Match Report
Yate score four to continue impressive run of form.
Yate Town 4 Bracknell Town 1
Zebroski 23, Burden og, 35, Evans 52, Ollis 77 | Amartey 50
Southern League Premier Division South
Saturday 22nd November 2025
On a cold and dank afternoon, Yate Town continued their much-improved form, with an empathetic win against a Bracknell side who were undefeated in their last four league games. Before kick-off there was a minute’s silence for former Yate Town player and manager, Martin Durnell who passed away recently.
Yate Town manager, Darren Mullings, started with the same team that won at Uxbridge the previous Saturday, with the exception of injured Omar Taylor-Clarke, with Matt Britton starting.
After 8 minutes the game was stopped for a minute’s applause following the sad loss of young Ezra Guest, and this was a fitting moment of reflection for all at the game, number 8 being the shirt number of Yate Town captain, Joe Guest.
It did not take long for the Bluebells to start threatening the visitors goal and a good move involving Oli Jenkins, Chris Zebroski and Lucas Tomlinson, saw Tomlinson’s effort blocked, setting the scene for much of the first half. A Corey Evans cross was headed wide by James Ollis, Evans saw his shot deflected wide and then he brought a fine save from Bracknell goalkeeper, Zaki Oualah.
The Bluebells took the lead after 23 minutes. Tomlinson was fouled and from the free kick, taken by Lloyd James, Matt Britton headed back across goal for Chris Zebroski to shoot home.
Above, Matt Britton heads Lloyd James’ free kick across goal, and below, Chris Zebroski scores.
Despite Bracknell’s effort to get back into the game, which saw George Knight’s 20-yard effort well blocked by the home defence, on 35 minutes, Yate extended their lead, when following another free kick, for a foul on Oli Jenkins, Lucas Tomlinson’s free kick ended up in the Bracknell net coming off defender Ethan Burden.
Bracknell defender, Ethan Burden (right), is unfortunate as the ball comes off goalkeeper Zaki Oualah and rebounds off him and ends up in the net.
The second half was only five minutes old, when, following a corner from the right, taken by Bracknell captain, Seb Bowerman, George Knight’s powerful header was flicked into the net by Francis Amartey.
With their tails up Bracknell must have hoped that they could level the scores but Corey Evans had different ideas as he found space outside the box and unleashed an unstoppable shot off the underside of the crossbar and into the net to regain Yate Town’s two goal advantage.
Corey Evans strike that puts Yate Town 3-1 up.
Bracknell had a period of possession as they looked to get a goal back, but with Will Larvin outstanding in the Yate defence, Bracknell found it difficult to create chances.
After 72 minutes Jack McDowell’s header back to Oualah was intercepted by James Ollis, whose header hit the bar, but Ollis reacted quickest to force the ball home to score his first goal for the club.
James Ollis scores his first goal for Yate Town.
With the drizzle getting worse there was more action, as with two minutes remaining, Jack McDowell was sent off after he had fouled substitute Charlie White on the edge of the penalty area, as he broke clear, and from the resultant free kick, White hit the bar.
The Bluebells have now taken 10 points form their last four games and have moved up to 13th in the table after taking just 10 points from their opening 13 league fixtures. The Southern League Premier Division South is a very competitive league and the table is very tight but these last few results have put the club into mid-table, as Yate Town are now finding their feet at Step 3, after a slow start.
Next up they play again on Tuesday evening when Basingstoke are the visitors to the South West Interiors Stadium.
Yate Town: Sainsbury, Jenkins, Larvin, Hooper, Bennett, Britton, James, Tomlinson (Mannings 71), Zebroski (Jackson 62), Ollis (Taylor 81), Evans (White 86)
Unused subs: Ball
Bookings: Jenkins (30), Bennett (65)
Bracknell: Oualah, Burden, McDowell, McCann, Herbert (George (24), Esprit, Bowerman, Hutchinson (Knight 24), Amartey (Grant 68), Kennedy, Alfa
Unused subs: McGregor, Franklin
Booked: Bowerman (61)
Sent off: McDowell (88)
Attendance: 341
Referee: Ollie Taylor
Photographs by Aaron Norman
Yate Town Player of the Match: Lloyd James
