Bridgwater United 3 Brixham 2

Toolstation Western League Premier

August 1^st 2023

LATE GOALS TURNAROUND

United sit happily at the top of the league after a couple of games but they were made to work much harder by newly promoted Brixham than by beleaguered Millbrook. That wasn’t too much of a surprise because Brixham will still be enjoying the “bounce” from a very strong season in 2022/23 and they had held Falmouth to a draw in their first outing.

Despite playing an attractive brand of football, the Robins were facing the prospect of a home defeat until two goals in the last 10 minutes transformed the scene. How had they got into this predicament? Two mistakes equated to two Brixham goals. The visitors were pre-occupied with defending for large parts of the game but they took their chances when they came.

Most unusually, Jacob Spence’s misjudgment allowed Josh Parry to run goalwards and he carefully slipped the ball into the only space not covered by Ollie Saunders’ dive. For the second goal, a free kick was needlessly conceded. When the ball was swung in from the right a Brixham header flicked off a United player and trickled into the goal. Saunders looked to have it covered until the deflection.

Before the first goal, United had seemed to be building a head of steam. The lively George King had intercepted a loose pass, run on and produced a save from Kitson Glanvill and he had crashed another one a foot too high. Ethan Feltham rose well to connect with a left wing cross but sent it over. Another King shot bobbled in the arms of Glanvill but he regained control before Jack Taylor could intervene.

The first Brixham goal then came out of the blue but United soon atoned for it. The terrific Harry Horton accepted the ball 25 yards out, moved it on a bit, and then directed a low left footed shot unerringly into the bottom right corner of the net.

Half time – United 1 Brixham 1

The Robins came out bristling with vim and vigour for the second half and again took the contest to the Fishermen. From a cleverly worked short corner routine Tom Llewellyn sidefooted the ball against the left post but Brixham’s captain Kieron Parkin would have scored had it not been for Spence throwing himself in the way of his shot.The second Brixham goal came next and the gauntlet was thrown down.  

United were still moving the ball around very nicely but the final ball into the box was mostly reaching Brixham’s redoubtable defenders rather than the Robins’ goal thirsty strikers. A Horton run led to a Taylor shot held by Glanvill but with the last 15 minutes approaching the visitors were looking like they could hold out.

United emptied their subs bench and being able to bring on high quality fresh legs no doubt helped. The amazingly quick footed and quick witted Jack Thorne looked like he had scored with a low drive but Glanvill saved well to his left. Thorne wouldn’t be denied for long. He it was who got his head onto an inswinging Jake Llewellyn corner kick and it was back to 2-2.

In the next attack the Robins took the lead for the first time. Spence pinged an enormous, exquisite,diagonal pass from deep in defence to the marauding Dave Thorne on the right. He judged his cross perfectly and the predatory Adam Wright had an easy job to convert from a few yards. An excellent team goal.

Brixham now had to change their mindset and become an attacking team and they had one more chance. Parry had been a threat throughout and he was homing in on goal until Jake Llewellyn somehow wrapped his foot around the ball and rescued the situation. He and Horton were perhaps the game’s top performers.

There were 8 minutes added on at the end of the 90 and in the first one Dave Thorne found himself  all alone in the box but his shot from a pass by Morgan Williams was high and wide. 4-2 would have looked good but it would have been a bit harsh on the visitors.

This was a rattling good entertainment , although not without peril. The high quality of the Robins’ approach play and unstinting effort was there for all to see. All that’s needed is to cut out those errors!

United – Saunders, D Thorne, J Llewellyn, Edwards, Spence, King (Williams 69), Horton, T Llewellyn (Quick 90+1), Taylor (Towler 79), J Thorne ( Armstrong 88), Feltham (Wright 77).

Brixham – Glanvill, Robinson, Fuller, Beattie, Howarth, Adderley, Dandridge, Johansen, Parkin, Wellington, Parry. Subs Harford, Keats, Mortimore, Aldous, Maslen.

Attendance -412