Bowers & Pitsea 1-3 BSFC Match Report
Bowers & Pitsea 1-3 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report 27/12/21
Bishop’s Stortford rounded off 2021 with a 1-3 win at Bowers & Pitsea. The Blues bounced back from exiting the FA Trophy on penalties against Cheshunt before Christmas, with Chris Harris, Frankie Merrifield – making his 100th Blues appearance – and Jonny Giles scoring the goals against the side that knocked Stortford out of the FA Cup in September. The Blues are now unbeaten in 13 matches in the league, and 17 matches in all competitions inside 90 minutes.
Harris volleyed wide of goal after a Giles free kick was initially headed away, Ben Steward’s low cross was intercepted by Merrifield – deputising in midfield due to a number of absences – and cleared the danger. Ryan Henshaw could only head wide from the centre of the box from Giles left wing corner and Ben Marlow fired wide from Ryan Charles’ lay off from 30 yards. Harris hit the back of the net before the break with a beautifully placed finish, Charles won the ball back in the Bowers half and dribbled down the right wing, he cut back and laid it off to the striker on the edge of the box, who caressed the ball home first time with a side-footed strike to give the Blues the lead. Harris nearly repaid the favour of an assist back to Charles, nodding Giles free kick back across goal to ‘Spider’, but Mitchell Beeney made the save from his header. After a relatively comfortable half in front of goal – the one he conceded was not his mistake – Beeney had a moment to forget, with his attempted clearance outside the penalty area only going straight up in the air. Foxley brought it down and dribbled towards goal, but a defender came across and blocked a low shot on the stroke of half time.
HT 0-1
Charles saw his low shot saved well by Beeney from 25 yards, and Darren Foxley made a smart turn to shoot at goal, but Beeney made the save at head height. Merrifield soon doubled the lead, when Foxley’s cross came into Harris, he laid it off to the ‘midfielder’ who fired a rocket into the top corner. Giles’ free kick from the left landed on Henshaw’s head but he couldn’t find the target, before Gils himself shot over the bar when he cut in off the right wing. Chances for Bowers were few and far between throughout the match, but one of the best fell to Dan Trendall, with an overhead kick attempt from a left wing cross but he couldn’t find the target. Charles cut in off the right and delivered a beautifully flighted cross to the back post where Foxley was running in, but his side-footed volley effort looped over the bar from close range. Harris made a run on the left wing, brilliantly beat the offside trap and cut the ball back from the touchline to Giles in the middle, but he fired straight at Beeney who punched away. Giles did eventually get on the scoresheet, he brought the ball down from a Jack Giddens clearance with a graceful first touch, shrugged off two defenders and rifled the ball into the bottom right corner from outside the box. The Blues failed to keep a clean sheet though, with Max Cornhill stabbing home from close range after a goalmouth scramble following a corner.
FT 1-3
The Blues return home on New Year’s Day to host Cheshunt in the Pitching In Isthmian League Premier Division.
TEAMS
Bowers & Pitsea XI
1 Mitchell Beeney
4 Ben Steward
7 Quentin Monville
9 Bradley Sach (Sub Manor 59’)
12 George Wind
15 Danny Norton (Yellow card 11’) (Sub Cornhill 59’)
16 Jamie Dicks (Yellow card 42’)
17 Dan Trendall
18 Michael Ademiluyi
19 Luca Albon (Sub Singh 85’)
20 James White (c)
Subs
3 Eduino Vaz
5 Max Cornhill (Goal 90’)
11 Lewis Manor
13 Harry Fairs
14 Toch Singh
Blues XI
1 Jack Giddens
5 Sam Robbins
6 Ryan Henshaw (c)
7 Jonny Giles (Goal 81’) (Sub Baker 84’)
8 Ben Marlow (Sub Allum 87’)
9 Chris Harris (Goal 35’)
10 Frankie Merrifield (Goal 53’)
11 Johnville Renee
14 Darren Foxley
15 Ryan Charles
19 Billy Cracknell
Subs
12 Ashley Merritt
13 Toby Bird
16 Charlie Allum
17 Jimmy Wallace
20 James Baker
Attendance 384
By Hamish Arnold
