23rd October 2021
Combined 2s/3s XI prove that friendlies are always competitive
Bristol & West [3-0] Clifton Robinsons
A chilly early afternoon push back saw a mixture of the men's 2s and 3s starred in a 'friendly' match against Clifton Robbies 3's. With this being a warm up for the 2s league game in a fortnight, when the teams would meet again, it was set to be a tough match.
A somewhat usual, controlling start for Bristol and West saw us take early control over our opponents with dominant play, making it look like we had been playing as one team all season, pushing them into their own half, giving them only a handful of opportunities. A sigh of relief came around 15 minutes into the game with a goal from average height Ross. This then led to an unscripted appearance from the captain Si Barrett, who hobbled onto the pitch ready to make his first appearance since his injury. An unfortunate green card for myself saw a tense end to the first half as Clifton pressed us back, attacking with their extra man, and coming close to scoring but with great defending from the whole team and some great saves from Man of The Match Wayne kept us ahead going into the half time break.
Gallery: Photos by Simon Goodwin
Tension were high as we stepped back onto the pitch, but Robbies kept up their anger and determination, putting us on the back foot. However, with classic Bristol and West spirit we held them at bay and fought back, with balls being flung into their D from the wings which led to some missed back post opportunities. We kept pushing and bagged our second goal of the game, a rebound tipped in by Dan Lusmore, as we asserted ourselves back in control. We swiftly followed with another from Lus from a short corner, but with 10 minutes to go it was still our game to lose, as Clifton pressed on, leading to yet more important saves from Wayne, yet again proving his MOM award, and ensuring us that all important clean sheet.
With a final score of 3-0, Bristol and West 2's go into our next match with confidence but still expecting a tough match from a probably quite different looking Clifton Robbies 3's.
Gallery: Photos by Sarah Goddard
Final Score: B&W [3-0] Robbies
Goals: Ross Williams (1)
Dan Lusmore (2)
MOM - Wayne Manton for some crucial saves
DOD - Colm McManamon for a silly green card