Almondsbury 1 Yate Town U18 Blue 6
Brown 22, Everson 35 37, Roberts 58 65 78
Bristol Combination League Division 3
Sunday 15th December 2024
In-form winger Pete Roberts grabbed a second-half hat-trick as Yate Town U18 Blue rounded off the year in style with a 6-1 victory at Almondsbury in Division 3 of the Bristol U18 Football Combination League on Sunday afternoon.
The young Bluebells started the contest on the front foot, but Almondsbury looked dangerous on the break and Yate almost paid the price when a home forward shot wide after he was put through.
But with 22 minutes on the clock, the visitors had the lead. A long ball from goalkeeper Matt Crossley was brilliantly controlled by Pete Roberts, and he slid the ball through for winger Jayden Brown to roll the ball into the bottom corner for his fourth goal of the season.
Crossley, recalled in place of the unavailable Kalel Caswell, again had to be alert as he kept out a near-post effort just a couple of minutes later as Almondsbury sought a leveller, but two goals in two minutes turned the match firmly in the Bluebells favour. With 35 minutes played, midfielder Archie Morrison’s great work took him into the box, where he found Freddie Everson, and the striker half-volleyed home. And it was Everson who grabbed his second, and his side’s third, with superb finish from a tight angle after good work from Kris Olah and skipper Callum Rogers.
A 3-0 half-time lead allowed the coaching team to make use of the rolling subs allowed in this competition and give some players some important minutes in their legs, but it was winger Pete Roberts who stole the second-half show. He almost notched his first after 54 minutes, driving over when well placed, but when his first goal did arrive, in the 58th minute, it had a hint of good fortune around it. Yate won a free-kick on the right-hand side, and Roberts’ floated ball into the box eluded everyone and nestled into the top corner.
And it was soon five when, with 65 minutes played, Everson’s clever ball put Brown through. His initial effort was well-saved by the home goalkeeper, but Roberts was on-hand to tap home the rebound.
Almondsbury were still looking a threat on the break, but the home defence answered pretty much everything asked of them, with Dan Leary and Leyton Bath particularly dominant in the heart of the back four. Crossley still had to earn his keep in goal, coming off his line and diving bravely at forwards feet twice in the matter of minutes, but the goalkeeper was finally beaten with 77 minutes gone. A Yate Town player was adjudged to have held an opposing forward in the area, and the spot-kick was duly dispatched.
But there was still time for a sixth, and for Roberts to complete his hat-trick. Brown again found space on the left and danced past four Almondsbury tackles and into the box. The ball broke to Roberts at the far-post and his goal-bound effort was helped over the line by a home defender to give the winger his sixth goal of the season. Yate almost added a late seventh, but striker Cyprian Klawitter, returning from the bench after a long injury lay-off, couldn’t quite generate enough power into his header from Nasro Baghori’s excellent ball into the box.
The league now takes a break for the festive season, and Yate Town Blue return to action on Sunday 12th January with a trip to Ashton, with the team well-placed in third position and a with game in hand over the top two.
Starting XI: Matt Crossley; Sam North, Dan Leary, Leyton Bath, Harvey Cotter; Kris Olah, Ollie Barton; Luis Matthews, Callum Rogers, Pete Roberts; Freddie Everson.
Substitutes: Cyprian Klawitter, Nasro Baghori, Josh Miles, Archie Morrison, Jayden Brown.
Man of the Match: Pete Roberts.