Bristol Churches FA Cup First Round
Woodlands FC 1-0 Thornbury Baptist Church FC
(after extra time)
THORNBURY Baptists were dealt a bitter blow after 117 minutes of gripping entertainment at Failand on Saturday morning.
A Ieuan Pearse strike from 20 yards rifled into the net off the far post giving Dave Lane no chance in the Thornbury goal.
The game had looked destined for a penalty shoot-out after a cracking contest between the current Division 1 Champions and their table-topping visitors from Thornbury but the goal was befitting of a match winner and befitting of a game at a much later stage of the competition, the draw having unfortunately matched two of the big clubs in round one.
The first-half was a frenetic but very even affair with Woodlands enjoying the lion’s share of possession but Thornbury squandering some wonderful chances for a lead. A brilliant jinking run from the in-form James Hancox on five minutes saw him one-on-one with the Woodies keeper but he scuffed the effort wide from a tight angle. Sam Nichols fired wide from the edge of the box and the pacey attack of Ash Tuck and Will Crabtree was causing problems for the experienced backline of the champions.
Woodlands had strength in depth whilst Thornbury had been hit by injuries to John Cordle and John Braid in recent weeks and the hosts made the most of rotating substitutions as they began to impose themselves on the contest. Thornbury remained resolute in defence however and when man of the match Stu Kelly fed Will Crabtree on 80 minutes, it took a brilliant late tackle to deny him the clearest opportunity of a half that had absolutely everything but a goal.
Manager Chris Beddoes introduced James Ponting and Mark Cooke from the bench and as extra time wore on, much of the action was contained to the middle of the park with two solid defences protecting their respective goalkeepers. With players’ minds beginning to wander to the prospect of volunteering for the spot-kicks, another Woodies attack saw the ball ricochet to Pearse and he let fly with a sweet right-foot strike that was genuinely unstoppable. Thornbury still fought to nick the equaliser and a James Hancox cross was met at the back post by Mark Cooke who might have done better were he not returning from a three and half year injury lay-off and he could only stretch to head over the bar.
The same two sides will meet in the league at Alveston next week and it should be one to relish.