta and Louie Everitt for James Pike in the 60th minute. They also brought back Michael Cossey, who had been substituted earlier, in place of Jake Hodgson in the 65th minute.
As has been a recurring theme with Bowland this season, with As all the way to Ds suffering the same problems, the lack of chances taken was a major issue, with Bowland dominating the xg on the day, but not having that cutting edge in front of goal, and unlike last year where Cs defence was exceptional with a lot of cover from midfield, there is not the same defensive cover with a James Rist sized hole in midfield
Raymond Kwashirai was notably influential throughout the match despite only being a substitute, earning the accolade of Player of the Match for his performance. Bowland FC Cs will need to regroup and reflect on their frailties in midfield and look to take more chances going forward as they prepare for their next challenge in the league.
