Yate Town U18 Blue 2 Westbury Park 3
Cotter 42, Brown 63
Bristol U18 Football Combination League Division 3
Sunday 30th March 2025
Yate Town U18 Blue’s title hopes are all but over after they suffered late heartbreak against leaders Westbury Park.
The visitors took an early lead, and, despite being reduced to ten men, doubled their advantage with 40 minutes played.
But the young Bluebells, missing four key players, dragged themselves back into the game just before half-time, Man of the Match Harvey Cotter firing home after Drew Dracup had done well to hold the ball up.
Yate came out with renewed vigour after the break, and hauled themselves level just after the hour mark. Archie Morrison's inch-perfect through ball released Jayden Brown on the right, and he skipped past two challenges before firing his sixth of the season in off the post.
From then, it looked like there could only be one winner, so dominant were the gone team. They appeared to have taken the lead in the 67th minute, but Cotter's effort was adjudged not to have crossed the line, despite appearing to do so.
Chances came and went, and it looked as though Yate would have to settle for a point, but they were left empty handed. A Westbury effort from a corner was brilliantly saved by Kalel Caswell, but Yate couldn't clear and the visiting striker turned the ball home.
U18 Blue have one fixture remaining, away at Almondsbury United, where they will hope to finish on a high. Their mathematical chances of the title are not over but it would take significant slip-ups from other teams around the top of the table.
Starting XI: Kalel Caswell; Archie Stanton, Sam North, Dan Leary, Logan Briggs; Archie Morrison, Ollie Barton; Pete Roberts, Harvey Cotter, Jayden Brown; Ethan Matthews
Substitutes: Finlay Jouxson, Drew Dracup.
Man of the Match: Harvey Cotter.