Mangotsfield Utd 3 Yate Town Blue 5 Rogers 21 pen, Cotter 21, Brown 44 80 pen, Roberts 85 Bristol Combination League Division 3 Sunday 29th September 2024
Yate Town Blue secured their second consecutive win to maintain their 100% start to the season at local rivals Mangotsfield Utd.
The Bluebells were quickest out of the blocks and took control of the contest early on, testing the home defence on several occasions without ever really troubling the goalkeeper. However, it was the hosts that took an early lead, their forward breaking the offside-trap and hitting the ball into the bottom corner.
When the deserved equaliser came in the 21st minute, it was from the spot. Striker Jayden Brown worked his way into the box before being unceremoniously taken down, and skipper Callum Rogers stepped up to stroke the resulting penalty home.
Harvey Cotter gave the Bluebells the lead in the 39th minute, turning the ball home after a free-kick was only half-cleared, and Brown extended the lead on the stroke of half-time with a bit of a gift after the home goalkeeper failed to collect the ball.
The 3-1 half-time lead was the least that the young Yate Town team deserved, but it was a different story after half-time, as Mangotsfield started to take hold of the game thanks to some sloppy Yate Town play and a loss of shape in the middle.
Two quickfire strikes saw Mangotsfield eradicate the Bluebells’ lead, and it could have been worse after a shot rattled Matt Crossley’s bar. But this was the wake-up call that Yate needed and they began to re-assert themselves, with sub–Tristan Base adding some much-needed bite in midfield, and wingers Peter Roberts and Luis Matthews looking threatening.
Yate Town reclaimed the advantage in the 80th minute with another penalty; this time Brown grabbed his second of the day, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, and the win was wrapped up with five minutes to go. Pete Roberts latched onto to full-back Archie Stanton’s through-ball and strode into the box before finishing smartly.
The young Bluebells made hard work of a match they should have won comfortably, but they stuck to their task and worked hard to ensure the win, epitomised by left-back Logan Briggs, who put in a Man of the Match performance despite playing through the pain barrier.
Yate Town Blue resume their Division 3 campaign next Sunday as they host fellow high-flyers and near neighbours St Nicholas.
Yate Town Blue: Matt Crossley; Archie Stanton, Dan Leary, Sam North, Logan Briggs; Ollie Barton, Callum Rogers; Pete Roberts, Harvey Cotter, Luis Matthews; Jayden Brown. subs: Ed Davis, Tristan Base, Nasro Baghori.
Man of the Match: Logan Briggs.