BCAFL Division One

Thornbury Baptist Church.......... 2

VCF Santos................................... 1

Thornbury Baptist Church sealed a dramatic win on as 17-year old Will Ponting stepped up from the bench to score his first ever goal for the club.

Ponting wasn't even in the original matchday squad but was placed on the bench following a late withdrawal through illness.

It was in the 85th minute when the youngster coolly collected James Hancox’s deep cross from the right, turned his man and fired a left-foot strike past the Santos keeper for his first goal for Thornbury and one that secured the 2-1 win and a vital three points in the first league outing since Christmas.

This was a hard fought and at times scrappy affair with both sides packing the midfield and the Alveston surface slowly cutting up more and more as the game wore on.

Santos had the better start and ought to have led but for a wonderful point-blank save from Davis Newcombe at the far post, after a header from a Santos corner.

At the other end Stu Kelly and John Cordle both had good efforts from distance for Thornbury but neither side created anything more clear-cut in front of goal. More disappointing for the hosts was that they were dealt two more serious injury blows as Aidan Maddox had a recurrence of a hamstring strain sustained in December and then Stu Kelly departed with what proved to be a broken toe which will require surgery.

The second half followed the pattern of a lot of hard work from both sides but little reward until a moment of genius from the Santos midfielder saw him strike a 30-yard free kick into the top left corner of Newcombe’s goal, with the young keeper doing exceptionally well to even lay a finger on it. The goal rallied Thornbury and they began to make the home advantage tell, forcing a string of corners and on 67 minutes a left-footed corner from Jimmy Cooke was headed powerfully home by veteran centre-half Richard Ocone, a man whose football career longevity alone exceeds the years of age of Thornbury’s young match winner.

A draw might have been a fair reflection but there was no doubt Thornbury were finishing stronger and eventually the visitors cracked and Ponting had his moment of glory having come onto the field in place of his brother James and with his Dad and Gran both looking on from the sidelines.

It was an important win but the injuries to key players have come at a bad time with Champions Woodlands coming to Alveston next week.