Bemerton 2 Yate Town 1
Smith (44, 77) Tomlinson (17)
Southern League Division One South
Saturday 14th December 2024
It was the form side against the top of the table side and it was the form side that came out on top in this encounter as Yate Town suffered their third League defeat of the season and Bemerton continued their climb up the table.
Yate Town manager, Darren Mullings, kept the same side that won 4-0 at Shaftesbury Town on Tuesday evening, and after dominating the opening half hour and going in front, this was a game that then saw the home side dominate much of the second half.
Yate Town got off to a quick start and James Taylor and Lucas Tomlinson combined well on the right but Tomlinson’s cross to the far post was eventually cleared and on 6 minutes Ollie Dewsbury fed James Byrne whose shot was blocked.
James Taylor crossing the ball.
Bemerton then got into the game and Leighton Young Thomas and Joe Smith combined with Smith’s shot being blocked and from the corner Bradley Watts fired over. Aaron Sainsbury was called into action to save comfortably from Joe Smith but after 17 minutes Yate Town won a free kick on the edge of the Bemerton penalty area, in a central position, after James Taylor had been fouled. Lucas Tomlinson’s effort went through the wall and with Jonathan Hill in the home goal partially unsighted the ball slipped from his grasp and the visitors were in front, be it rather fortuitously.
Goal scorer Lucas Tomlinson in action during the first half.
Yate looked to extend their lead and a free kick on the left, taken by Ross Staley ended with James Byrne heading straight a Hill and a 70-yard dash from Will Larvin was eventually snuffed out on the edge of the Bemerton penalty area and cleared.
Full back Ross Staley crossing the ball in the first half.
Aaron Sainsbury dealt easily with Leighton Young Thomas’ shot from an acute angle and Yate looked comfortable as the clock clicked down to half time. But with a minute to go Ollie Balmer was fouled on the left-hand side but the ball was played to Joe Smith on the left wing. Much to the annoyance of the home team the referee did not play advantage and brought play back for the free kick. These two players then combined and Balmer’s free kick was not cleared by the usually reliable Yate Town defence and Joe Smith was able to level the scores after a bit of head tennis in the penalty area.
After the interval Yate started brightly but Marlon Jackson’s header was off target when he was well placed. Just after the hour mark there were a number of bookings and with the home side becoming more dominant Darren Mullings shuffled the pack with some substitutions to try to turn the tide but Bemerton continued to have more of the ball and after 72 minutes Balmer shot straight at Sainsbury from close range and another good chance was headed just over the crossbar following a Balmer free kick.
With Yate Town giving away a few free kicks in dangerous positions Bemerton took the lead when no defender took control of the situation as the ball came across the goal from a free kick on the left and Joe Smith gleefully accepted the chance close in at the far post.
A couple of minutes later, another free kick saw Leighton Young Thomas slide into Aaron Sainsbury as he attempted to challenge for the ball, and referee Oscar Whiting had no hesitation in sending off the Bemerton forward. Bemerton were then determined to hang onto their lead and brough off Smith for defender Callum Corbridge but apart from a scuffed effort from Ross Stearn, Hill was not troubled but Bradley Watts managed to force Aaron Sainsbury in to a good save before the final whistle.
This was a disappointing result for the Bluebells who now have two home games, against Helston Athletic on 21st December and Bristol Manor Farm on Boxing Day to look to regain their excellent for in the first three months of the season.
Bemerton: Hill, Brackley, Waters, Higgins, Cocklin, Rayfield, Panesar-Dower, Burden, Young-Thomas, Balmer (Clancy 75), Smith (Corbridge 78) Unused subs: Loot, Perrett
Bookings: Rayfield, Burden (67)
Yate Town: Sainsbury, Taylor, Staley (Christopher 68), Hall, Larvin, James, Byrne (Stearn 68), Guest, Jackson, Tomlinson (Jeremy 82), Dewsbury (Wyatt 68) Unused sub: Dempsey
Bookings: Byrne (61) Dewsbury (67) Guest (67), Larvin (76), Jeremy (90+4)
Attendance: 119 Referee: Oscar Whiting
Photos by Aaron Norman.