BBOB returned from the enforced 'Winter' break with a win in one of the most important games of the season so far! And there is a long way to go yet, with 15 league games yet to play!
This was a semi-final in the A W Bridle Trophy. It had been five weeks since the last BBOB game and inevitably they started slowly, so slowly that in the 4th minute ATS Southern (currently bottom of the table) took the lead! BBOB conceded a corner and resulting kick flew over the goal a BBOB tried to head the ball away but it went straight into the BBOB net! ATS Southern continued to have control of the game and kept BBOB in their own half for large spells of the half. There were further chances for ATS, the best falling to a forward, who created some space in the area after a good move but luckily fired his effort straight at the BBOB keeper Craig Watson who managed to hold onto the ball despite being winded by the fierce shot he received!
At the opposite end, BBOB had chances to equalise, Matt Barton twice coming close by attempting to lob the opposition keeper! Jamie Eade could have and possibly should have scored in the 25th minute after a good passing move from the BBOB defence to the right wing, the cross found him with the goal at his mercy but somehow he placed the ball just wide of the left hand goalpost! Finally BBOB equalised in the 30th minute! A free kick was floated into the ATS box and fell kindly to striker Ben Scott, his (goalkeeper bound) shot was directed in by the toe of his strike partner Matt Barton. Half time 1-1.
After a good half time team talk between all concerned, BBOB set upon the task of winning this game before extra time became an option, an extra motivation behind this was that Brighton & Hove Albion were due to kick off at 17.20!! No one wanted to be rushing to that game! BBOB took the lead four minutes after the break, a cross to far post by Tom found the head of midfielder Howard Lloyd and he directed the ball back across goal and into the top left hand corner of the net!
Four minutes later a long ball from centre back Tom Bunting found Jamie Eade in space just outside the ATS penalty box, he made himself some space and fired his shot towards goal! It took a wicked deflection off the foot of an opposition defender and flew beyond the ATS goalkeeper into the roof of the net! The opposition's heads dropped at this point, they barely created a chance on goal in the second half!
Left back Adam Leaver was replaced by Ryan Satterly in the 57th minute, and two minutes later Adam Craig replaced Ben Scott up front! BBOB continued to press, in the 75th minute Matt Barton scored his second of the game, after a Ryan Satterly corner to the near post was flicked on by “H” for a simple tap in! BBOB were unlucky not to score more as the game progressed to the final whistle. Four minutes from time player manager Steve Maskell replaced Chris Thomas, with Michael (Titch) McMahon moving to central midfield from the right!
The second half was a great improvement on the first and the game finished 4-1, sending the BBOB first team into their 3rd cup final in the last five years!
Match report by Paul Barton
