Yate Town 1 Bristol Manor Farm 1
Guest 69 Robbins 18
Southern League Division One South
Thursday 26th December 2024
In front of Yate Town’s second highest crowd of the season, these two teams produced an intriguing encountered which in the end saw honours even despite Yate Town dominating much of the second half.
Yate Town manager, Darren Mullings, originally kept faith with the same side that beat Helston Athletic the previous Saturday but, in the warm-up, Marlon Jackson aggravated a previous injury and Ross Stearn took his place to lead the line, with Nuno Felix added to the bench.
Part of the crowd at the Boxing Day game prior to kick-off.
The opening exchanges saw a couple of early long-range efforts from James Byrne and Lucas Tomlinson clear the crossbar and when a free kick, following a foul on James Byrne, saw Ross Stearn’s effort blocked, the ball was eventually worked to Lloyd James whose shot from the edge of the area was just wide of the post.
However, two minutes later Bristol Manor Farm won a free kick about 40 yards from goal, and George Dowling’s sent the ball into the Yate penalty area where home goalkeeper, Aaron Sainsbury punched the ball out to the edge of the penalty area and Aaron Robbins saw his chance with the goalkeeper off his line and headed the ball over everyone and into the empty net to put the visitors in front in the 18th minute.
Yate, still looking to get into their normal rhythm and put pressure on the Bristol Manor Farm goal, had to work hard to find openings. After 27 minutes a fine cross from Lloyd James saw Ross Stearn head just wide at the far post and after Ross Staley had been fouled, three minutes before half-time, James took the free kick from the left side of the penalty area and with his shot heading for the far corner Bristol Manor Farm goalkeeper, Seth Locke, pulled off a fine save to tip the ball over the crossbar for a corner.
On the stroke of half-time Evander Grubb shot well over from outside the penalty area but apart from their goal the visitors had posed little threat to the home goal, despite showing signs of quality on occasions.
The second half started with Yate Town starting to gain more possession but following a good run after 51 minutes from George Dowling his shot from 25 yards was narrowly wide but this was the last real threat from the visitors as Yate started to exert more pressure on Bristol Manor Farm but whose well organised defence was still hard to break down. After 53 minutes Ollie Dewsbury found a bit of space and his turn and shot from the edge of the area went straight at Seth Locke. Ross Staley then beat a couple of players but collided with a defender but the referee waved play on with Staley injured on the edge of the Bristol Manor Farm penalty area and, after lengthy treatment, the full back was able to resume but was replaced shortly afterwards with Stan Wyatt coming on and James Byrne reverting to left back.
And it was not long afterwards that the Bluebells won a corner and this was swung over from the right by Lloyd James and caused confusion in the Bristol Manor Farm six-yard box before Yate Town captain, Joe Guest, forced the ball over the time to draw the teams level.
Three minutes later Ollie Dewsbury cut in from the left and his right footed shot from the edge of the penalty area was heading for the top corner when Seth Locke produced an outstanding save, probably the best seen at the South West Interiors Stadium this season, to push the ball away to safety.
As Yate town searched for a winner Lucas Tomlinson appeared to be brought down in the penalty area but referee Adam Wilson, waved play on and George Dowling’s effort from a free kick was well over the crossbar in a rear effort for the visitors.
With the clock ticking down towards added time, of which there were six minutes, Ross Stearn did well on the right as he weaved his way into the penalty area and his cross was met by Ollie Dewsbury but defected inches wide of the far post.
This local derby was always going to be a tight affair with the visitors just outside the play-off places and looking to push on but for Yate Town, they showed great character in the second half and tried to play the type of flowing football that has become synonymous of them this season, despite the sticky pitch, and remain at the top of the table with just over half the league season now completed.
This was a game that kept the crowd of 785 entertained right to the end and both teams will be looking to secure their objective of promotion come the end of the season. Yate Town now travel to Bishops Cleeve on Saturday before two home games in the first two Saturdays of 2025 when Bashley and Willand Rovers are the visitors to the South West Interiors Stadium.
Yate Town: Sainsbury, Taylor (Christopher 80), Staley (Wyatt 68), Hall, Larvin (Dempsey 55), James, Byrne, Guest, Stearn, Tomlinson, Dewsbury (Jeremy 89)
Unused sub: Felix
Bookings: Hall (80)
Bristol Manor Farm: Locke, Winter, Robbins, Adams, Lucas, Grubb (Bissett 65), Dowling, Britton, Dodimead (Sulley 76), Spence, Sama (Howe 80)
Unused subs: Bament, John
Bookings: Sama (34), Dowling (67)
Referee: Adam Wilson
Attendance: 785
Yate Town Man of the Match: Lloyd James with sponsors Tom Harris from Tom Harris Building Services Limited.
Below: Lloyd James, Yate Town Commercial Manager, Stewart Thomas, Mayor of Yate Town - Ben Nutland (who was a guest of the Leach family) and Harry Leach, from the other sponsors, Trashman Clearance, who made the presentation to Lloyd.
