Brack Two Basics

Saturday, August 24 . SB Stadium . 3pm

Bracknell Town 2 (Esprit 51, 67)

Tiverton Town 0

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division South

A MUCH-CHANGED Yellows’ made the trip to Sandhurst, where Saturday's opponents Bracknell play their football. With Josh Jones absent through suspension and Matt Britton fit enough only to be named amongst the substitutes, Asa Hall moved back into midfield and took the captain's armband; into the centre of defence came full debutant Kyle Anderson and new signing Mike Baker, who has arrived from Yate Town.

There were also first competitive starts for Forest Green loanee, Irish goalkeeper Fiachra Pagel and midfielder Farren Simons, who is on loan from Truro, the unfortunate Matt Wonnacott breaking an arm and Tor Swann out with a broken toe.

Tiverton made a decent start and looked the most likely in the opening ten minutes of the game. Leighton Thomas, with a half-chance, screwed the ball wide of the upright early on and, with seven minutes played, the Yellows won a corner. From the delivery in, a spot of pinball ensued, the Robins frantically clearing to safety.

However, our hosts slowly grew into the game and started to see more of the ball. Jordan Esprit cut inside following a driving run past a couple of Yellow  just before the quarter of an hour mark and tried to catch Pagel out at his near post. Pagel was quickly down to make a smart save.

Pressure from a corner for Bracknell saw them desperately try to force an opener, but, before the ball could cross the line, Great Evans was adjudged to have fouled a Tivvy player. A neat passing move from the home side saw Esprit well positioned to shoot, though, luckily for the visitors, he directed his effort over the crossbar.

The Robins’ were getting closer and Evans’ shot rebounded off the bar following a miscued header from a Yellows’ defender.

There was a good five-minute spell for Tiverton at the end of the half, with a long-range attempt by Hall being plucked out of the air by Michael Eacott in the Bracknell goal, followed by a curler from Jeff Forkuo, but he got his angles wrong and the ball sailed over and wide.

Then the Yellows’ best opportunity of the match came and went as Thomas lifted his shot behind.

Level at the interval and all to play for in the second period.

However, it did not take long for our hosts to take the lead when we resumed, the prolific Esprit stroking home as George Knight’s cross had been headed into his path.

Kyle Anderson was then alert and well positioned to stop an incisive break from the home side.

Then Anderson, at the other end from a Tivvy corner, saw his shot cleared off the line. Despite this attempt, the Yellows were being pegged back as Bracknell forced the issue. Esprit’s whipped ball in saw attempts from both Knights and Dan Roberts blocked by our rearguard.

A speculative Niall Thompson long-distance effort went into Eacott’s midriff as Tiverton tried to respond. Esprit was then played through, but Pagel made himself big and thwarted him before the home side extended their lead when the lively Dylan Ive’s through-ball found Esprit again, who gratefully smashed his shot home with 67 minutes on the clock.

The second Bracknell goal proved decisive and a splattering of substitutions from the home side, with their Bank Holiday fixture in mind, then followed. For Yellows, Ryan Crawford replaced Leighton Thomas after Theo Jeremy had earlier come on for Farren Simons.

A Dylan Jones piledriver flashed narrowly wide but, in all truth, Bracknell held the upper hand in the second half and, just before the game reached its conclusion, Darryl Harrison’s glancing header almost made it three, Pagel producing a fine save to foil him.

In what is now a crucial game, Yellows face a Plymouth Parkway side who are struggling themselves.

Both teams are winless so far and victory on Bank Holiday Monday will be like gold dust for either of them.

Tiverton Town: Pagel, Thompson, Anderson, Baker, D Jones, Forkuo, Hall(c), Simons, Murray, Parker, Thomas. Substitutes: Britton, Crawford, Jeremy, Smith (GK).