WebsiteSponsorsJCFlooring

BSFC 2-1 Coggeshall Town Match Report

Bishop’s Stortford 2-1 Coggeshall Town Match Report 6/8/21

 

Bishop’s Stortford’s final pre-season ended in victory over Coggeshall Town. The Blues won 2-1 with goals from Frankie Merrifield and Ryan Henshaw.

 

Aaron Greene sent in an early cross from the left, but it was too close to the near post and the goalkeeper claimed it. The visitors got into the game as their #10 volleyed from the edge of the box and saw his effort hit the corner of post and bar. Jonny Giles was a threat from set pieces throughout the match, and his first corner of the match was a brilliant inswinger towards the keeper, but too close to him and he caught it. Merrifield received the ball on the edge of the box in the next attack, after some clever wing play from Giles, but the shot was wide. Another dangerous cross from Greene was punched away by the keeper, before Giles’ cross from the opposite side was headed clear. A brilliant last ditch tackle by Anthony Church – deputising in defence – denied the Coggeshall #11 the chance to shoot in the box. Merrifield opened the scoring when his penalty had been saved, after a foul by the goalkeeper, but he followed in quickly to convert the rebound. Both Jake Cass and Merrifield missed from close range from Giles’ cross soon after when it looked easier to score, before the visitors’ best chance to equalise, when #10 beat three defenders in the box but fired over the bar from six yards out when it looked easier to score.

 

HT 1-0

 

Giddens was called into action early in the second half, down quickly to his right to deny #4, before Cass was flagged offside as he was about to try at goal from Merrifield’s pass. Captain Henshaw doubled the lead with a powerful header from Giles’ cross, with the keeper beaten to his right despite a full length dive. The Seedgrowers’ made a powerful run down the left past Pat Sankey, cut inside but shot off target, before some sloppy goalkeeping as the ball slipped through the gloves and behind for a corner from Giles’ long range effort. From the corner, Merrifield flicked it on at the front post and Henshaw miscued wide, before a neat lay-off by Joe Gardner to Cass, but he was tackled before he could shoot. Cass volleyed wide from Merrifield’s cross, before Coggeshall won a penalty when Church fouled #10, who stepped up and saw his spot kick saved, but managed to convert at the second time of asking. Henshaw had a brace of shots blocked from the edge of the box, before Cass forced the keeper into two smart saves as the Blues pushed for a third. At the other end, Giddens produced a brilliant low save from close range to deny the equaliser from #10.

 

The Blues’ Pitching In Isthmian League Premier Division campaign begins on 14 August away to Bognor Regis Town, before hosting Kingstonian on 21 August.

 

TEAMS

Blues XI

1 Jack Giddens

2 Joe Gardner

3 Archie Edwards

4 Jack Thomas

5 Anthony Church

6 Ryan Henshaw (c) (Goal 57’)

7 Jonny Giles

8 Archie Jones (Sub Allum 73’)

9 Jake Cass

10 Frankie Merrifield (Goal pen 26’)

11 Aaron Greene (Sub Sankey 61’)

Subs

18 Charlie Allum

20 Pat Sankey