GFA Intermediate Cup Round 3

Thornbury Baptist Church 2 North Bristol Trust 1

THORNBURY Baptists upset the odds by inflicting a first defeat of the season on a side riding high at the top of Bristol & Suburban Division 3.

With 10 players unavailable, manager Chris Beddoes managed to get 12 players together and their only sub Ben Keen had to take to the field after only 8 minutes when captain Steve Clare suffered an ankle injury.

The first half was a cagey affair, with both keepers having a fairly quiet 45 mins. Despite the Baps having more possession, with centre midfielders Stu Kelly and John Cordle pulling the strings, it was the visitors who had the best chances but keeper Will Jones made a great save low to his right to keep the score at 0-0.

Sam Nichols and Jimmy Cooke, both midfielders, were the new centre back partnership and they kept the dangerous North Bristol strikers at bay.

The deadlock was broken on 48 minutes when keeper Jones fed Cordle who burst through midfield and found Kelly who fed Keen on the wing and his cross was headed home by Cordle.

The Castle School teacher was tormenting the visitors, whilst teenagers Aidan Maddox and James Ponting were up and down both wings, getting forward and defending heroically.

It was 2-0 on the hour when Nic Lockett-Chapman forced a mistake at the back and Keen fired home on his Baps debut. North Bristol responded immediately when a shot from 25 yards was parried by Jones only for the ball to be fired into the top corner.

The Baps had further chances and should have scored on 70 minutes, Cordle bursting through the middle his shot hit the post and Keen’s follow up shot being tipped just wide when it seemed to be going in.

With full backs Phil Mansfield and Phil Loadwick defending both wings and preventing the visitors getting round the back, the home side saw the game out comfortably and look forward to the quarter final draw.

The Baps are home again for the quarter final of the Bristol Churches Cup this Saturday, kick off 10am at Jubilee Field, Alveston.