Football: Bulldog spirit is key to record-breaking run (From Gazette Series)

Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division Two: Cam Bulldogs 2 Cheltenham Civil Service 0

9:44am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Sport By Rob Iles

CAM BULLDOGS extended their remarkable run to 12 wins and 12 clean sheets in a row as they saw off title rivals Cheltenham Civil Service.

Simon Penny’s side needed to show all the resolve that has seen them go without conceding a goal since October 22, 2011, as they came under a barrage from the visitors early in the second half, but a late Adam Philp brace saw them extend their lead at the top of the table to four points.

“There’s a strong belief now, some people are getting carried away with it, but that does carry them through a bit,” said Bulldogs boss Penny, who is in his second year in charge at the club.

“Promotion is our target. We’ve really pushed on this year, everyone has got more confidence, but it’s a massive help having Gary Browning (assistant manager) with me because he’s been at the club for years.”

It is believed that the run of clean sheets is a club record for Cam, but nobody could have envisaged that after the last time they played Cheltenham Civil Service at the start of October, as they suffered an 8-1 defeat.

“It was just an off day,” said Penny. “We had four or five players missing that day so it was an unsettled squad and they tore us apart.

“Everyone has got together now and it’s a great squad.”

Ben Jagger has been a mainstay in Cam’s goal during their run, but he needed the help of Chris Lindsay, who made two goal-line clearances against Civil Service, to keep the record intact.

After weathering the storm, Cam took the lead with ten minutes remaining when Philp glanced in a header from 18 yards.

Within one minute, they doubled their lead. Pete Holder ran through the Cheltenham defence before being brought down in the penalty box by a visiting player, who was subsequently sent off, and Philp netted his 36th goal of the season from the spot.