Bulldogs biting at title after win over Town (From Gazette Series)

Bulldogs biting at title after win over Town

Cam Bulldogs 3 Berkeley Town 0

THIS top of the table clash drew a big crowd on a very wet and windy December day and they were not to be disappointed with some good football being played by both sides on a very heavy pitch.

Berkeley played the far better football in the first half with Cam never getting to grips with the conditions, Dave Stevenson and Marty Britton were dominating the midfield and Langford up front giving the Cam defence a very hard time.

The only thing that stopped Berkeley scoring was that one of the Cam back three somehow got a last-ditch tackle or block to prevent the chance turning into a real goal-scoring opportunity, so it was a great relief and surprise to Cam manager Stuart Grimwood that he managed to get his troops into the changing rooms at half-time still on level terms.

After a few choice words the Cam players came out and it was a totally different game, still Berkeley were asking questions but Cam were now more than answering them. The first breakthrough came on the hour mark, a free kick wide on the right was whipped in by Steve Bennett and headed home brilliantly by ex-Slimbridge captain Andy Hopkinson to put Cam one up.

That seemed to relax the Cam players and they now started to play how they have been in recent weeks.

The all-important second goal didn't come before a couple of scares but man of the match Simon Penny, Andy Hopkinson and Nigel Brown were now dealing with them with ease. The energetic Pete Holder was brought down for the umpteenth time and this was to prove costly for Berkeley because up stepped Cam captain Tony Goodwin to smash home the free kick from 25 yards giving Buddy Stevenson in goal little chance of saving it.

The third goal came in the final ten minutes when Berkeley were pushing to try and get back into the game and got caught on the break when Maz Meta held the ball up well before laying it off to Aarron Hepworth who had his shot well saved, but Mark Downs was quickest to react to the rebound for a simple tap in.

Cam manager Stuart Grimwood said: "One of the best results for us, if not the performance, this now puts us right up there to have a real good go at it in the second half of the season. Berkeley are a very good side and when we have to go to their place it will no doubt be another hard game because they will still be in with a shout at the top.

"We are home again this Saturday to Ruardean Hill who are fighting at the bottom for every point, so we know we have to be focused."