A Bridge too far for the Blues.
Amesbury Town fell at the first hurdle of the County Senior Cup in a disjointed game decided by an early scrappy goal. The Blues welcomed back Neil Sole to the squad with Matt Western winning a starting place though they were missing their injured skipper Ben Pryce Trowbridge also welcomed back last season's captain Adam Glover and Paul Gittins. Amesbury started well, dominating possession and kicking down the slightly sloping pitch but they fell behind in the 11th minute against the run of play.
The Trowbridge striker Tarick Yachou broke free on the right and tested Tommy Allatt with a low shot which the keeper managed to palm across the goalmouth but Dave
Wade's attempted goal line clearance hit Paul Gittins and rebounded into an empty net with the Trowbridge player not knowing much about it. A patient build up from the
Blues resulted in Tom Western threading the ball through to Daryl Charman but his strike was wide of the Trowbridge post. After half an hour's play the Blues put concerted pressure on their opponents and forced a succession of corners and from the first of them Danny Finnigan ventured forward but saw his header rebound from the upright. Just before the break both Danny Western and Craig Wheeler set up Charman with chances but both were squandered by the Andover striker. Ten minutes into the second period the Blues made a double substitution with Sole and Allan
McPhie replacing Tom western and Gareth Horner with Finnigan belng pushed up into a mldfield position.
The home side started to cause the Blues some problems with Tom Bonsor heading over from a long free kick into the box and, with ten minutes remaining, they were guilty of some glaring misses which could have put the result beyond doubt. Allatt came to the Blues rescue twice in the space of five minutes saving bravely at the feet of Ali Jafari and Bonsor before the Blues keeper made a superb diving save touching Mike Barnes's curling shot onto the woodwork.
Then Bees substitute Scott Askew blazed the ball over the bar from dose range when it seemed easier to put the ball into the net, in a frustrating final few minutes the Blues threw caution to the wind throwing men forward and both Sole and Wade headed over the crossbar from crosses into the box. It was, however, that early scrappy goal that was ultimately decided this game and give Trowbridge progression into the 2nd round of the Wiltshire Senior cup where they will play away at Melksham Town on November 14th at The Conigre.
Author Unknown.
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