STUDLEY 2-0 CLANFIELD 85: THE INDEPENDENT, HONEST, LIGHTHEARTED MATCH REPORT...

 Bees Take The Points In A Disappointing Game Dampened By Insistent Drizzle

Studley 2-0 Clanfield 85

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

So Studley play at the Beehive. They are nicknamed the Bees. No surprise then that had substitutes Aaron Bunn and Alfie Bloomer started the match, there could have been eight players with surnames beginning with B… 

Is it the ambition to field eleven Bees, or Bs? Two Bunns started, a Beach, a Birch, another Bloomer and even a Brain…

NICE TO SEE THE SKIPPER SHOWING DUE RESPECT TO HIS STRIKE PARTNER BRAIN...

This game, the first I’ve seen on the artificial pitch at the Beehive, was a tough watch for the few spectators who braved the walk from the smart facilities to the further reaches of the complex and huddle inside the shelter, thankfully keeping them dry and out of the persistent, dull, unpleasant rain.

TROUBLE NEAR THE BEACH...

A fast start by the hosts and a clever Dan Carter goal put the visitors on the back foot but in truth the hosts deserved their 2-0 lead at half-time, for Jack Cresswell had scored late in half, which was sad for Clanny ‘keeper Luke Haley, who had already allowed Carter’s effort to squirm beneath him. He seemed to be wrong-footed by Cresswell’s strike from downtown, possibly a deflection, or a swerve and he could only help it high into his net.

Untidy and careless play littered the match on a flat surface, despite both teams attempting the pass the ball. Certainly, before the interval for a long walk to the dressing rooms, a mug of mulled wine and a mince pie each, Studley had been the more dominant team, urged on by the playmaking of Cresswell, the strength of Robbie Bunn in midfield and the rushes of Sam Jackson on the left-flank.

Clanny grew into the game, although in fairness, home goalie Bren Bunn was forced into only one decent save. During the second period, the guests had more of the share of possession and competed gamely until the end but they so lacked penetration, as home defenders Ben Welsh (not Ben Belsh???) and Ben Birch held firm.

WELSH, RIGHT: THE ONLY STUDLEY DEFENDER WITH NO 'B' STARTING HIS SURNAME...

The action deteriorated after the recess considerably but when coaching a team, three points can be the major gift received during the festive season, despite a lack lustre performance…

The linesman in front of me was constantly nagged at by one Clanny coach which was tough for the official because he was constantly being criticised and almost coerced into answering questions, no doubt totally affecting his concentration on the job. When two visiting players fell in the Studley penalty-box within seconds of each other late on, Kyle Chester over Carter and Rory Linford-Pill over the prostrate and rather guilty looking Jake Bloomer, neither the referee, nor that assistant were sympathetic. Hmm…

Jack Cresswell…

Having already shot past the left stick before the interval, he received a short pass from behind, courtesy of Robbie Bunn and shot from 25 yards. It was unclear whether the ball’s trajectory was affected by the atmosphere or by the slightest touch off a Clanny defender but Haley’s feet suggested a change of flight, as he attempted to save the ball. He gloved the ball upwards into his net and it was 2-0 to the Bees, scored by, er, a C…

2-0: CARTER CELEBRATES CRESSWELL'S GOAL...

One of his corners was nodded past the goal-frame by Birch too…

Integral to the Studley team, Cresswell turned the cogs…

Brain & Carter… (…sounds like a chain of pubs which specialises in frozen faggots and peas…)

Lively and impish, this pair will surely worry any defence with big defenders, due to their pace, their runs and their ability to find the net regularly.

Brain glanced a close range header wide before the break, not quite getting a good connection to Cresswell’s corner, then he drove a 20 yard effort just too high. Immediately after the break, he made a clever rush to the right byeline, Haley knocked his cross away but the ‘keeper excelled himself, swooping like a comet to make a good low save from Robbie Bunn’s well struck shot from 16 yards, as the attack continued.

Carter, the Bees’ skipper, scored early when visiting left-back Ryan Moore was unable to deal with an aerial ball near the touchline which allowed Bee Wil Beach to latch onto the loose ball, reach the right byeline and pass into the 6 yard box for Carter whose left foot stepped over the ball, allowing him to shove it goalwards with the inside of his right heel. The shot squirmed beneath Haley’s dive…

1-0 AS CARTER'S FLICK GOES IN...

In the opening period, Carter also beat the goalie to the ball at the near post to head a smart Jackson centre wide and then his overhead attempt was blocked by a defender.

A TUMBLING OVERHEAD CARTER SHOT...

In the second period, Carter had a shot saved comfortably by Haley, then drove wide on two occasions.

Sam Jackson…

The scurrying and pacy left-flanker nearly scored in the first-half when Brain reached a back-pass by Cranny’s skipper Josh Gibbens before Haley, and the ball rebounded to Jackson, some 20 yards from goal. The effort was splendidly cleared from near the goal-line by Cameron Pirie, who also then prevented Brain from slotting home the rebound from 3 yards, resulting in an angled shot striking the right post slightly as it sprang away from the side-netting.

Jackson also had a shot collected by Haley late in the match but his speed was a constant worry to Clanny’s industrious right-back Craig Connor.

Declan Shepperd and George Seacole…

The Clanny strikers worked so hard and few times Seacole’s deft footwork saw him execute neatly angled passes. However, in the opening 45, he shot wide and too high but after the interval, despite his workload, chances never fell his way.

Shepperd was sin-binned after half-time but this came as the 85ers had begun to feel hard done by and their coaches were getting annoyed, one of whom was cautioned. Combative midfielder Rory Linford-Pill, who really was effective for the visitors, received a booking as did the ebullient home left-back, Jake Bloomer.

JAKE BLOOMER TRIES TO HITCH A LIFT HOME...
(HE PLAYED STRONGLY AND WELL FOR THE BEES...)

Clanfield’s offense… 

A couple of runs by left-sided attacker Jack Bellenger caused Beach to do some defending but the best chances fell in the second-half to Jamie Wyatt and replacement Kyle Chester. Those opportunities arrived after the recess, Wyatt firing well wide from a good position then Bren Bunn raced from goal to deny him, although it was a loose last touch by Wyatt which aided the ‘keeper’s cause.

WYATT: A FEW FIRST PERIOD RUSHES...

Chester’s fine low drive from downtown was well claimed falling right by Bren Bunn but in truth, that was all the visitors subsequently managed to forge, apart from a low 25 yard free-kick by substitute Jozef Fullerton which was turned away for an unproductive corner by Birch’s outstretched boot.

DALE EDWARDS SHOWS HOW WELL HE CAN BALANCE ON ONE LEG AS FULLERTON PREPARES TO TAKE A FREE-KICK...

The final words…

Finally a few words about the exploits of Bees’ midfielder Jordan Jones, for he covered so much ground and with his quickness he was the prefect foil for Cresswell and Robbie Bunn. Jones did well but it’s good that he’s not a B, cuz he’d be Bones…

A fine welcome again from Bees’ Rich Briggs and indeed, it was good to chat to Dale Edwards, now recovered from his broken foot and on the bench for Studley. 

LOOKS LIKE DALE EDWARDS HAS SLAPPED THE REF'S FACE.
SO IT'S PISTOLS AT 40 PACES TOMORROW AT DAWN...

.

The Clanfield officials were also friendly and conversed with me before the action began…

Not the best of games then but in all honesty, the points were important for the Bees, all 8 of the Bs and the others, a W, two Cs, two Js, two Es on the bench and an M too… 

Watch out if you have B surnames in your Step 5 and 6 teams, for transfers might be looming…

TEAMS:

STUDLEY:

BRENDAN BUNN, WIL BEACH, JAKE BLOOMER, BEN BIRCH, BEN WELSH, JORDAN JONES, ROBBIE BUNN, JACK CRESSWELL, DAN CARTER (CAPT), SEAN BRAIN, SAM JACKSON.

SUBS:

ALFIE BLOOMER, DALE EDWARDS, MATT EDWARDS, MARK MAGEE, AARON BUNN.

CLANFIELD 85:

LUKE HALEY, CRAIG CONNOR, RYAN MOORE, RORY LINFORD-PILL, JOSH GIBBENS (CAPT), CAMERON PIRIE, JAMIE WYATT, CONNOR TINSLEY, GEORGE SEACOLE, DECLAN SHEPPERD, JACK BELLENGER.

SUBS:

BEN WELLER, JOZEF FULLERTON, KYLE CHESTER, JAMIE ZOLDAN.