FA CUP PRELIMINARY ROUND
SATURDAY 29TH AUGUST 2015
ALMONDSBURY UWE 3 VERWOOD TOWN 1

A three hour coach trip to Almonsbury finished with the coach having to park on the main road because the entrance wasn’t wide enough to accept entry. Squad and Supporters looked like a refugee group heading for the nearest boat as they meandered to the dressing rooms. A quick change and warm up followed.

We had forecasted a brisk opening start from the home side and were spot on. Before we had engaged brain and limbs a shot had cleared the bar and then with 5 minutes gone we conceded a corner and watched as a free header flew past Lynch. 0-1. What a start.

We strung a few passes together a couple of minutes later finishing with Wood winning a corner. Our forwards hadn't recognised someone nailing their boots to the floor. No one could get up in the air so the ball was cleared out of the 6 yard box. Brimson collected and fired in another cross but again it was a home team player first up to head clear.

Almonsbury were dangerous on the break with a couple of quick runners plying their trade mainly through the middle. Kelly and Brimson did well to keep the ball out of our area. Lynch was employed with longer balls being fired in from outside the box.

We got a good % of possession as the game preceded but had the same problem as in recent weeks an inability to shoot accurately.

Wood sliced a shot past the post, Groves hit the side netting and Fisk shot over the angle.

Conversely the home side were peppering our goal at every opportunity but we were able to defend comfortably. Evans and Murray were busy on the overlap and Murray particularly delivered a couple of great crosses into the area but without seeing any Verwood player able to connect properly.

Dyer slipped a marker half way through the half and dropped an inch perfect ball for Gajic to try a header. The barrier stopped it travelling on to the motorway.

Fisk Evans and Groves combined to break through on the right but Gajic's shot was straight at the keeper.

41 minutes and we broke through again. This time it was Atkinson delivering a great ball into the area. Wood rose high but his header rebounded off the bar. Back it came and Wood followed in to make a diving header. 1-1.

44 minutes a similar move but this time Wood grabbed a corner. The ball was half cleared out of the box and picked up by

Atkinson. Rounding a defender Atkinson hammered a right foot shot over the bar.

Half Time 1-1

The message at half time was to keep up the pressure and continue using the ball more along the deck despite the rugged surface.

20 seconds had elapsed and a bout of amnesia drifted in. It was Almonsbury on the attack while we were showing blank expressions. Lynch was the saviour flinging himself full length to stop a cross shot finding the bottom corner.

We had a spurt of intelligence with 55 minutes of the game gone and some good approach work finished with Gajic spraying a crossfield pass to Atkinson. Atkinson raced away to try a volley. Defenders got in the way. Out came the ball and in came Wood. Battering his way past a couple of bodies Wood steadied and hit a spinning ball wide.

Dyer covered a lot of ground tracking runners and with the back four looking solid we felt comfortable. Gajic picked up a deflected ball from a Dyer tackle and sent Atkinson free on the right. A ball flew across the face of goal. Our forwards stood in admiration at Atkinson's accuracy. The ball finished up over the far touch line.

60 minutes and Kelly almost put us in front. A corner swung in from the right was hooked for goal and Kelly was frustrated to see it scrambled off the line. Another chance lost.

62 minutes and Fisk made way for Rutten. It didn't make any difference we were still missing the goal.

Pushing up has cost us dearly in the past and you could have got a carriage and four across the park between our mid field and defence. Mobiles were needed to keep in touch.

68 minutes and we had to thank Lynch for being disciplined as we got caught on a counter attack. An excellent piece of skill on the right put the ball square across the box. We had no one in sight. In came a runner. And Lynch made a great point blank save.

72 minutes a repeat performance but this time the ball was placed accurately into the top corner.

82 minutes Murray came off to give Jack Mills a run on the left as went three at the back. At least that was what had been instructed. 83 minutes we had 10 in the box with Lynch operating as keeper, back four.

85 minutes had yet another scramble in the Almonsbury box as a Mills left flank cross dropped perfectly on the edge of the 6 yard box demanding a boot. It was the home teams boot that got in first to clear the danger.

93 minutes we had erected tents and were camped in the home side's third. Another long ball and this time Lynch raced out to block a shot. A quick low pass found a runner and it was walked over the line. 1-3.

At least it saved us a trip to Bodmin !!!

Result 1-3.