GFA Cup Intermediate Round 2

Thornbury Baptist Church 2

Talbot Knowle Reserves 1

AS GFA Minor Cup Champions 2015/16, Thornbury were keen to embark on a similar cup venture at the next level and showed on Saturday that they are more than capable, with a competent performance against combative visitors from Knowle who finished the game with ten men.

Thornbury had a dream start when Stu Kelly latched onto a loose ball in the Thornbury midfield and his deflected through-ball fell perfectly for Steve Clare who steadied his feet before firing past the keeper for his fourth goal in two games and an invaluable early lead for the hosts.

Ash Tuck was causing countless problems for the visitors up front with his pace and he really ought to have doubled the lead when he raced through from a James Ponting pass.

His reward did come on 32 minutes when he was clipped in the box and the referee pointed to the spot allowing midfielder Jimmy Cooke to step up and slot his second of the season.

Tempers boiled over before half-time with a flurry of yellow cards for the visitors, struggling to handle a buoyant Thornbury side enjoying a refreshingly good surface at the Alveston Arena for early November and Thornbury were well worth the two-nil lead at the interval.

They should have put the game to bed in the second half as Cooke and Kelly both squandered chances before a brilliant piece of individual skill by Aidan Maddox was followed by another disappointing finish to deny him what would have been a very special goal.

It could have cost Thornbury when Talbot got back in the game on 70 minutes when for the first time all game, the centre-forward got the better of Dan Blanchard in the Thornbury defence.

The hosts held on and were bizarrely denied another late penalty when the referee appeared unduly distracted by his linesman and somehow missed Cooke being felled by an on-rushing keeper in the box.

Fortunately Thornbury held firm for the victory and will be interested to see what Round 3 brings.