Wrington Redhill 2 Wells City reserves 3

This was an excellent game of football between two evenly matched teams riding high in the league table. Players of both sides deserve full credit for an extremely competitive and entertaining game on a heavy pitch at the Recreation Ground.
Changes for this match were made with Ollie Clements and Rory Thomas taking the full backs positions and Reece Ferguson-Obamwonyi slotted into the right side of midfield.
Wrington Redhill started on the front foot taking the game to their visitors from Wells and an early chance fell to striker George Fake whose shot went just wide of the left post and later another chance went begging in what was to prove costly. In total control of the game the hosts had a set back as a swift counterattack led to a defensive mishap letting in Kieran Padfield to thread the ball past James Williams to take a 1-0 advantage.
The lead was short lived as Wrington Redhill bounced back with goal from the penalty spot. Rory Thomas sent in a cross which was met by Leigh White winning an aerial duel with Ryan Crowther, leading to the knock-on ball handled for the spot kick being awarded. Ollie Clements made no mistake in firing high into the right side of the net leaving keeper Harrison Veale no chance of saving.
Further chances were created the best when a fine headed attempt by Cory Thomas Barker was desperately headed off the line by a defender. Having dominated so much of the play it was disappointing to reach the interval with the score level.
After the break there was a significant change with Wells becoming the dominant team upping the tempo with the ball being moved quickly and more directly into the attacking half of the pitch. In particular they became dangerous down the left side causing all sorts of problems with Clements, Dan Ferguson and Ethan Johnson becoming busier and Williams having to be very alert. To try to counter this Joe Creese was brought of for Fake to inject his pace down the flanks. Midway through the second period the home side took the lead. With the midfield clawing their way back into the game with Josh Pitt getting more into the game and Thomas-Barker and White battling for every ball, at last an opening came for Jack Hutchings, who by his standards, was having a quiet game. His lightning reaction to a loose ball with only Veale to beat he bent the ball round him for a 2-1 lead.
Wells again relentlessly pressed forward, and changes were made with the tiring veteran player/manager White making way for the extra energy of Si Hewish and Matt Walsh replacing Ferguson-Obamwonyi. From a corner Wells drew level when big defender Ryan Crowther rose for a free header which eluded Williams. At this stage with 15 minutes left on the clock the impressive Rory Thomas started to get more and more involved on th left flank feeding some great balls along the line to Creese and crosses into the box but his side were unable to capitalise and the game seemed to be heading for a draw but with virtually the last kick of the match Williams got down to smother a last ditch attempt at goal only for the ball to bounce back to the feet of James Bayliss who stabbed home for the winning goal.
There is no doubt that Wrington Redhill deserved a share of the spoils in an overall evenly contested game between two very talented sides. However this was another step forward in the continued development of this young side led by the management team of White, Mark Brown and Sam Clements.
The managements’ player of the match was awarded to Rory Thomas and supporters’ player of the match to James Williams.

Team:
Goalkeeper: James Williams
Defence: Ollie Clements, Dan Ferguson, Ethan Johnson, Rory Thomas
Midfield: Reece Ferguson-Obamwonyi, Josh Pitt, Leigh White, Cory Thomas-Barker
Forwards: Jack Hutchings, George Fake

Substitutes: Matt Walsh (for Reece Obamwonyi-Ferguson), Si Hewish (for Leigh White), Joe Creese (for George Fake)