Saturday 22nd November saw Bucks host the team that they narrowly defeated the previous week, Long Marston, with the game being played at Edinburgh Playing Fields due to the pitch at Lower Road being unplayable.
It was another week of change for the home side in terms of personnel, with Faulkner and Hamilton unavailable as well as Creser and Page who were both still missing through injury. New signing Ray Undi came into the starting line up along with Carl Clay who had come from the bench in the previous game, with Tony Castielli filling in at the back.
Bucks started slowly on what was a flat and damp pitch, which meant that the midfield 3 of Skiller, Jones and Bailey-Goss were having to chase a lot of balls in the midfield areas. The work rate soon increased with Bucks getting more time on the ball and possession was being played largely in the last 2/3’s of the pitch. Long Marston were first to have the ball in the net although their forward was correctly adjudged to have bundled keeper Moran into the net on what would have otherwise been a routine catch. With just over 25 minutes gone it was the home side who took the lead through debutant Ray Undi. A cross from Jones on the left was guided away by the Long Marston centre-back, but only as far as Undi who let a shot fly from 20 yards, which was deflected passed the helpless keeper and into the net (26mins). Bucks enjoyed good possession in the remaining minutes of the half but also had spells where they were not good enough at retaining the ball. The back four of Sinfield, Ainger, Bannister and Castielli dealt very well with the busy strikers in the first half meaning Moran was only called upon to deal with loose through balls.
Half time came and went with a good feeling in the Bucks camp but I’m sure the same could have been said for Long Marston as they had showed enough in the first half to suggest that they were still well in the match. The away side showed a real determination throughout the second half which called for resolute defending from Bucks, but the midfield battle was where Bucks were being beaten with many second balls being won by the away side. Increased possession for Long Marston called for some nervy periods, but in truth, the home side didn’t ever look like they would concede. Another new signing, Martin Carr, came on to replace Jones with just under 20 minutes to go and it would prove a great move as he won a penalty in the dying moments. Picking up a through ball from Troy Bailey-Goss in the left channel, Carr charged in to the box and was hauled down just as he was about to shoot. Ray Long, who had worked tirelessly throughout, stepped up to dispatch the penalty having sent the keeper the wrong way, making the score 2-0 (88mins).
A goal was exactly the reward that Long had deserved as he led the line from start to finish, and it was Long who picked up the man of the match award this week.
Next up for Bucks is a trip to Fairford Leys to face the currently undefeated Aylesbury Dynamos 2pm kick-off.
