Vs. Panaco (H)

Starting XI

Ian Nunn (c)

Owen Davies

Matt Trott

Darrell Hartley

Steve Mumford

Doug Morris

Andy Sowerby

Loksan Harley

John Winfield

Gary Walsh

Aaron Blackman

Referee: Paul Cook

Goal: Winfield (8)

HT Score: 1-3

FT Score: 1-6

A seriously depleted Battle side with eight debutants took on new side Panaco on a warm summer’s day. After establishing who was who in the dressing room, Battle went out and impressed early on, taking the lead on eight minutes when a good attack down the right saw John Winfield put the ball in from ten yards. Panaco equalised soon after when the counter-attacked a Battle free-kick and took full advantage of a four-on-two break. Their second came a few minutes after when Ian was lured from his goal and the ball was passed into the empty net. They then missed a penalty after Matt Trott took out their forward when he was bursting through on goal, but they made no mistake with their second penalty just before half time when Ian had upended one of their strikers.

At half time the Baptists tried to regroup but suffered a setback with a goal in the first five minutes after the restart. Two more goals finished the game off as a contest around the hour mark before Battle pressed forward in the last twenty minutes, with Gary Walsh bring denied by the keeper in a one-on-one and other Baptists also going close. Some interesting decisions by the referee made for a slightly frustrating afternoon, but overall a good time was had by all and it was an excellent chance to make some new friends as Paul Ford and Ainsley Gill came off the bench to make the debuts in orange.