Sharks bitten by brilliant Bulldogs (From Gazette Series)

Sharks bitten by brilliant Bulldogs

Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division One Cam Bulldogs 2 Sharpness 0

TWO second half goals gave Cam a rare victory over Sharpness.

The Bulldogs forced the issue in the first half but found the Sharks to be much more combative after the break and it was possibly against the run of play when the hosts made the breakthrough.

Indeed, Cam were indebted to returning goalkeeper Ben Jagger for a fantastic save when the score was just 1-0.

The hosts, who included Tony Goodwin after almost 18 months away from the club, took the game to Sharpness early on and could well have gone ahead as early as the tenth minute.

Goodwin and Loz Dorman linked up well on the left but when Goodwin put Jack Barnfield in on goal he shot wide from ten yards.

Shortly afterwards the Sharks survived another scare as Goodwin twice had shots blocked on the line after Pete Holder had crossed from the right. Cam were well and truly on top for the remainder of the half but much like their home game with Berkeley last month, they went in at the break having not pressed their advantage home.

Sharpness appeared ready to capitalise in the second period and they were much the better after the restart.

Tim Thomas had the best chance to score but after a fortunate deflection put him clear, he shot too close to Jagger.

Ian Watkins then also wasted a good opportunity to put the away side into the lead.

Instead, the Bulldogs made the breakthrough on the hour, although it took a Sharks player to do it. Goodwin's ball from the right was knocked back across the six yard box by Barnfield for the unfortunate Mike Sherman to turn past Nick Grove, although the visitors appealed for an offside flag that never came.

Sharpness came back at the home side though and were only denied an equaliser by the brilliance of Jagger.

A cross from the left broke to Tommy Patterson off Ian Cheshire but his shot low to Jagger's left was superbly turned away by the Cam goalkeeper.

With ten minutes to go the home side got the killer goal when Cheshire kept in Carl Bailey's cross and his ball back across the face of goal was put in by Barnfield.

The result leaves Sharpness in ninth place in the league with the Bulldogs one point and one place behind in tenth, although they have a game in hand on the Sharks.

Cam player-manager Stuart Grimwood said: "What an outstanding performance. It bodes really well for our next game at Longlevens as well as Sunday's Stroud Cup tie with Dursley."

Cam: B Jagger, S Grimwood, B Price, S Penny, P Holder (C Bailey 50), I Cheshire, S Clune, L Dorman, T Goodwin, J Coburn, J Barnfield. Unused subs: J Iatalese, S Bailey. Goals: Sherman og (60), Barnfield (80).

Stroud League Division Three Sharpness Res 1 Cam Bulldogs Res 3

THREE goals from three identical inswinging right wing corners gave Cam victory in the reserve derby with Sharpness.

However, the Bulldogs had to survive a torrid second half as they were battered by both their opponents and the elements.

In fairness, Cam started the better as both Dan Gadd and Rob Birch worked the goalkeeper with speculative efforts and Andy Roberts shot wide.

The visitors took the lead on 20 minutes when Ben Cheviot's right wing corner was glanced in at the near post by Neil Meredith.

Ten minutes later Cam made it 2-0 as another Cheviot corner was turned in for an own goal with Gadd threatening to do the job himself.

Almost unbelievably, the Bulldogs scored their third from another Cheviot corner ten minutes before the break when the ball rebounded in off Meredith after Gadd's effort had been blocked on the line.

Sharpness came out fighting in the second half and kept the visitors under a huge amount of pressure.

However, with Keith Watson repeatedly advancing from his penalty area to snuff out home attacks, the Sharks had limited efforts on goal.

The home side did pull one back with 20 minutes to go when Martin Bennett hit a fine shot from the edge of the area but the hard-working Cam defence ensured that they would make it a double success for their club over Sharpness.