Jagger the hero after red mist clears (From Gazette Series)

Jagger the hero after red mist clears

Stroud Charity Cup Cam Bulldogs 0 Dursley Town 0 (Cam won 4-3 on penalties)

TWO penalty saves from Ben Jagger won a fiery cup tie for Cam against nearest rivals Dursley, writes Keith Watson.

Jagger saved from Paul Little and Rich Gillingham to help his side to a 4-3 shoot-out victory after a goalless draw.

The game was hardly a spectacle of football from the outset and was further worsened when three players were sent off in seven minutes either side of half-time.

The referee perhaps set too harsh a marker from the outset as Town player-manager Martin Booth found himself booked inside five minutes.

A half cleared Dursley corner was lobbed back into the Cam goalmouth where Booth was penalised for fouling Jagger and the striker's angry reaction to the referee earned him a yellow card.

Jagger had to make a save soon afterwards as Dursley settled the better but it was Cam that went the closest in a tight first half.

Sean Clune's long throw was headed against a post by Jer Coburn and the ball agonisingly bounced along the line before being kicked to safety.

Two minutes before the break both sides were reduced to ten men when Booth tangled with Clune, although with Booth shown a second yellow and Clune a straight red the home side felt aggrieved.

Both sides reorganised at half-time but the Bulldogs had to think again just five minutes later when captain Simon Penny was shown a second yellow for kicking the ball away.

Loz Dorman had a couple of speculative efforts for nine-man Cam and Brad Price forced Gavin Dean to hold a free-kick but it was Dursley who had most of the pressure.

However, they lacked invention in the final third and when they did finally create two good chances both Ian Beevor and Anthony Nash lost their footing with the goal beckoning.

The Bulldogs had the ball in the net inside the last 15 minutes but Pat Young was flagged offside.

In all honesty, the game was such that the two sides could have played for six months without scoring, so penalties were required at the end of 90 minutes.

Little had Town's second kick saved, while Ian Cheshire drove Cam's third against Dean's right hand post.

With one penalty left each the score stood at 3-3 but then Jagger dived to his left to deny Gillingham and substitute Tony Goodwin was able to win the tie for the Bulldogs despite a brave effort to save from Dean.

Cam: B Jagger, B Price, S Clune, S Penny, P Holder, P Street (J Iatalese 80), I Cheshire, P Young, L Dorman, D McIntosh, J Coburn (T Goodwin 80). Unused subs: C Bailey, J Barnfield, K Watson. Sent off: Clune (Violent conduct), Penny (Unsporting behaviour).

Dursley: G Dean, T Woodward, C Wilkins (A Woodward 80), R Crowcombe (N Hart 75), S Phillips, A Nash, P Little, W Hill (L Thomas 50), R Gillingham, I Beevor, M Booth. Unused subs: K Nash, S Bennett. Sent off: Booth (Violent conduct).

Penalties: T Woodward (D - Goal), Price (C - Goal), Little (D - Saved), Dorman (C - Goal), Beevor (D - Goal), Cheshire (C - Hit post), Phillips (D - Goal), Young (C - Goal), Gillingham (D - Saved), Goodwin (C - Goal).