[Izulde]

vs Chipping Sodbury (21st)
G: Gareth Rees
D: Curtis Burrows/Jim Williams/Ryan Talbot/Emmanuel Mensah
M: Tom Rowbotham/Sam Higgins
AM: Gregg Crane/Ryan Horgan
S: Aaron Gibson/Carl Harris

21 - We're awarded a penalty on a corner, and I'm stunned at the call. Gibson takes full advantage of the gift. 1-0

24 - They've got a great counter going, but then they make a stupid long cross with no one around. Rees short kicks it to Williams for the hoof to Gibson. The pass goes by three defenders to Harris in the box, and he dribbles until he finds his spot and puts it away. 2-0

42 - Rowbotham with the interception, and a series of passes later, Burrows has it on the wing for the long ball down the left flank to Crane. Center to Harris and the hapless goalie's dive can do no more than graze the ball with his fingertips. 3-0

43 - That was just sloppy defending. 3-1

Switch to flat 4-4-2 and Haynes on for Horgan at half.

76 - Crossbar robbed them. Mensah is getting benched next game.

8.0 for Tom Rowbotham 7.5 for Aaron Gibson, and naturally 8.9 for PotM Carl Harris.

@ Pickering (FA Vase Second Qualifying Round)
G: Gareth Rees
D: Jon Beeden/Jim Williams/Ryan Talbot/Curtis Burrows
M: Mark Reynolds/Billy Frost
AM: Omarr Austin/Roy Horgan
S: Tate Sheppard/Connah Hughes

Apologies to Roy Horgan for the constant misspelling of his name in the lineup the last several games.

20 - Our defense got caught napping on the counterattack there. 0-1

55 - Rowbotham for Talbot; Ross for [b]Burrows[b/]; Crane in for Sheppard at ST.

73 - Although knocked and in a new role, Crane intercepts and passes to Hughes, who outlets to Horgan and runs forward for the giveback. The Welsh kid's long strike is deflected, but wounded Crane is a god damn Karate Kid, kicking the rebound in by hobbling there first! 1-1

92 - We damned near lost this on a free kick, but we get a merciful offsides call to preserve the draw.

I give them credit for fighting back for the draw, but we also lose Gregg Crane for 6-8 weeks.

Just $1.32k loss last month, and the board is officially delighted with me.

@ Keynsham (Western League Wes Phillips Cup Second Round)
G: Gareth Rees
D: Curtis BurrowsJim Williams/Tom Rowbotham/Emmanuel Mensah
M: Omarr Austin//Billy Frost/Sam Higgins/Nathan Haynes
S: Aaron Gibson/Carl Harris

51 - Sheppard replaces Harris; Reynolds swaps out for Rowbotham and we switch to a 3-1-4-2 DM setup.

64 - Higgins and Frost tag team to strip the ball away on a cleared corner, and Frost centers back to Reynolds. Swing out to Austin and center to Haynes, who is hiding behind a wall of players. His sneak shot sinks home! 1-0

Nathan Haynes is natural PotM with a 7.9 rating, but overall, we didn't play that great this game. Our strikers combined had their worst outing of the season by far, and we were lucky to win and advance.

To date, Carl Harris has the most league PotM awards with 4.

@ Ashton & Blackwell United (18th)
G: Gareth Rees
D: Jon Beeden/Tom Rowbotham/Ryan Talbot/Emmanuel Mensah
M: Mark Reynolds/Sam Higgins
AM: Omarr Austin/Roy Horgan
S: Carl Harris/Connah Hughes

47 - 25 yard free kick goal right before half. Ugh. 0-1

54 - Gibson on for Harris; Frost in for Higgins.

It's our first loss in 11 league games, and the first time we've been shut out since our league draw. We're still okay, though - even if the 2nd place team with a game in hand wins the makeup game, we're still 4 points clear of 2nd, and 7 points ahead of 3rd. So we've built in the kind of cushion that can withstand a couple upset losses here and there.