Yate Town 3 Bashley 1
Guest 33, Stearn pen 35, Dewsbury 61 Samadi 9
Southern League Division One South
Saturday 4th January 2025
Two goals in two minutes, just after the half hour mark, from top of the table Yate Town, turned this game on its head after Bashley had taken the lead through Kyran Samadi in the 9th minute and dominated the first 30 minutes.
Yate Town manager, Darren Mullings, brought back Ollie Dewsbury in place of Stan Wyatt, this being the only change from the side that won at Bishops Cleeve the previous Saturday.
The visitors started brightly and dominated possession and with their high press, in the opening minutes, and there were just 9 minutes on the clock when Bashley went ahead after Kyran Samadi took advantage of hesitation in the home defence and with Yate Town unable to clear the ball effectively, Samadi pounced to slot the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Bashley continued to dominate possession and a curling shot from Luke Delaney, from outside the penalty area, brought a fine save from Aaron Sainsbury in the home goal, as he tipped the ball over the crossbar at full stretch.
First half goal mouth action as Ollie Dewsbury challenges Bashley goalkeeper Mack Allen for the ball.
With just over half an hour on the clock and Yate Town unable to get into the game a good break by Lucas Tomlinson down the right ended up with Joe Guest’s acrobatic volley at the far post beating Bashley goalkeeper, Mack Allen, to level the scores.
Joe Guest equalises with this volley.
And the game was turned on its head when a minute later Ollie Dewsbury was fouled in the penalty area and Ross Stearn coolly slotted home the resultant penalty to put the Bluebells into the lead and the momentum of the game had suddenly swung in the home side’s favour.
Ross Stearn scores from the penalty spot to put the Bluebells 2-1 in front.
With the second half only a couple of minutes old Ollie Dewsbury cut in from the left and his right footed shot came back off the far post. Three minutes later Bashley had a great chance to equalise when Scott Bungay dragged his shot wide of the far post after Bashley gained possession just outside the Yate penalty area.
James Byrne brough a fine save from Allen and Joe Guest went close from a cross by James Taylor. Yate Town made the game safe just after an hour when Ollie Dewsbury intercepted a back pass 25 yards from goal and then took his time to calmly slide the ball home.
Will Christopher was just wide with a 25-yard shot after 72 minutes and Lloyd James then brough another good save from Mack Allen.
Both sides made changes and few chances were created in the last 15 minutes of the game apart from a Stan Wyatt shot straight at Mack Allen in the third minute of added time and Aaron Sainsbury had to save a free kick from distance that went straight at him.
Although not at their best for the opening period Yate Town showed their resilience as they overcame a Bashley side that started very strongly and did not come just to defend, as has been seen this season, by some opposing sides at the South West Interiors Stadium.
The Bluebells are home again next Saturday when they entertain Willand Rovers.
Yate Town: Sainsbury, Taylor Christopher, Hall, Dempsey, James, Byrne, Guest (Staley 68), Stearn (Wyatt 79), Tomlinson, Dewsbury
Unused sub: Hillier, Larvin, Felix
Bookings: Guest (18)
Bashley: Allen, Bertrand, Webber, Walker, Samadi (Bradford 78), Arnold (Williams 78), Bungay, Holmes, Ross, Delaney, Walster (Baughan 54)
Unused subs: Elwick, Wooding
Booking: Delaney (15)
Referee: Craig Scriven
Attendance: 318
Yate Town Man of the Match: Dan Dempsey - with SGS student Harvey Maggs.
