Bishop’s Stortford 5-0 Brightlingsea Regent Match Report
Bishop’s Stortford 5-0 Brightlingsea Regent Match Report 15/1/22
Bishop’s Stortford completed their first league double of the season with a 5-0 drubbing at home to Brightlingsea Regent. After a 1-4 win in the reverse fixture, the Rs were condemned to a fourth straight defeat while the Blues bounced back from their loss last time out, which ended an unbeaten run of 14 league games.
The visitors had the first shot of the match inside the first minute, with Dom Locke volleying wide from Billy Cracknell’s clearance. But from then on it was one way traffic in the first half, Darren Foxley’s free kick was saved by Charlie Turner, before Ryan Charles broke the deadlock for the Blues. He reacted quickly to volley home in the second phase following a free kick on the right wing. Jonny Giles broke through the Brightlingsea defence but his chip shot went just over the bar. But Blues fans weren’t waiting long for a second goal, with Foxley curling home a beautiful shot into the top left corner from 25 yards. Foxley nearly got his second soon after, when a Blues corner was half cleared to the winger on the edge of the box, but his first time shot went high. Giles danced through three tackles but his low shot went narrowly wide, with Turner beaten despite a full length dive. Jack Giddens was required to make a save in first half injury time, getting down to his left to deny Aaron Blair, before a low cross by Giles was begging for a tap in across the face of goal, with Johnville Renee only able to bundle the ball wide at the far post.
HT 2-0
Ben Marlow half-volleyed narrowly wide at the start of the second half, before Giddens made a great save to parry Connor Barmby’s shot from a tight angle, and he fired the rebound wide. Giles saw a low shot blocked by Zack Littlejohn, before Brightlingsea were able to build some pressure with three successive corners, but Jack Giddens made two saves and Littlejohn headed wide. Chris Harris was introduced and scored nine minutes later, from a right wing cross, Foxley laid the ball off to him and the striker side-footed into the left side of the net with a first time strike. Giles continued to cross to the strikers, but the hard working Frankie Merrifield was unable to hit the back of the net. Jimmy Wallace came off the bench and netted his first Blues goal with his first touch stabbing home from close range as Merrifield flicked on Giles’ corner at the near post. And after being a consistent creator, Giles got his name on the scoresheet, after spotting Turner off his line, he chipped a beauty over his head from 30 yards out. The Blues could have added more goals, but Foxley fired over the bar from a tight angle, and Marlow saw his shot blocked.
FT 5-0
The Blues are back at home on Saturday 22 January to East Thurrock United, before Bognor Regis Town are the visitors on Tuesday 25 January.
TEAMS
Blues XI
1 Jack Giddens
4 Anthony Church (Thomas 68′)
5 Sam Robbins ©
7 Jonny Giles (Goal 83′)
8 Ben Marlow
10 Frankie Merrifield
11 Johnville Renee
14 Darren Foxley (Goal 33′)
15 Ryan Charles (Goal 20′) (Harris 56′)
17 Mark Haines (Wallace 78′)
19 Billy Cracknell
Subs
6 Jimmy Wallace (Goal 79′)
9 Chris Harris (Goal 65′)
12 Jack Thomas
16 Archie Jones
Brightlingsea Regent XI
1 Charlie Turner
2 Theo Osinfolarin (George 46′)
3 Chris Gregan
4 Charlie Durling
5 Chris Ribchester ©
6 Zack Littlejohn
7 Connor Barmby
8 Kane Gilbert (Bell 46′)
9 Aaron Blair
10 Dom Locke (Yellow card 76′)
11 Valter Cachicote Da Rocha
Subs
12 Andy George
14 Ollie Bell
15 Samuel Bruce
16 Alfie Cowell
17 Brett Munyard