News Archive
New Season
The new season is nearly upon us and we are pleased to announce that John Black has been appointed as the new first team manager, Andy Radford has joined us as the new club secretary and we also have this new website, designed by Graphics Plant.
John will be assisted by Geoff Bryant and the new Youth Team Manager is Richard Thomas.
Pre-season training is now underway and a list of our friendly matches can be found on the Fixtures & Results page.
First Friendly
Our first pre-season friendly takes place on Saturday 21st July at Wells City Football Club. They play in the Somerset County League and will provide us with good opposition for our first game of the season.If you would like to come along to support the team, kick-off is at 1.30pm. Their address is Athletic Ground, Rowdens Road, Wells. BA5 1TU.
Photos of this match are now available on the 'Gallery' page. These are courtesey of Alan McAteer - many thanks to Alan for his superb photos of the match.
Half-Price Offer!
We have three more friendly games coming up; on Tuesday 31st July we play AXA FC at their ground, kick-off at 6.30pm; on Saturday 4th August we will host our first home game against Highridge Utd, kick-off at 3.00pm and on Tuesday 7th August we will also be at home to Clevedon Utd, kick-off at 6.30pm.Our first home league game is on Saturday 11th August against Barnstaple. For this match all tickets will be HALF PRICE! Adults can watch the game for just £2 and children for just a quid! Great value to start our campaign for the new season, so come along and support the Farm - with the recent fire at the club we need all the support we can get.
Highridge Utd Photos
Our friendly on Saturday 4th August against Highridge Utd ended in us losing 2-0. But it was a good effort by the youngsters and a good test. Photos of this match can now be seen on our 'Gallery' page. A full match report by Phillip Burnett can be found at this link.Match Report>>
Don't forget our HALF-PRICE TICKET OFFER for our opening league game against Barnstaple this coming Saturday. Come along and cheer on 'The Farm'.
The Season Begins!
It seems to have been a long time coming, but at last the season kicks-off with our opening match against Barnstaple Town. In our final friendly of the season on Tuesday 7th August, we beat Clevedon Utd 3-1 which sets us up well for the start of the season.
Don't bother with the Balloon Fiesta, once you've seen one balloon you've seen 'em all! And if you never have, then here's a picture of one from this years fiesta. Come and support 'The Farm' with our great HALF-PRICE ticket offer. Adults can watch the game for only £2 and kids for just a quid! Great value for money and a great afternoon at the footie! We also have full bar facilities in our Social Club so that you can relax and have a drink after the match.
First Match
Our first game of the season is over and with a late kick-off due to traffic on the M5 which delayed Barnstaple’s arrival. Their players showed no fatigue from their unexpectedly long journey as they warmed up and were ready to play within half an hour. Nor did they show any fatigue as the game began. The Farm had a couple of early chances but within five minutes Barnstaple scored from Kevin Squire. From the re-start, Barnstaple showed that they were not going sit back on their lead and a minute later Daniel Tapp scored to make it two-nil. Play started again and the Farm tried to break through Barnstaple’s solid defence. Five minutes later and Barnstaple went three up courtesy of James Turner. Play then went from end to end with both teams playing some good passing football and both had chances. But it was Barnstaple and Kevin Squire who scored his second and their fourth who showed more composure in front of goal. Just before half-time Barnstaple scored their fifth and final goal from Daniel Tapp.
In the second half the Farm’s defence looked more solid and the midfield took control for long periods. But once again chances were missed. Barnstaple didn’t look as good going forward in the second half, but then maybe they were happy with five-nil and knew they had nothing more to do to win this game. The Farm though never gave up and John Black made three substitutions in the 67th minute – on came James Stephens, Chris Ashcroft and Jack Surz, to replace Tavis Carter, Benji Tricker and Kai Thomas. This injected more momentum into the game. It was a very hot day and legs were beginning to get tired. But the Farm continued to press the Barnstaple goal.
At the final whistle the score was Manor Farm – Nil, Barnstaple – 5. A disappointing result. But this should be taken in context as this was a completely new team from last season and a new management team also. The Farm showed some nice touches and John Black has brought in some very good experienced players. As a team they will get better as they gel together over the next few games.
First Point
Playing the team that topped the table last year was never going to be easy. And so was the case with our match against Corsham Town. Going into half-time a goal down and a player down, many would have said that only more goals from Corsham would follow. But the team never let their heads down and their reward was a goal from Twaine Plummer, playing in his first match this season for the Farm. A point was fair reward for the effort put in by the team, although Corsham may disagree...The FA Cup Sponsored by E.ON
The first FA Cup competition took place in the season 1871/72 and only had 15 entries. The winners were Wanderers a team made up of ex-public school and university players. They beat the Royal Engineers 1-0. The match was played at the oval in front of a crowd of 2,000, who each paid one shilling.
The original FA Cup cost £20 and in 1895 was stolen from the window of a firm of football outfitters in Birmingham where it was on display having been won by Aston Villa. It was never recovered.
The current trophy is actually the fourth one and has been used since 1992.
Manchester United have won the cup the most times with ten wins. Followed by Arsenal and Spurs with eight.
Forty-two different clubs have actually won the FA Cup.
And this Saturday it all gets underway again when we kick-off against Odd Down. With both teams from the same division this may well be a hard game; Odd Down have yet to notch up a league point and the Farm have just the one. Tickets for this match are priced at £5 for adults and £2.50 for children.
Should the match end in a draw, then the replay will be at The Creek on Tuesday 21st August.
We have been drawn away for this match and the venue is Lew Hill Memorial Ground, Combe Hay Lane, Odd Down. BA2 8AP. It is situated behind Odd Down Park & Ride on the main A367 Bath to Exeter Road.
We're Out
Our journey in the FA Cup is over after just one game. Two goals from Odd Down ended our hopes for this season. It is of course disappointing, but there is still much to play for. The league, the FA Vase, Les Phillips Cup, Somerset Premier Cup. Although we haven't had the best of starts to a season, we should not be too downhearted. With lots of league points still up for grabs and three more cup competitions, the future isn't that bleak.Our next match is against Bishop Sutton on Tuesday 28th August at The Creek. Bishop Sutton are also out of the cup and have had a poor start, so this game will be one to win for both teams. Kick-off is at 7.30pm so come along and support The Farm.
Re-Arranged Match
As we are now out of the FA Cup we have re-arranged our game with Street. This will take place on Saturday 1st September. We will be playing at home and kick-off is at 3.00pmFirst Win!
In our re-arranged game with Street, The Farm came out 3-1 winners with goals from Leon Simpson, Twaine Plummer and James Stephens. Street's only goal was from the penalty spot. The Farm dominated most of the game although for long periods in the second half Street threatened to score on several occasions. But their final ball was never enough to trouble The Farm's defence. John Black & Geoff Bryant should be smiling from the performance today and with optimism for our next game against local rivals Hallen in the FA Vase next Saturday.FA Carlsberg Vase
The FA Vase kicks-off on Saturday 8th September with our away game against Hallen AFC. This is a local derby with both teams playing in the same division of the Toolstation League.
Come along and support The Farm, kick-off is at 3pm. Hallen's ground is at Moorhouse Lane and the cost is just £5 for adults and £3 for kids. After our first win of the season against Street, we are hoping that our success will continue in this match.
If the match is a tie the replay will be on Tuesday 11th September at The Creek.
FA Carlsberg Vase Exit
In a thrilling match at Hallen, the Farm lost 5-2 after extra time, but the scoreline doesn't do justice to our team or the game. The lads pulled out all the stops after going 2-0 down to bring the game level and send it into extra time.An unfortunate incident involved our goalkeeper, Ashley Bryan, being kicked in the head in the 79th minute. An ambulance had to be called and the game stopped for some fifty minutes. We are happy to report that Ashley ended the day sat on the bench all be it with a bad headache. Glen Callaghan, our youth team keeper, picked up the gloves and did himself and the team proud with some brilliant catches and stops.
Full time ended with the teams tied at 2-2. Jack Szur had scored shortly before Ashley was injured and within two minutes of play resuming, Aaron Anderson scored the Farm's second.
Extra time began with the Farm pushing forward on very tired legs. Hallen broke away and scored their third. The Farm still showed no sign of giving up but it was not to be our day as Hallen scored a fourth. Luke Bryan came on for Leon Simpson in the 98th minute but by then the game was all but over as Hallen scored a fifth. For both teams the final whistle could not come soon enough. The afternoon was hot and the legs became very tired. A magnificient effort though from the Farm and all the players should be proud of their performance.
Dawlish Town
On another hot afternoon, the Farm lost 2-4 to Dawlish Town. Having taken the lead with a Twaine Plummer goal, the afternoon looked set for a home win, but this was not to be as Dawlish showed how to score from few chances. A critical decision by the referee led to Dawlish Town's first goal and from then on, things went downhill fast.A full match report can be found at the link below and pictures of the match can be found here>>
Match Report>>
"Close, but no cigar"
On a cold night in Wiltshire, The Farm went down 3-1 to Devizes with Ben Hiscox scoring our only goal. Having gone behind, the Farm came back to make it 1-1 at half time and showed some promising touches and nice football. But once again some defending errors led to Devizes scoring a second and third goal. As in our last couple of games, we came close to scoring on numerous occasions, but we lacked the final punch and missed some golden opportunities. In the second half, Devizes looked more competitive; quicker to loose balls and hungry to score more goals. In contrast we looked tired and made too many errors to get back into the game. A disappointing result. In previous games some results didn't do justice to the game, but not on this occasion. John and Geoff will be working hard with the team ahead of our next game against Odd Down on Saturday 29th September.Truro Here We come!
Our away match against Truro City has been re-arranged for Saturday 6th October. This is by far the longest journey we will have to make this season. We are arranging coach travel to this game for players and supporters. It is expected that we will depart The Creek at 9.30am and arrive in Truro at 1.30pm. Limited places are available at a cost of £10 per person. If you are interested in coming along to support The Farm, contact us here >>>
Somerset Premier Cup
Our game against Wellington in the first round of the Somerset Premier Cup ended in a 2-1 win for The Farm, with goals from Kye Thomas and Aaron Anderson. Our next opponents will be Brislington and once again we have been drawn away. The date for this game has yet to be finalised, with the game due to be played week commencing 12th November.Truro City
Having lost 6-0 to Truro City, many may argue that our long journey into Cornwall was nothing if not disappointing. At half time the score was 2-0, but The Farm showed during this half how they could break down defences, but once again lacked the finishing punch. Make no bones about it, no club will go to Truro and have an easy time. Their team is sprinkled with ex-professionals from teams such as Plymouth Argyle. Their Chairman, Kevin Heaney, makes no secret of the fact that their aim is to bring League Football to the peninsula. And certainly with the way they are going they may well achieve this ambition. Losing 6-0 to a team with these ambitions and a fairly professional set-up is no disgrace. In the Premier Division they have an unbeaten record, 8 played, 8 won, 24 points and it wouldn't surprise us if they did an 'Arsenal' and went the whole season with this impressive record intact. But in football...there is no such thing as a 'dead cert'.Kevin Heaney is a very friendly and amiable man who obviously enjoys his football. There are many clubs who are jealous of Truro's success and wealth but should we not celebrate the fact that there are people like Kevin around who are more than happy to support their local team and who only wants success? After all, isn't that what we all want for our own teams? Talking to Truro's officals and supporters one fact was clear, without Kevin Heaney there would be no Truro City today.
Another Point
Having won four games on the bounce, Radstock were not going to be an easy team to beat. Giving away a penatly to them after just seven minutes then makes it even harder. For most of the first half, The Farm showed once again that they can break down teams but not score. At half time with the score at 1-0 to Radstock, one of the Radstock fans said that Manor Farm were "all over us". Without the penalty it is certain that the teams would have gone in at half time with the score tied at 0-0. The Farm came out of the blocks for the second half still looking for a goal. They piled the pressure on Radstocks defence and for a while it looked as though we would come away with nothing. But on 78 minutes, Ben Hiscox scored a vital equaliser having followed up on a shot which could not be held by Radstock's keeper. The game restarted with The Farm looking for a winner but well into time added on they nearly came unstuck as Radstock also had amibitions to come away with the threee points. As the whistle went, we had to settle for a draw. Nerves towards the end of the game were becoming frayed as Radstock spent too much time in our penalty area. A draw was a fair result. New keeper Ali Hines kept us in the game on a couple of occasions. The league table tells the story of our missed chances - that we are second from bottom with only six points, while Radstock after their four wins and a draw have placed themselves niceley in sixth. As Brian Clough once said "If you don't score a goal, you can't win a game."Don't Throw the Clock Out The Window
If you have watched 'Ripping Yarns' with Michael Palin, you may remember the 'Golden Gordon' episode about a team of local footballers set in the pre-war years. And very funny it was too. He would come home. Throw open the door and just say "Eight bloody one. We lost eight bloody one" and then start breaking up the house and throwing the clock out the window. Over the last couple of months there must have been Farm fans who felt like 'throwing the clock out the window'. But last night it would have been for the completely opposite reason. "Four bloody one. We won! Four bloody one!". And indeed we did win. Beating local rivals Hallen by a good margin. This result following on from the away draw against Radstock pushed The Farm up the table. Other results also went our way with both Odd Down and Radstock losing.Hatrick hero Scott Feltham was the star of the game, taking his chances and showing just what you can do with a little bit of confidence. Our next game is away to Bideford on Saturday 20th October. It won't be easy, but the signs are that The Farm are slowly getting things right. As Brian Clough said "If you don't score a goal, you can't win a game." And this time we scored four of them!
Bideford
Lying fourth in the table, playing Bideford on their own ground was never going to be easy especially when you're lying fourth from bottom. Once again The Farm were all over the oppostion like a rash. And once again we failed to score from some great chances. Bideford never looked in the game during the first half with The Farm threatening to score. For some time it looked as though the game would end 0-0 but Bideford came out for the second half with more passion and started pressing hard. An appeal from them for a penalty was turned down when the ball was flicked up onto the arm of a Farm defender. The referee judged this to be ball to hand. But fifteen minutes later, a fierce shot from Bideford hit Ben Murray on the hand and the referee gave a free kick just outside the box. Both the Farm fans and the home fans were mystified by the decision. Again, it looked to be clearly ball to hand with Ben having no chance of getting out of the way. And he was also booked into the bargain. From the free kick taken by Russell Jee, Bideford scored with the ball being shot low along the ground and through the wall. But within four minutes Manor Farm equalised from Scott Feltham, his fourth goal in two games. In the final ten minutes of the game The Farm went looking for a winner. Chris Ashcroft came close when a ball lobbed to him just bounced so that he was unable to make the final touch.With the final score 1-1 it was felt to be a fair result. The team worked hard together for a result which only a few weeks ago would have been unthinkable. In the last three games the only goals conceded have come from penalties and free kicks and is a testament to the defence and goalkeeper Ali Hines.
Gloucestershire Challenge Trophy
Tonight we play Bitton in the first round of the GFA Trophy. The match kicks-off at 7.30pm and is being played at Bitton's ground. Their address is Recreation Ground, Bath Road, Bitton BS30 6HX. Come along and support The Farm.There is extra interest in this game as it will be the first time this season that our manager, John Black, goes head to head with his brother Andy, who is the manager of Bitton.
This will be no easy game for The Farm. Bitton are seventh in the table and have only lost two league games this season. But The Farm have not lost in their last three games and have not conceded any goals from open play in those matches. This should be an exciting game.
Moving On Up!
Having lost to Bitton in midweek in the GFA Trophy after a penalty shoot-out, going away to Willand Rovers was a tough challenge. But as in recent games, The Farm showed that they were up to the challenge and ran out 3-1 winners.The Farm took an early lead when Matt Thorne headed in from a Kye Thomas corner. Willand then equalised through Paul Pocock. Another corner from Kye Thomas resulted in a goal when Ben Hiscox headed in on the 54th minute. The game was complete on the 88th minute when Scott Feltham scored The Farm's third.
Oh No!
Within five minutes of the game starting, The Farm went 1-0 up against Calne Town through a goal from Ben Hiscox. But within minutes the referee awarded a penalty to Calne when Kye Thomas was judged to have deliberately handled the ball in the box. Not only did Calne score from the penalty but Kye was also sent off.Down to ten men, The Farm continued to press the Calne defence hard and their efforts were rewarded when Ben Hiscox headed in The Farm's second goal of the match. From then on, there was only one team in the game - Manor Farm. Against the run of play, Calne scored their second to level the game.
With only ten men on the pitch, the second half was always going to be a big test. Calne came out and showed they weren't going to be happy with just a point. To our credit, the lads never gave up and three substitutions injected life back into the team. But it was to be Calne Town who claimed all the points with a goal from nowhere, leaving The Farm fans to yell "Oh No!".
Oh Yes!
When you play the team at the bottom of the table who only have one point, it would seem obvious that a win is on the cards. But who wants to be the first team to give Bishop Sutton three points?Remember, the one point they have came from our home game with them back in August. Times and the team have moved on since then with two of our ex-players turning out for Bishop Sutton. A win was vital and win we did with goals from Troy Simpson, Matt Thorne and James Stephens.
On Saturday we play Elmore in the first round of the Les Phillips Cup. This competition dates back to the sixties and was formerlly called the Challenge Cup. It was renamed after the death of the Western League Chairman in 1988. Come along on Saturday and support The Farm.
Les Phillips Cup
We welcomed Elmore to The Creek in this first round tie and although they are a division below us, as in any cup match, you can't take anything for granted. On recent form, many fans expected The Farm to run up a cricket score but it took 13 minutes to break down the Elmore defence with a goal from Ben Hiscox. At last, with a goal on the board we expected more to come. But again, Elmore held their ground and it wasn't until the 32nd minute that The Farm scored their second from Matt Thorne. By half time it was 3-0 with a goal on 40 minutes from Twaine Plummer.During the half time interval, Elmore fans could be heard wondering just how many they would concede by the end of the match? But from the re-start, it took another 15 minutes for the fourth goal to go in, giving Ben Hiscox his second of the match. John Black made three substitutions on 60 minutes and brought on Troy Simpson, Dominic Graffagnino and Leon Simpson. This extra momentum gave The Farm their final two goals of the game with goals from Troy Simpson and Scott Feltham giving a final score of 6-0.
Some may argue that the game was effectively over at half time with the score at 3-0, but Elmore came out in the second half with more fight and to their credit kept looking for a goal right to the end.
Photographs of this game can be found in our gallery section and a full report can be found under Match Reports. Our thanks to Alan McAteer for the pictures and Philip Burnett for the report.
In the second round of the Les Phillips Cup, we have been drawn at home to Weston St Johns. This game will take place week commencing 16th February 2008.
On Tuesday 13th November we are once again in cup action, this time away to Brislington in the Somerset Premier Cup. Kick-off for this game is 7.45pm - hope to see you there!
Scrappy Draw
Welton Rovers came to The Creek lying fifth in the table. In their 16 games so far in the league, they have only conceded nine goals. An impressive defensive record. But it is in the goal scoring department where they are struggling, their only goal in the last five games being scored at Bideford. As Geoff Sellek said in his programme notes (programme available for download) "This (match) should show our supporters how far we have come this season against a team who are in the top six in our division."The game was a scrappy affair, with the midfield packed with players. Welton like to push their defence up the field which created little space in the middle of the park to play the ball. Welton are a team who like to play long balls into their front men and their defence kick the ball out at the first sign of trouble. So much so, that one ball ended up on the other side of the Portway! Believe me, this is a fair distance from inside the ground. With the ball being scattered to the four winds, this game always looked set for a draw. Both teams had chances to win the game but neither could find the final touch. In the last 10 minutes of the game, Welton were awarded a penalty when John Pugsley handled the ball. Rob Dumphy stepped up to take the kick, but this was well saved by Ali Hines. Well into stoppage time, The Farm were awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area. The free kick was cleared and the referee blew for time.
The Welton fans were unhappy with the result as boo's rang out. As for The Farm fans, they went away happy with a hard won point against a team now lying third in the table.
A full report by Philip Burnett can be found on our 'Match Reports' page.
England Out of Euro 2008
On a night when England were dumped out of Euro 2008, a much better game was played out at Hallen. Heavy rain earlier in the day cleared. The few supporters who turned out rather than watch England's dreadful display, were treated to a nine goal thriller!
It was clear from the start of the game that Hallen wanted their revenge over The Farm for losing 4-1. And within six minutes Hallen went ahead. Ten minutes later Hallen were two up and it was not until the 40th minute that The Farm got back into the game with a goal from Leon Simpson. With the score now at 2-1 half time beckoned. But another goal from Hallen on 42 minutes meant they would be two up at the interval.
And so the second half started with England 2-0 down and The Farm 3-1 down. The game ebbed and flowed with neither team really getting the upper hand. In the 51st minute, Hallen scored again to make the score 4-1. All seemed over, both for England and Manor Farm. A penalty from Frank Lampard gave England hope and before Manor Farm scored their second through Ben Hiscox, England had levelled the game through Peter Crouch. As Twaine Plummer was scoring The Farm's third goal, Croatia were scoring their third. But on 77 minutes, Hallen scored a fifth. Not giving up though, Kevin Rawlings scored The Farm's fourth. The excitement was mounting with the score at 5-4 to Hallen. The referee awarded a free kick on the edge of Hallen's penalty area. Everyone knew with 94 minutes on the clock that this would probably be Manor Farm's last chance to score and level the game at 5-5. But it was not to be and within seconds of the ball being cleared into the centre circle, the referee blew for full time.
It is rare indeed to watch a game with so many goals. Most of which were down to defensive and goalkeeping errors on both sides. But a thorougly entertaining game none the less. And with only minutes of the England game left, the few supporters who turned up, rushed to the bar to watch the dying moments of Steve McClaren's England career.
Another Thriller!
The temperature dropped. The sky was grey and the biting wind whipped down the pitch from the Badgers Pub. Before the game even kicked off, the floodlights tried to cut through the gloom of the day. After the nine goal thriller at Hallen the previous Wednesday, nobody was prepared for what was to come.Frome, second in the table and with an impressive home record having won seven of their nine home games in the league. They had scored 26 goals and only conceded 7. As the game started it quickly became clear why Frome had such a good record. Their back four worked hard, closing down players and holding a very solid line. They worked well together and always seemed to know where their fellow players were. There were only a few chances for The Farm, but they were always denied by Eddie Quelch, their stand-in keeper, who made some outstanding saves from close range.
Frome were quick on the break and constantly made space on their right hand side. In the 15th minute they were rewarded with a goal from Alex Lapham. Sloppy defending from The Farm once again gifting a goal to the opposition. The rest of the first half was played out in much the same vein. Manor Farm breaking through on occasions, only to be denied. And Frome breaking past The Farm's back four. These were anxious moments and the ball was invariably put out of play to try to hamper Frome's progress. The first half ended with Frome in the lead, but it could have been a different story if not for the efforts of Frome's keeper.
As the second half began the temperature steadied at somewhere around four and the wind dropped slightly. The Farm were now playing with the wind and down the slope and our front three of Ben Hiscox, Troy Simpson and John Pugsly tried to make the most of this advantage. But as is so often the case, it was Frome who would score again. A solo effort from Dean Griffiths on 61 minutes. He flew past Jordan Hazell on the left wing, cut inside Chris Kite and struck a low shot under Ali Hines. Once again, it looked as though Manor Farm would come away from a game with no reward for their efforts. If it was not for some brilliant saves from Ali Hines, The Farm would have been further behind.
The Farm started to warm up their substitutes and brought on Twaine Plummer for Ben Murray. There were now four strikers on the pitch! The extra impetus started to show as Frome were constantly pushed back into their own half. On 75 minutes Brad Abrahams and Chris Ashcroft were brought into play for Leon Simpson and John Pugsley. The Farm's supporters stamped their feet to try to keep warm in the ever decreasing temperature. On 87 minutes shouts and cheers erupted as Twaine Plummer scored a goal to bring the game within reach of a draw. Time was running out but within a minute Troy Simpson scored The Farm's second to level the match. The unthinkable was now possible. Frome kicked off and The Farm picked up the ball and raced into their opponenets half. Ben Hiscox struck a shot only to be denied by Eddie Quelch once again. With the game into stoppage time, The Farm tried and tried to find a winner. But leaving space at the back was always a dangerous tactic and Frome pushed forward looking for the winner themselves. But it was not to be. The ref blew for full time. The Farm supporters were elated. A well earned point which could have been three.
On Wednesday we play Bitton in the league and if we play half as good as this, then we should at least win a point.
And The Thrills Go On...
After the games at Hallen (lost 5-4) and Frome (drew 2-2) no one could expect this run of excitement and remarkable results to continue. But the thrills just keep on coming. We had already played Bitton back in October in the Gloucester Cup and lost on penalties. This was never going to be a case of 'looking for revenge'. Far from it, Bitton are far too good a team.The Farm took an early lead and by half-time the score was 2-1 in our favour. It didn't take long for Bitton to pull the game level and many thought that our chance of winning this game was over. A draw now being a satisfactory conclusion to the game. But another two goals later and The Farm were 4-2 winners with Ben Hiscox scoring a hat trick! Ben is now our top scorer in all competitions.
The result moved us one place up the table and on Saturday we play Melksham Town who are just one place below us. Can this run continue? Come along to The Creek on Saturday and find out!
Waterlogged Pitch
Our game against Melksham Town on Saturday 1st December was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Heavy rain over the previous few days had left parts of the pitch under water. This game has now been rescheduled for Tuesday 11th March 2008.The game away to Street on Saturday 8th December was also postponed because of the weather. This has now been rescheduled for Saturday 15th March 2008.
Don't forget to visit our 'Web Shop' - click on the links on this page and help your Christmas shopping along. There are lots of retailers to choose from including 'Game', HMV, ASDA, Tesco, John Lewis & M&S. The prices you pay are no different to visiting their site, but Manor Farm will receive a percentage of whatever you spend if you go through our Web Shop. Help The Farm by shopping with us!
A Game At Last!
It's Saturday 15th and finally we get to play a game in December! Waterlogged pitches at the start of the month gave way to frost and a frozen pitch for our home game against Corsham Town, so it was nice to finally play some football, even if we did have to travel down the M5 to Chard.Anyone who has never been to the Chard ground will be impressed by the sizeable slope of the pitch. Would you want to play down the slope in the first half or is it better to do this in the second half? It was bitterly cold and the sky looked as though it would threaten to snow at any moment.
A look at the form book showed that Chard had not won a game since 6th November, when they beat Odd Down 7-1, so they must have the potential to score a few goals. The game kicked off with The Farm playing down the slope and within two minutes were awarded a free kick on the right hand side of the penalty box. Mike Burnett whipped in the ball and Ben Murray headed it into the back of the net. The Farm couldn't have asked for a better start and it seemed that we may be on for a good score. On six minutes, Twaine Plummer cut into the penalty box and was brought down. He stepped up to take the penalty but it was saved by their keeper Lloyd Irish. The Farm continued to press and from a Mike Burnett corner on eight minutes, Ben Murray once again rose to head the ball into the back of the net. As The Farm kept running down the slope to find a third goal, they left space at the back. A shot from Chard rebounded off the bar, was hit away by Ali Hines but only as far as Chard's number 9, Alexis Piper, who shot the ball home. The first half ended with the score at 2-1 and The Farm fans wondering if this was going to be 'one of those days'?
The second half began under floodlights and the temperature on its' way to zero. Five minutes later The Farm had restored their two goal advantage through Troy Simpson but this was reduced once again on 58 minutes when Chard scored their second - the ball played long down the slope and Ali Hines rushing out of his goal but was beaten to it by Andrew Whitefield who went around him and slotted it into the empty goal. Chard, now playing down the slope, took full advantage and kept pumping balls into The Farm's half. With the score now at 3-2, it looked on several occasions as though they would bring the match back level. Twaine Plummer picked up the ball on the left, ran up the slope, past two Chard defenders and shot the ball high and to the right into the net and past the finger tips of their goalie. On seventy minutes, Ben Hiscox was brought on for Twaine Plummer and five minutes later he was brought down in the box and The Farm were awarded their second penalty of the game. Matt Thorne stepped up to take the kick and with the keeper diving to the right shot it wide and to the left to score The Farm's fifth and final goal.
This was another good performance by the team although for the last 15 minutes of the first half they were put under pressure as they began to sit back on their lead. For the start of the second half they struggled to come to terms with playing up the slope but having settled down, showed what they can do. A good result which moves The Farm up to 14th in the table - our highest position so far this season!
With no midweek game, our next match is against Devizes on Saturday 22nd December, kick off 3.00pm. Devizes are on good form and so this game will not be easy. You should have finished your Christmas shopping, so come along and support The Farm!
Devizes Town
Back in September, Devizes beat us 3-1 but a lot has changed since then. In their midweek game against Bitton, Devizes lost and so we all hoped for a win on this occasion. But this was not to be as the game was played out to a 0-0 draw. That's not to say that there were no chances in this game. The Farm had quite a few and could have been two or three up by half time. But after the half time interval, both sets of supporters could feel that this game was only going one way.Photographs of the match can be seen on our 'Gallery' page, courtesy of Alan McAteer. The programme can also be downloaded on our 'Programmes' page.
Our next game is home to Brislington on Boxing Day. Kick off is at 1.00pm. We have played Bris twice and lost twice so it's about time we won one! After the heavy dinner on Christmas Day, why not get out into some fresh air and come along and support Bristol Manor Farm? Hope to see you there!
Boxing Day
As kick off time approached, the grey skies cleared a little and the bright winter sun streamed across the pitch at The Creek. A good crowd of 106 turned out to watch The Farm play Brislington but a few of our players didn't make to the game and John Black was forced into making changes before a ball was even kicked.Just after 1pm Nevil Brimming blew his whistle and the game got underway. Brislington flew from the blocks and showed more determination in winning both first and second balls. The Farm started to give the ball away too easily and this pattern would continue throughout the first half. Within four minutes Brislington too the lead and the day which started so badly with players not turning up, looked as though it would continue. The team battled hard but always looked second best and on 37 minutes Brislington scored their second. And that's how the half ended.
The second half started better for The Farm, obviously stirred up by a half-time talk! But it was Brislington who would score again in the 60th minute to take a 3-0 lead. On 65 minutes John Black made a double substitution bringing on Chris Ashcroft for Dominic Graffagnino and James Stephens for Chris Kite. This seemed to have the right effect with The Farm keeping Brislington in their own half and piling on pressure in their penalty box. Brislington started to look less composed and The Farm continued to press their advantage. Maybe at 3-0 Brislington thought they had the game won? A well struck delivery ended with Ben Murray putting the ball into the net and bringing a much needed goal and hope to the team. The Farm continued to push forward and five minutes later scored their second through Kye Thomas. At 3-2 and with 10 minutes still on the clock anything was now possible. The Farm kept working hard and trying to break through the Brislington defence who now just wanted to clear their lines. Their keeper, Jeff Meacham is also their manager and he shouted and urged them to repel the Manor Farm forward line. By now, most players were in the Brislington half with the sense that a draw was possible. But after two minutes of added time, the whistle went and The Farm had lost 3-2.
It was a disappointing end to a very good second half performance. In the first half, we missed chances which may have changed the complexion of the game. Having the team let down by players who do not turn up just makes a hard job more difficult for the manager. Next Saturday we are away to Barnstaple - you know, that team that beat us 5-0 on the opening day of the season. Here's hoping for a much better result - if everyone turns up that is...
BARNSTAPLE GAME IS OFF
Today's match away to Barnstaple has been called off. After heavy rain, hail and lightning over the past 24 hours, the referee decided to postpone the game.
Rearranged Date
The Barnstaple game has now been rescheduled for Saturday 3rd May 2008. This means that Barnstaple will be our first and last game of the season.
MELKSHAM GAME IS OFF
Today's match away to Melksham Town has been called off. After heavy rain and what looks like more to come the referee decided to postpone the game. We will let you know the new date of the fixture.
Rearranged Date
The Melksham game has now been rescheduled for Monday 11th February 2008. Kick-off time is 7.30pm
Frome Game - Saturday 12th January
The heavy rain over the past 24 hours makes our game tomorrow against Frome Town doubtful. However, the forecast for Saturday is for a much better day with the rain clearing away tonight. Provided that the rain stops, we expect the match to go ahead as scheduled at 3.00pm. If necessary we will hold a pitch inspection early tomorrow - watch this website for an update.
TODAY'S MATCH IS ON!
Our game today against Frome Town is ON! After yesterday's heavy rain and snow, the weather has cleared and the pitch is in good condition. Kick-off is at 3.00pmRed and Yellow....
How many times have you watched Match of the Day or any other football programme when they discuss the varying decisions of match officials or the conduct of players? It happens too often and over shadows the game itself. Our game against Frome was one such game. The last 15 minutes of the match will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Players booked. Players sent off.On a day when a good crowd of 103 came to watch us play and when officals from the Toolstation Western League graced us with their presence, some players lost their heads. Only a few weeks ago, our Chairman wrote in his programme notes "On the down side, there were six bookings last night, costing us money we can sorely afford, £150 fine for this sort of ill discipline." This time we had three players sent off and one booking. The rights or wrongs of the decisions made by the referee are always up for debate after a game. But I remember the story of a league manager who came home cursing and swearing that the referee had denied them a winner by judging his player to be offside. His wife turned to him and said "So the ref said it was offside?" he replied "Didn't you listen to anything I've just said?". She replied "I did. But if the ref says it's offside, then offside it is. Isn't it?" He had no answer to this. The game was over, the goal was disallowed. We need to learn that the man in the middle is the final arbiter. What he says goes, whether we or the other team like it or not. You can argue with a referee as much as you like, but you know he won't change his mind. So why bother?
On the day, Frome were a much better team. They won 3-0 and deservedly so. But even they had a player sent off during the 15 minutes of madness. The Farm had their chances but never took them. They played like it was a game they had half expected to be called off. If you don't take your chances - you can't win games.
Both John Black and Geoff Bryant were bitterly disappointed. Maybe not for losing, but certainly for the indiscipline shown by some players. And so, just like Match of the Day, we've ended up talking about all the bad things about the game instead of the missed goal chances, the magnificent saves by Ali Hines to keep us in the game in the second half, the chip in the first minute by Ben Hiscox which sailed over two defenders only to clip off the crossbar. Let's hope that in our next game against Chard Town we will be able to talk about all the good things...
GAME ON!
Our match today against Chard Town is ON! The pitch was inspected at 10.30am and at that time there were no problems. Kick-off is at 3.00pm. See you there!It's Raining...Again!
Tonight's Youth Team game at The Creek has been postponed due to the weather.
The First Team game at home to Chard Town this coming Saturday may also fall foul to the weather. Check back for further updates.
Cold, Damp and a win!
The light grey sky turned to battleship grey. The pitch had been inspected and inspected again. Eveyone kept one eye on the sky and another on the pitch. The ground was forked to release the few puddles into the sodden ground. The floodlights were switched on, cutting a warm glow through the dark procedings. But it made no difference. It was a day to get wet. No one thought the game would go ahead, but start it did. A yacht made it's way up the river and someone said "Noah's arrived". Alan McAteer, our match photographer arrived. Wasn't he worried that his camera could get wet? "It's waterproof" he replied. Just as well and off he went to take up his position under cover by the dugouts.With a slippery pitch it was at times difficult to play the type of football that now typifies The Farm. But they tried. The wind got up and the drizzling rain swept across the pitch. The ball held up in places and Ben Hiscox in the penalty area couldn't manage to get his foot around the ball to plant it in the net and it was collected by the keeper. The far end we were attacking was the wetest part of the pitch and ball play was very difficult. Chances were few, but chances there were.
Just on 21 minutes the ball was played into the Farm's penalty box. Kevin Rawlings ran across to collect it, but with the conditions slid and pushed the ball onto an oncoming Chard player who placed it in the back of the goal. It was an unlucky break. Play resumed and at 35 minutes a cross from the right by Steve Mason met Ben Hiscox who scored to bring the game level. And that's how it stayed at the half time interval.
The welcome warmth of the club house was beckoning and the crowd shuffled out of the ground. The interval is always a good time to meet the oppposition supporters and committee. A friendly crowd and talk soon turned to their sloping pitch and the problems they were having with their council in obtaining permission to move their home to another part of the town.
The rain stopped. The second half began. Within three minutes of the re-start Chard scored their second with a cracking shot which fooled keeper Ali Hines and soared into the back of the net. The Farm started to press the Chard defence and were flagged for offside on several occasions. Once, Troy Simpson was given offside when he was only a couple of yards inside the Chard half! Chard certainly know how to work this trap. The Farm got their reward on 69 minutes when Ben Murray rose to head the ball home. Afterwards he said that it came straight off his nose. With the score at 2-2 things were looking up, except for the weather as the rain started again. On 82 minutes Troy Simpson scored the Farm's third to give us the lead for the first time in the game. The Farm were always looking for a fourth and as the game moved into stoppage time were awarded a penalty. Leon Simpson stepped up to take it and confidently scored to make the final result 4-2.
Now back to 14th in the table we look forward to playing Odd Down away next Saturday. Three points from that game will consolidate our position ahead of playing Weston St Johns in the second round of the Les Phillips Cup on Tuesday 29th January at home.
Like Buses, they come in three's
With a good result against Chard the previous Saturday under our belt, hopes were high of adding another three points to our tally. We had played Odd Down twice before. Once in the first round of the FA Cup when they won and once in the league at The Creek, when they also won. But with lots of new players and their third (or is it fourth?) manager of the season we had hoped to beat them.The first 15 minutes of the game was all Farm. The players swarming forward like locusts ravenous to feed on the crops. Chances came and went. On 25 minutes a pass back by Odd Down's Karim Rendall put his keeper in trouble and the ball was picked up by Kevin Rawlings. He rounded the keeper to find an open net but somehow contrived to hit the bar from close range. And that's how the game continued with Odd Down's keeper, Andrew Beavis yelling at his defence "What's this? Shooting practice?" And that's just what it looked like with any Farm player having a go. Just after half an hour another poor pass to the keeper saw Ben Hiscox in space, but he was unable to get his foot around the ball and another chanced went begging.
It seemed like only a matter of time before we scored. But Odd Down had other ideas. With the time at 34 minutes, the only goal of the match came from Odd Down's Blaine Crooks. From just outside the area he struck the ball. Ali Hines had it covered but it inexplicably went between his legs and ended up in the back of the net. Against the run of play Odd Down were 1-0 up. From the re-start, The Farm pressed forward again. The referee blew for half time, leaving The Farm wondering how they were losing?
The second half began in the same way the first half finished. On 58 minutes, Odd Down's Lee Zabek handled the ball. Steve Mason stepped up to take the kick some 10 yards from the penalty area. A hard, low strike that went straight through the Odd Down wall. The keeper was unable to hold it and the ball bounced into the path of Ben Hiscox who could only knock it back to the keeper. Odd Down pushed forward and were awared a free kick when Tom Woodcott was brought down just outside the Farm's penalty box. Odd Down made a couple of substitutions and the free kick was taken. But the attack fizzled out.
Dominic Graffagnino raced down the left wing on 61 minutes and crossed a superb ball into the Odd Down area, but no one managed to get to it. A couple of minutes later from a Farm corner, the ball ended up coming out to Troy Simpson wide on the right. He struck the ball high and over the intervening players with it glancing off the bar. On 64 minutes, John Black made two changes with Twaine Plummer coming on for Chris Ashcroft and Matt Thorne replacing Kevin Rawlings. Play moved from end to end, but although the Farm contined to make chances there was seldom anyone there to convert them into goals.
And so the game ended 1-0 to Odd Down. And still The Farm asked why they had lost? Odd Down are perhaps our 'bogey' team. And like buses, defeats to them seem to come in three's. We have certainly played a lot better. We have played worse and won. Ben Hiscox knows how to be in the right place at the right time but more support is needed for him up front. The wide men can provide the service, but the front men need to be there to convert those chances into goals. The defence was as efficient as ever. The goal from Odd Down was soft and the game could have ended 0-0. If we are to progress in the Les Phillips Cup then we need to take our chances against Weston St Johns next Tuesday.
Seven, Eight Nine...
Weston St Johns brought the leagues' top goal scorer, Ryan Havard, now back from suspension. We brought Twaine Plummer and Troy Simpson and within a couple of minutes of the game starting the ball was in the Weston net, only for it to be disallowed. But a few minutes later, Troy Simpson scored The Farm's first goal and we looked set for a win. But things in football are never as simple as that. And so the score stood at 1-0 as The Farm continued to apply pressure to the Weston St Johns goal. Within 20 minutes it could have been 3 or even 4-0, but we had the lead only by that single goal. Weston played the offside trap to good advantage and most of the time their back four were planted only a yard or two inside their own half. On forty minutes, Weston were awarded a free kick just outside the box. John Harvey commented that "Weston will score next. You mark my words" but it fizzled out and the ball was collected by keeper Ali Hines. A couple of minutes later, the offside trap was broken, the speed of our forward line breaking through and Twaine Plummer scored his first on 42 minutes. A couple of minutes later he had his second and The Farm's third. And with the score at 3-0 the first half ended and John Harvey was wrong.The second half got under way with the rain still falling and five minutes after the start, Twaine Plummer got his hat trick. The next goal either has to go down as bizarre or very clever. The Farm were awarded a corner on the right. Troy Simpson stepped up to take it. Troy rolled the ball a foot or so from the flag and Twaine Plummer came over to take the corner instead. The jostling in the goalmouth area continued as Twaine took the ball, ran with it towards the penalty area then swept it high over the crowded box and onto the head of Matt Thorne who headed it home. The Weston players looked bewildered. The corner of course had been taken by Troy, but they, like many others thought that Twaine, as he sauntered across to the corner was going to take it. And like other teams before, it caught them out and gave The Farm their fifth goal.
With both Troy and Twaine tearing up the Weston defence it was inevitable that there would be more goals to come. And so it was in the 63rd minute that Twaine scored his fourth goal of the evening. Shortly after this he was brought off and replaced with James Stephens. Weston St Johns tried to break through, but The Farm defence stood solid and their attacks were all in vain. On 70 minutes Dominic Graffagnino and Chris Ashcroft replaced Kevin Rawlings and Ben Hiscox. Ten minutes later James Stephen cracked in a goal to make it 7-0. Weston kicked off. They tapped the ball and Ryan Havard tried his luck from there but to no avail. Chris Ashcroft was next on the score sheet. Standing in open space by the penalty spot, the ball was headed back to him and he headed it straight to the back of the net. Not something you see everyday! Once again Weston tried to score one from the halfway line. With the game almost over, James Stephens scored his second to make it 9-0 to Manor Farm. The crowd wanted the game over, enough surely! The referee blew time and the game ended.
Everyone expected The Farm to win this game. Weston St Johns lie at the foot of the First Division having conceded 91 goals. Their young keeper, Ben Dancey, was left to fend for himself too often from our strikers onslaught. Once you realise that the opposition has the measure of your offside trap, you need to change tactics. But Weston continued to play too far up the pitch and left their goalie with no chance. Before Manor Farm scored their second, he had kept The Saints in the game far too many times with some great saves.
Let's hope the draw for the next round is kind. So far in this competition we have scored 15 goals in two matches and conceded none. Not sure how long that will continue...but here's hoping it does!
The next round of the Les Phillips Cup will be drawn this coming Saturday at Manor Farm by Ken Clarke and Tony Salvidge, after our game against Bitton.
Les Phillips Cup Draw
Ken Clarke, Geoff Sellek & John Langdon make the draw for the quarter finals
Dawlish Town v Frome Town
Brislington v Truro City
Corsham Town or Bitton v Bideford Town
Ilfracombe Town v Bristol Manor Farm
Ties to be played on or before Saturday 15th March 2008
A Video Nasty?
The three points in this game were vital for both Manor Farm and visitors Radstock Town. As the game kicked off The Farm were 15th in the table with Radstock at 17th. Both teams had been struggling recently to put the ball in the back of the net and if you don't score goals, you can't win games.
This was an end to end game. Both teams wanting to score the first goal and it was Radstock on 26 minutes who went one up.
Radstock Town's First Goal
As play resumed, The Farm again pressed, looking for their first goal, but it was Radstock who would score only three minutes after scoring their first.
Radstock Town's Second Goal
The first half ended with Radstock two goals to the good. The half time interval came and went and the second half kicked off. Before the video camera even had the chance to see the light of day, Radstock went three up!
After an hour's play The Farm made three substitutions bringing on Ben Hiscox, Chris Kite and Brad Abrahams. Off went Steve Mason, Kevin Rawlings and Tom Hodge. The Farm continued to push forward in an effort to score at least one goal. But all their efforts came to nothing; the ball either going out of play or the Radstock keeper making some fine saves to deny them. Thirteen minutes after bring on the subs, Ben Hiscox finally got Manor Farm on the score sheet.
Manor Farm's Only Goal - Ben Hiscox
With just over 15 minutes of the game left, it was still possible to at least snatch a draw. But Radstock were too solid in defence and The Farm, although they continued to press forward, had few other chances. Because of the push forward, this left gaps at the back and there were times when Radstock could have increased their lead.
On a day when you decide to video the game, you hope that your team will win and score a few goals, but it was not to be. Missed chances was the name of the game in this match. And so the video turned out to be something of a 'nasty' and apologies to Radstock Town for missing their third goal - they were just too quick! And on the day, the better team.
Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory
A visit to Melksham Town on a Monday evening isn't everyone's idea of fun. And fun it wasn't this time. The temperature soared to zero. From the kick off the game ebbed and flowed and mainly flowed towards the Melksham goal mouth. That's not to say that Melksham didn't have chances. They did, but mainly through defensive errors. And it was an error which allowed them to score the opening goal of the game on 38 minutes. A ball which should have been cleared by The Farm from the right was gobbled up by the oncoming Melksham players. But again, The Farm regained possession only to lose it again, the ball lobbed across the goal and driven home. You could see it coming. You knew it was going to happen. Ali Hines left on his own and a good strike left him stranded and picking the ball out of the back of the net. And that's how the first half ended. Against the run of play? Probably. But as has been said so many times, if you don't take your chances, you can't win a game.The second half began as the first ended with The Farm pushing forward and making some great play. Chris Ashcroft had been brought on at the start of the second half in place of Twaine Plummer. Chances in front of goal were almost contrived to be missed. Pick a player, most had a go at scoring a goal. But it was on 62 minutes when Kye Thomas finally pulled The Farm level with a brilliant solo effort. Racing down the left wing he passed two Melksham players. Cut inside and from at least 30 yards struck the ball hard and low into the bottom right hand corner of the net. At last a goal! And it did rather seem that if Kye hadn't scored this one, then we wouldn't score one at all. On 86 minutes, Melksham's Kevin Bush was sent off. With the extra man a draw at least seemed likely. John Black urged his players forward to find the elusive second goal and three points. Melksham had by now made a couple of substitutions and began running at The Farm's defence. They broke through several times and when a Melksham player was brought down in the box the inevitable outcome of a penalty was on the cards. But the referee dismissed the claims and we all breathed a sigh of relief. With Melksham pressing ever harder the full time whistle would be a relief. But three minutes into stoppage time, Chris Kite was judged to have handled the ball and Melksham were awarded their penalty. Jonny Davoile stepped up to take it and planted it firmly in the back of the net, hitting it low and hard to the left of Ali Hines. The game restared but within less than a minute the full time whistle went and somehow The Farm had managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Two hands wouldn't be enough to count the number of chances we had to score a goal. One hand wouldn't be enough to count the number of players who had those chances. There were opportunites to wrap up this game after bringing it back level. But whether it was the slippery pitch, the cold weather or what, we'll never know. All we do know is that when you are in the six yard box with the goal mouth in front of you, the ultimate conclusion has to be that the ball is sent that way to score a goal.
Manor Farm: Ali Hines (Capt), Chris Kite, Kye Thomas, Kevin Rawlings, Ben Murray, Tom Hodge, Scott Feltham, Matt Thorne, Ben Hiscox, Twaine Plummer, James Stephens. Subs - Chris Ashcroft (for T. Plummer 46'), Jon Selmon, Dan Dunt.
Melksham Town: Jason Grubb, Nathan Phillimore, Wayne Thorne, Greg Tindle, Kevin Bush, Shaun Pervical, David Macey, Ricky Trott (Capt), Nathaniel Auckland, David Percival, Jonny Davoile. Subs - Justin Pritchard, Ian Jeffrey, Emilio Menghini
Fresh Out Of Luck
By Match Reporter Philip BurnettBristol Manor Farm went into this game on the back of four league defeats. It was the farm who started fastest out of the blocks with Troy Simspon whipping in a cross on one minute which narrowly missed the head of Ben Hiscox. On six minutes a free kick nearly resulted in Ben Hiscox being through on goal but the ball was cleared. Three minutes later Troy Simpson rushed on to a through ball and took the ball past the keeper but unfortunately past the dead ball line too! Bideford slowly started to get into the game with a cross from Leon Hapgood on 12 minutes, which was just about cleared for a corner. This resulted in yet another corner but both came to nothing. On fourteen minutes a through ball by Kevin Rawlings found Leon Simpson but he was adjudged to have fouled a Bideford defender. On 15 minutes a corner fell to Clay Bond on the edge of the box but his shot went just wide. On 19 minutes a corner for The Farm from Scott Feltham was headed back across goal by Matt Thorne and Feltham crossed the ball in yet again to see Leon Simpson’s header go agonisingly back across the goal mouth and out of danger. On 22 minutes good work from Bideford led to a shot from Leon Hapgood which was blocked by Farm keeper Ali Hines and cleared away for a corner by Kye Thomas. The resulting corner saw Ian Down head wide. On 26 minutes a great through ball found Ben Hiscox who somehow shot wide of the keeper’s left hand post, to the dismay of the Farm bench and supporters. One minute later The Farm won a free kick just outside the box, which was taken by Matt Thorne but was struck straight at the keeper, Griffiths.
Another minute went by and yet another free kick was won. This was lofted in by Scott Feltham and pushed away by the keeper but then the keeper was adjudged to have been fouled by a Farm player. Just as The Farm were looking to be dominating the game a cross from the left (keepers right) on 36 minutes, was not cleared and fell to Bideford’s Clay Bond at the far post who slipped the ball underneath Hines to give the visitors the lead. Three minutes later Hines came rushing out to claim the ball but was beaten to it by Jamie Densham who headed just over. By this point The Farm seemed to have lost confidence and were rooted in their own half. On 42 minutes a pass from Leon Hapgood put Jamie Densham through on goal who slipped the ball past Ali Hines into the back of the net to increase the visitors lead to 2–0 and that’s how the first half ended with The Farm unlucky to be trailing by two goals.
Bristol Manor Farm started the second half brightly and Troy’s pace down the right was too much and resulted in The Farm being awarded a free kick. The resulting free kick was nearly converted by Leon Simpson but the ball grazed his head and went across goal and fell to safety. On 51 minutes Leon Hapgood was free down the right but Kye Thomas got back well to tackle him and get the ball out to safety. Bideford rarely threatened Ali Hines in the second half and were restricted to half chances. Although on 53 minutes the Bideford players were screaming claims of a penalty as Chris Kite appeared to handle the ball in the area. But whether it was intentional or not is another matter. The referee only gave a corner! On 56 minutes a corner from The Farm fell to Matt Thorne at the edge of the box but he blasted his shot well over the bar. Two minutes later Ellis Laight found himself in a little bit of space down the left but he put his shot across the six yard box, which was clipped back in by Densham but the resulting shot was blasted high over the bar. On 60 minutes a cross from Leon Simpson down the right found Scott Feltham unmarked in the six yard box who side footed the ball into the back of the net past Bideford keeper Kenny Griffiths to bring the score to 1-2. One minute later a long throw in by Chris Kite was well claimed by keeper Griffiths. The Farm continued the pressure and two minutes later were awarded a free kick. It was taken quickly and resulted in Troy Simpson hitting a scissor kick shot which was blocked by Bideford.
On 65 minutes a lofted through ball fell to Scott Feltham who beat Griffiths to it only to see his lobbed shot go agonisingly wide of the right hand post. The Farm continued the pressure and one minute later they won a free kick which was take by Troy Simpson but was comfortably saved by Griffiths. On 67 minutes Bideford had a change of striker with Leon Hapgood leaving the field, being replaced by Robert Gough. Bideford still continued to have half-chances and a cross from Jamie Densham on 71 minutes was well cleared by The Farm defence. One minute later Ben Hiscox was through wide on the right, he turned the defender only to see his shot fall straight into the hands of the keeper, Kenny Griffiths. On 79 minutes a lofted ball was misjudged by Kye Thomas and Jamie Densham looked through but Kye recovered and put in a good tackle to send the ball to safety. On 80 minutes John Black made a triple substitution with Jordan Hazell, Twaine Plummer and Dominic Graffagnino replacing Ben Hiscox, Kevin Rawlings and Tom Hodge. On 82 minutes a long throw by Jordan Hazell put pressure on the Bideford defence but Griffiths got a hand to the ball tipping it away and to safety. Every time Bideford got into the final third they were playing the ball into the corner flags to try and play out time. However, on 88 minutes a crossed ball finally managed to fall to Kye Thomas who was through on goal just inside the six yard box but he blasted his shot wide of the far hand post. One minute later Kye Thomas put in a testing cross which was dropped by Kenny Griffiths and cleared off the line. Deep into stoppage time a long throw in was headed on by Leon Simpson which fell to Twaine Plummer about three yards out but his shot was blocked by a Bideford knee on the line and cleared to the safety. The referee soon after blew the whistle to the relief of the Bideford players and supporters.
You could clearly see the disappointment on The Farm players’ faces. As one Farm supporter said to me at the end of the game, it is not that we are fresh out of luck it is more that we are fresh out of goals. As the old saying goes, if you don’t take your chances you can’t win games. The work ethic of The Farm players was magnificent! Unfortunately the result was not!
Manor Farm: Ali Hines, Chris Kite, Kye Thomas, Kevin Rawlings, Ben Murray, Tom Hodge, Troy Simpson, Matt Thorne, Ben Hiscox, Leon Simpson (Capt), Scott Feltham. Subs - Twaine Plummer (80'), Dominic Graffaginio (80'), Jordan Hazell (80').
Bideford: Kenny Griffiths, Robbie Herrera, Nick Barker, John Routledge, Darren Hawkings, Tom Stucco, Clay Bond, Ian Down, Jamie Densham, Leon Hapgood, Ellis Laight (Capt). Subs - Matt Downing, Robert Gough (67'), Kane Bond.
Fresh Out Of Luck...Again!
On a bitterly cold night, the 'White Tigers' of Truro City came to The Creek and went away with all three points thanks largely to two penalties. Giving a penalty in any game will always be controversial, but to give two takes it to a whole new level. Whether they were penalties or not will always depend on which side you support. The Farm soaked up early pressure and then slowly began to push Truro back into their half and press their goal. But chances were few and far between and for some time it looked as though the first half would end goalless. But it was on 43 minutes that the first penalty was awarded and Dean Stamp stepped up and slotted the ball home. And the first half ended 1-0 to Truro City.With the half time break over, the game got under way and within three minutes Dean Stamp scored Truro's only goal from open play. Stamp found himself in space and a cracking shot flew past Ballard to make it 2-0. As the game flowed from end to end, it looked as though The Farm would never break down Truro's defences and that Truro would be unable to do the same. But the referee awarded Truro a second penalty on the hour and once again Stamp struck the ball home from the spot kick. The Farm brought on Steve Mason to replace Tom Hodge on 65 minutes and three minutes later, Truro brought on the divisions top scorer, Stewart Yetton, and Kevin Wills replacing Andy Watkins and Joe Broad. The Farm kept looking for an opening as did Truro, but both teams stood firm. On 73 minutes Twaine Plummer was substituted for Leon Simpson. With only six minutes of the game remaining, The Farm finally unlocked Truro's defence. A through ball found Ben Hiscox just outside the six yard box and he duly struck the the ball into the back of the net. And so the game ended 3-1 in Truro's favour.
Truro have a great work ethic and push the opposition hard. Undoubtedly they have some very good players who play with great commitment. As they look ever upwards towards their ambition of bringing league football to Cornwall, on this form they will find the next league up no pushover and are probably already looking at fresh talent to bring to the peninusla next season.
A full report of this game can be found on our Match Reports page.
Les Phillips Cup Semi-Final Draw
The semi-final draw for the Les Phillips Cup took place today after the Brislington v Truro City quarter final match, which Brislington won 3-2.If we overcome Ilfracombe next Saturday, then we will be playing at home to either Dawlish or Frome.
The full draw is as follows:
Ilfracombe Town or Bristol Manor Farm
v
Dawlish Town or Frome Town
Brislington
v
Bitton or Bideford Town
Les Phillips Cup Quarter Final
Ilfracombe Town are a team that up until Saturday 1st March, we had not played, so we had no real idea what to expect. Looking at our relative league positions, it was clear that Ilfracombe were not a team to be underestimated and yet at the start of this match you may have thought that the league positions were reversed. The Farm started like a team looking to win. Looking to get something from the season for all their effort and hard work. And the Les Phillips Cup was their last chance of bringing home any silverware. The pressure on Ilfracombe's defence finally paid off in the 19th minute when Scott Feltham found himself free on the right and the goalkeeper already coming out to close him down. With the expectations that Feltham would round the keeper and slot it home, Scott slid the ball across the area into the path of Ben Hiscox who fired the ball home. But Ilfracombe are not to give up too easily and constantly threatened the right flank of The Farm. A defensive error cost The Farm their lead as the ball was taken on the right by Ilfracombe's Liam Beades, rounding the goalie he slotted the ball in to the back of the net to level the scores. Play resumed with both sides hungry to take the lead. From a Farm corner the ball was headed by an Ilfracombe defender, but with the spin of the ball and the wind, it found it's way going goalwards and into the path of Matt Thorne who volleyed the ball past a packed penalty area to make it 2-1 to The Farm on 38 minutes. With little time left in the first half, a one goal lead would have been perfect. But Ilfracombe had other ideas and on 44 minutes, leading goalscorer Leon Taswell struck the ball home to once again level the game. Going in at half time with the scores tied would have set up a great second half. But once again Ilfracombe were allowed space and right on half time Taswell struck again to give Ilfracombe to lead for the first time in the match. Having seen five goals in the first half, the talk at half time was how many more goals would we see before this match was over? The second half began like the first ended. The wind still whipping across the pitch and both teams looking to win a place in the Semi-Final of the cup. Both teams now seemed to have the measure of each other and finding space and a goal scoring opportunity was not going to be easy. On 72 minutes, from a Chris Kite throw in, the ball was once again headed out by Ilfracombe and into the path of Matt Thorne who once again volleyed the ball home to bring the game level at 3-3.The game moved from end to end. The midfield packed with players and offside being the order of the day. With just over five minutes of the match remaining, the crowd was anticipating extra time in what was a thrilling game. On 83 minutes, Ben Hiscox was substituted for Twaine Plummer. In the 85th minute the referee blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot. Ilfracombe's number 9, Shaun Lewis, had been brought down in the box and Barry Yeo stepped up to take the spot kick. Hitting the ball at mid-height to the right of Ali Hines, Ilfracombe once again took the lead. The game got under way with The Farm looking and pressing for an equaliser. Ilfracombe kept clearing their lines by hoofing the ball as far from their goal as they could. But The Farm kept coming back. There was no way through the Ilfracombe defence and time was fast running out. With the clock showing that we had played three minutes of time added on, the game was over and The Farm were out of the Les Phillips Cup. On a day when both teams were on brilliant form, you have to hope that the officials have a good game too. The referee was competent enough, but you expect more from the man in the middle. Too many players on both sides just 'fell over' and were awarded free kicks. When this happens within a couple of minutes of the start of the game, players know what to do and what the outcome will be. Standing on the sides watching, supporters of both sides questioned many of the decisions. Was it a penalty? It must have been, because the ref gave it. But it ruined a truly memorable cup game. We should like to thank Ilfracombe for their outstanding hospitality and put on record that they certainly have some of the best cakes we have ever tasted at half time! We look forward to welcoming Ilfracombe next Saturday in our first league encouter of the season with them. Teams: Ilfracombe - Steve Oliver, Mark Hughes, Jon Vooght (Capt), Steve Hobbs, Barry Yeo, Ricky Marinaro, Liam Beades, Darren Polhill, Shaun Lewis, Leon Taswell, Karl Madge. Subs - Stewart Hutchings, James Davey, Stewart Cameron. Manor Farm - Ali Hines, Chris Kite, Jordan Hazell, Kevin Rawlings, Ben Murray, Tom Hodge, Troy Simpson, Matt Thorne, Leon Simpson (Capt), Ben Hiscox, Scott Feltham. Subs - Twaine Plummer, Brad Abrahams, Chris Ashcroft.So You Win Again...
"Lots of Positives"
Another Tuesday evening travelling into the dark of Wiltshire, this time for a meeting with Calne Town. The weather whipped up quite a wind at times and the rain could be seen driving across the pitch half way through the first half. The Farm put together what could best be described as a 'scratch team' to play this fixture. Carl Rutter joined the ranks together with a few players who we had not seen for some time - Dan Dunt, Jack Surz, Luke Bartley and Brad Abrahams. No one expected too much and the weather kept the crowd down to just 34. The young Manor Farm team created several chances in the first half, but it was Calne who would take the lead through a defensive error on 28 minutes when Daniel Lardner whipped the ball past Ali Hines and into the back of the net. As the rain began to fall (at 45 degrees) The Farm restarted and pressed the Calne defence looking for a way through to goal. Calne continued to foil any attempts and kept breaking away and past The Farm defence to threaten for a second goal. On 37 minutes, Jon Selman went down. Shouts went out to the referee that he was injured as the game continued and Calne's number 9, Luke Hopper made it to the right hand edge of the penalty area and shot into Ali Hines' waiting hands. The game was stopped. Jon had a knee injury and had to be substituted with Dan Dunt. Helped from the pitch by Geoff Bryant, it was evident that he was in pain. The first half ended with the home team 1-0 to the good. During the break Calne's physio had a look at Jon's knee and also Chris Ashcroft who was complaining of problems with one of his calf muscles. The second half started with Jack Surz replacing Chris Ashcroft and all our subs then used up. The Farm seemed to have more belief at the start and some fine balls were played into Calne's penalty area. Steve Mason's left foot from corners and free kicks was a constant menace. But despite all the great play and threat of a goal, it was Calne who would double their lead on 56 minutes through Danny Baker. The rain continued to drive across the pitch as the game was re-started. The ball bounced awkwardly at times and high balls would lucky to find their mark. On 75 minutes Chris Kite brought down a Calne player in the box. Referee Mark Russell had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Luke Hopper stepped up to take the kick and fired it easily past Ali Hines. And that's how the game ended with the score 3-0 to Calne Town. Although we lost 3-0 there was some good football from The Farm. They certainly created lots of chances and gave the Calne keeper a lot more to do in the second half than our own. It was 'soft' goals and defensive errors which allowed the home team to win this game. But as Chairman Geoff Sellek said at the end - "There were a lot of positives". Brad Abrahams had a good game and showed some nice touches in awful conditions. He was also not afraid to have a shot at goal from anywhere near the box. Steve Mason crossed balls into the area which were a continual threat. Jon Selman played well until his unfortunate injury. Carl Rutter was solid in midfield and knew when to keep the ball and when to lay it off. Jordan Hazell and Chris Kite kept the opposition out for long periods of time. Luke Bartley never stopped running or gave up. Tom Hodge tried his best to adopt to his new position for this game, not an easy thing given the weather conditions and opposition. Dan Dunt had to play at the back in place of Jon Selman and showed that he has a future at this level. Jack Surz skipped and ran past the opposition and flighted balls into the box giving The Farm a threat from both flanks. Ali Hines...well, he was as always, Ali Hines and the captain and marshalled a team that had not played together before brilliantly, you couldn't ask for more. Chris Ashcroft, back in the team after a spell out, ran and passed the ball into some dangerous areas. Ben Hiscox tried his best to put the ball in the net, but was thwarted by some good goal keeping, a good defence and bad weather. Luke Bartley gave the Calne defence lots to think about with his runs and shots on goal. This was a team that by the end of the game should have some pride in what they achieved, regardless of the result. They started to gel in the second half and surprised Calne with their passion and attacks. They deserved one goal at least for all their efforts. Man of the match? All thirteen of them!It's All Change
Our game against Street on Saturday fell foul of the weather and has now been re-scheduled. This game was originally planned to be played last December, but you may remember all that rain we had? The same thing happened again. This is not our only game which has been moved -Away to Street now on Tuesday 15th April
Home to Corhsham Town now on Saturday 12th April This coming Tuesday we are playing Melksham Town (kick off 7.45pm). This was another game which was due to played last December. Let's hope the weather gods are a kinder this time.
Tuesday 18th March
In what many who watched the game described as 'our worst performance of the season', The Farm went down 3-0 to Melksham Town. Enough said...A Game of Two Halves?
The Easter football programme saw us having to play Brislington on Good Friday and Willand Rovers the next day and the two games couldn't have been more different. At Brislington, The Farm started well and pushed forward from the start, reaping their reward in the 24th minute when Troy Simpson was fouled in the penalty box. James Stephens stepped up to take the kick and pumped just top left of centre to give The Farm a 1-0 lead. Celebrations ensued, which given recent performances was more than justified. But Brislington were not looking to give up and pressed forward from the re-start. Ten minutes after the Farm's opening goal, Brislington levelled the game. The game got underway with both The Farm and Brislington looking to take the lead. And on 36 minutes, Liam Peart put Brislington into the lead. But the first half was to end all square when Luke Bartley squared the ball across Brislington's box to give Kevin Rawlings and easy tap in. Hopes were high amongst The Farm supporters that we would at least gain a point after losing nine on the bounce when the second half got under way. But this was indeed a game of two halves and stark contrasts. Brislington started the brighter of the two and within two minutes had taken the lead to make the score 3-2. With things on the pitch not going well, on 52 minutes The Farm made a double substitution and brought on Nick Rugman and Steve Mason for Jon Selman and James Stephens. For a while a little more impetus had been injected into The Farm and chances were once again being created. On 68 minutes Brislington are awarded a penalty. Mark Chaffey took it and shot mid-height to the right of Ballard who just touched it, but not enough to stop Brislington going further ahead, 4-2. It looked as though it was game over at this point. There was little penetration or attack from The Farm and on 71 minutes, Brislington's Graham Bryant raced away down the left wing and shot across the goal and it landed in the far right hand corner. And so the game ended 5-2.Willand Rovers
The next day we were home to Willand Rovers and due to the number of games in the week, we played in our alternative kit of yellow which matched the early spring sun streaming across The Creek. Willand were fourth from the top with The Farm lying fourth from the bottom so this was not a game when anyone expected too much in the points department. But The Farm started well with few chances falling to either side in the first half. The gamed flowed from end to end and The Farm showed the sort of effort and passion they had been missing from recent games. And so the first half end goalless. The talk at half time from both sides was that there was nothing in it. But on recent form, we were worried that the second half wouldn't match the first. The worries were unfounded as The Farm started the better of the two teams and continued to look for a lead.
Ben Hiscox tackled by Sam Croft
Troy Simpson Celebrates Scoring
The Farm after taking a 1-0 lead
Kevin Rawlings setting up another chance
Brad Abraham picks up the ball in midfield
Lee Ballard saves from a corner
Willand Continue To Apply Pressure
Lee Ballard Touches the Ball Onto The Post
Ilfracombe Match Postponed
Our game against Ilfracombe Town was postponed due to the weather. This has been re-arranged for Tuesday 22nd April, kick off 7.45pm. This will now be our last game of the season.You Can't Argue With That!
The sun at Welton Rovers made little impact on the temperature as a cold north westerly wind swept across the ground and spectators looked for any cover they could find to shelter from it. This was a game when six from top played five from bottom and The Farm supporters never expected too much given recent performances. The game kicked off and The Farm started like a team who hadn't played for a while - last week's game against Ilfracombe being called off. The pressure on the Welton defence paid off after just 3 minutes, when a ball found Ben Hiscox alone in the penalty area. He trapped it, turned and shot it past the flailing Welton keeper, Tristan Westlake, to open the scoring. The Welton keeper quite rightly asking what his defence was doing? The match re-started and within a few minutes, The Farm were awarded a free kick just to the right of the box. Troy Simpson was urged to fire the ball through the wall. His kick to the right of the keeper was pushed out into the path of Ben Hiscox, but his shot only troubled the side netting. At the half hour mark, Welton made a substitution and brought on Leigh White for number 4, Nick Beaverstock. White was soon in the action and brought down Brad Abraham on the right wing. Welton slowly crept back into the game and on 37 minutes were awarded a free kick just outside The Farm penalty area. Kye Mountford shot over the wall and well over the bar too. The first half ended at 0-1 to The Farm. The second half kicked off and Welton began pushing forward looking for an equaliser. The game went from end to end with few chances and on 62 minutes Welton replaced their number 7, Mark Rowlands, with Andrew Catley. The Farm continued to push forward looking for a second goal and were rewarded on 75 minutes when Ben Hiscox scored his second. Three minutes later, Hiscox was the provider, a ball across the Welton box found Troy Simpson, who tapped the ball home to make it 0-3 to The Farm. From then on, Welton never really looked like scoring. The Farm brought on all their subs, James Stephens, Chris Ashcroft and Chris Kite. On 85 minutes, Welton's number 12, Leigh White was booked for a bad challenge and five minutes later the referee blew for full time. Welton's shots were either high or wide and one of the few on target saw Ali Hines make a brilliant diving save as the ball was driven mid-height to his left. The performance from The Farm was magnificent. The defence held the line and rarely let Welton have any goal scoring opportunities. This allowed the midfield and strikers the freedom to play their game without worry. Watching the game you would have thought that the relative league positions were reversed. All in all a great team performance and a result which no one could argue with. Teams: Bristol Manor Farm - Ali Hines, Jon Selman, Kye Thomas, Kevin Rawlings, Ben Murray, Jordan Hazell, Brad Abraham, Carl Rutter, Ben Hiscox, Troy Simpson, Scott Feltham. Subs - James Stephens, Chris Kite, Chris Ashcroft. Welton Rovers - Tristan Westlake, Stuart Tovey, Craig Coles, Nick Beaverstock, Jason Hughes, Kye Mountford, Mark Rowlands, Ben Hancock, Dean Evans, David Pearse, Necco Giovannni. Subs - Leigh White, Ben Curtis, Andrew CatleyFrom First to (almost) Last
On saturday 11th August 2007 the season kicked off with our opening match against Barnstaple Town. It was a hot day. Barnstaple arrived late due to traffic on the M5. The Farm lost 0-5. Last night we travelled to Barnstaple in the return league match and what a difference a season makes. Barnstaple have the league's top goal scorer in Kevin Squire, it wasn't long before we realised why. His pace and awareness sometimes left our defence standing. But The Farm kept charging forward for most of the first half trying to find a rout to goal. But it was Kevin Squire who would open the scoring on 40 minutes. A long ball played across to him on the right wing found him in space. He turned and rattled his shot from just outside the box and past the arms of Ali Hines to plant it into the far left hand corner. And so the first half ended with the home side one up. The second half began much like the first ended with The Farm trying to find a way through the Barnstaple defence. With 15 minutes of the second half gone, Troy Simpson fired a fierce shot goalwards. It beat everyone but it bounced off the corner of the left hand upright and bar. It seemed that for all the pressure The Farm would not be able to score. Ten minutes later Ben Hiscox struck a shot from the right side of the penalty area but it was wide to the left. On 76 minutes John Black made a double substitution and brought on Steve Mason and Brad Abraham for Dominic Graffagnino and Jon Selman. Four minutes later The Farm got their reward. Troy Simpson won the ball on the right hand edge of the box and struck it across the area to the waiting feet of Ben Hiscox who was happy to fire it home. The goal seemed to spark Barnstaple into more life and for the remaining 10 minutes there were some hairy moments. But The Farm defence held up well and when the referee blew his whistle to end the match, we came away with a much deserved point. Some would say the difference between our first game of the season and this one is quite remarkable. But over the course of the season the team has changed a lot and if this team had been playing on day one, it may well have been a very different result. Teams: Bristol Manor Farm - Ali Hines, Jon Selman, Kye Thomas, Dominc Graffagnino, Ben Murray, Jordan Hazell, Chris Ashcroft, Matt Thorne, Ben Hiscox, Troy Simpson, James Stephens. Subs - Brad Abraham, Steve Mason
Barnstaple Town - Jimmy Thorne, Steve Avery, Steve Shore, Matt Wade, Jamie Frickleton, Kevin Darch, Sam Woodin, James Turner, Darren Goff, Kevin Squire, Jake Barwick. Subs - Liam Raybould, Lee Francis, Kurt Bayliss.
Final Home Game
On Saturday we play our last home game of this season when we take on last years champions Corsham Town. This should be a cracking game with The Farm looking to extend their recent good run of form. Corsham on the other hand have had a recent poor run of results but are still one of the best teams in the division and are looking to finish ahead of Willand Rovers to grab third place. The match kicks off at 3.00pm.Game Over
The heavy showers in the morning cleared away to leave a bright and blustery day at The Creek. After some good results against Willand, Welton and Barnstaple, expectations were high that maybe a draw was possible against last seasons champions. Within two minutes of the kick off, Corsham Town signalled their intententions when a dipping shot was tipped over for a corner by Ali Hines. The resulting corner was eventually cleared and The Farm pushed the Corsham frontline back. Corsham continued to press forward but The Farm defence coped well. Corsham didn't have it all their own way. The Farm didn't sit back and threatened to break through on several occasions. On 18 minutes a cross from Troy Simpson found James Stephens just inside the box and he fired the ball home to give the home side the lead. Corsham restarted the match and on 26 minutes were awarded a free kick on the left hand side of the penalty area but the resulting kick went well over the bar. Three minutes later The Farm were awarded a penalty and some might say harshly when the ball hit the back of the hand of a Corsham player. Matt Thorne stepped up and duly slotted the ball low to the left to make it 2-0. The game picked up more pace and both teams were hungry for goals. But the half ended with the home team in the lead. Corsham set off at the start of the second half at a fast pace and Ali Hines was soon brought into action with a magnificent save to deny Corsham a certain goal.
Ali Hines Saves A Certain Goal
James Stephens Scores His Second Goal
Stephens Celebrates With Brad Abraham
Troy Simpson Chips The Ball
Corsham's Nick Gingell
The Final Countdown
We move into the last three games of the season with an away match against Street on Tuesday. Kick off is at 7.30pm. Why not come along and be part of the 'Farmy Army'. The ground address is The Tannery Ground, Middlebrooks, Street BA16 0TA.
Next Saturday we travel to Dawlish who are currently second in the table. The weather is expected to warm and sunny so another good reason to come and support The Farm. The ground address is The Playing Fields, Sandy Lane, Dawlish EX7 0AF.
Finally we play Ilfracombe, also away and a chance to get our own back ofter losing the last two games against them. The ground address is Marlborough Park, Ilfracombe EX34 8PD.
So go on! Pick a match and be part of the Farmy Army!
Streets Ahead
With relative league positions of 17th for The Farm and 18th for Street, this was never going to be an easy game. But recent form suggested that The Farm could come away with at least some of the spoils. But Street had run into a bit of form themselves and from the first whistle they signalled their intentions on taking nothing but three points to stave off any thoughts of relegation. Street's number 9, Simon Gale, was always a threat and a header from him in the 11th minute found the net to give Street the lead. And it was the combination of Gale and number 10, Kye Palmer, who continued to cause problems for The Farm defence. On 27 minutes, Street increased their lead when a cross from Palmer found Gale who slotted it home. The Farm began to regroup, but the first half ended 2-0. The second half was very different from the first. The Farm pushing Street back and looking for an opening. There were several late challenges from both sides and free kicks began being handed out like sweets. Yellow cards were much in evidence as players grappled to get the ball at times, the hard pitch making the bounce of the ball tricky and players judgment difficult. The Farm shot from every angle and distance but it was not until the 90th minute that they were rewarded when a Steve Mason corner was coolly headed in by Matt Thorne to make it 2-1. Now into time added on, Street were on the back foot and when The Farm had the ball they quickly moved forward. Street countered by battering it out or as far up the pitch as they could. You could feel the tension amongst the home supporters, worried that this game may well end as a draw. But for all their efforts, The Farm couldn't find a second goal and so the game ended 2-1 to the home team. A recent good run of results came to end against a team who played and looked much better than their league position. It is a familiar story with our own team. But the manager's job is never easy when players are not available for one reason or another and you are only able to sit one on the bench. It was noted in the programme that Street play better under floodlights. For The Farm, the sun always seems to bring out the best, so here's hoping that Devon on Saturday is warm and sunny for our penultimate game against Dawlish Town.You Can See Why
Sunny Devon it certainly wasn't with rain driving across the pitch and a wind to cut through the thickest clothing. Dawlish Town were looking to make sure that they took second spot in the table ahead of Willand and Frome but it was The Farm who made the opening strike. With the game just over a minute old, Brad Abraham was free but his shot went just over the bar. The Farm meant business and on five minutes a through ball from Dominic Graffagnino found Scott Feltham. It looked as though Scott's touch had taken it too far as he tried to round the keeper to his right, but he still managed to shoot the ball home to open the scoring. Dawlish though were not going to sit back and a minute later a shot hit the side netting of The Farm goal. Dawlish continued to pile on the pressure but The Farm stood their ground and in between threatened to score a second. It was from a corner on the half-hour mark that Dawlish equalised through a well taken header by number 6, Craig Fenner. The Farm came back and found openings in the Dawlish defence. On 39 minutes, Ben Hiscox was free in the penalty box. He was unable to control the ball, it bounced off the keeper and came to Brad Abraham. As the ball slid back to Hiscox, he was fouled and the referee blew for a penatly. Matt Thorne slid the ball into the bottom left hand corner to make it 1-2 at half time. The second half began with bookings. The Dawlish keeper, Ryan Draper and the number seven, Derek Fields were both booked. For a while it looked as though the game would degenerate. On 51 minutes, Dawlish were awarded a free kick, some five yards out on the right hand front edge of the box. But before the kick could be taken, the referee dashed off to the dugouts to have words. We all waited in the rain as the ref talked to the dugout and his assistant on that side. Eventually, the game resumed and the kick hit Graffagnino on the side to deflect it past Ali Hines, 2-2. Eight minutes later a ball from number 11, Dean Stevens straight to number 8, Adam Shearer who scored Dawlish's third. From the restart, Graffagnino passed it straight through to Troy Simpson. The keeper rushed out, but Simpson got there first and chipped the ball over the keeper, only to see it cleared off the line. The next five minutes saw a flurry of substitution activity from both sides and a fourth goal from Dawlish courtesy of Derek Fields. At 4-2 to the home team, the game was over but both teams were looking for more. The referee saved everyone from more rain and blew his whistle after one minute of added time. Dawlish Town brought on their number 12 Antony Lynch for the second half and this seemed to galvanise them. Maybe a good team talk at half time also helped, but it was certainly a different Dawlish who emerged to start the second half. Their performance showed just why they are second in the table and the result was exactly the same as the first one against them earlier in the season. We wish Dawlish well in their two cup finals.