Vs. Mayfield (A)

 

 

 

Starting XI

Substitutes:

 

 

Grant Lewis

 

Seb Elliott

 

Alan Cowley

 

Paul Rook

(75 Max Sztyber)

Paul Ford

 

Dave Mills

 

Dale Scowen

 

Andy Mills (c)

 

Pete Cooper

 

Gary Walsh

 

Dave Sitch

(45 Tom Frere-Smith)

 

 

Referee: J Winter

Goals: Cooper,

Cowley.

 

HT Score: 2-0

 

FT Score: 2-3

 

 

 

For the second week running Battle Baptists played some superb football but haplessly lost out by a single goal in this Division 2 league match. Encouraged by an early strike the Baptists started brightly, Pete Cooper lashing in the opener from 10yards after Alan Cowley knocked down a cross and Dave Sitch headed into Cooper’s path. Soon after the Baptists netted again before the home team linesman called the ball out of play for a goal kick. Cowley did make it two in the last minute of the first half steering an 20 yard free kick into the top corner of the net.

In between the goals, there was action at both ends. Gary Walsh took advantage of poor communication in the Mayfield box, nipping between keeper and defender but his nod went marginally wide. Dave Mills surged into the 6 yard box and narrowly missed the ball when a touch would have been sufficient to convert the left-wing cross. At the other end, inspirational keeper Grant Lewis saved a retaken penalty after a Mayfield attacker encroached for the first effort.

 

Further opportunities for the Baptists to kill the game were created and missed after the break. Tom Frere-Smith uncharacteristically shot wide when put through one on one with the keeper and Walsh also misfired, hitting a defender on the line having taken the ball past the goalkeeper.

With the Baptists looking assured of victory, the game swung midway through the second half and Mayfield began to play fluently pulling back two quick goals to equalise the scores. The cutting blow was struck in the 80th minute when a penalty was awarded to the home team after a challenge between two players on the 18 yard line. This time Lewis was beaten, leaving the Baptists licking their wounds and wondering how on earth they had let the game slip away.