Lloyd Utd 1
Real 1
A late penalty from Smithy secured a 1-1 draw away at Lloyd in what was a well contested game. A change in formation was played with 4-5-1 being selected. This was a 4-3-3 when in possession of the ball. This was enforced to try and overpower them in the middle of midfield and allowed us to have more men across the midfield on a very wide pitch.
However in the first half Real just could not get on the ball, failing to string together more than 2 or 3 passes at a time.
The Lloyd United side were playing the ball around at ease, being given far too much time on the ball. Midway through the first half they took a deserved lead. They worked the ball well down the right and crossed the ball for the advancing midfield man who headed home despite being put under pressure by the advancing Andy in goal. Real responded but could not really create anything when working their way into the final third. The closest we perhaps came was when Matt Steele was headed over from a Herbert cross and Jordan saw a shot flash wide of the post.
Half Time – Lloyd United 1 v 0 Real Bristol
Real lined up for the second half with debutant Shane Douglas now in the middle of midfield with Jason and Jordan. He had replaced Ashley Nixon 5 minutes before the break as Ashley picked up an injury to his thigh.
Real, having received a few chosen words from the Gaffer, started the second half a lot brighter. Tackles continued to fly in from both sets of players and there were chances at both ends. Real Bristol were applying more of the pressure as they continued to search for an equaliser. Jordan again shot wide and there were some dangerous balls into the box but the Lloyd defenders continued to shut us out.
Shane Douglas got in behind their defence on around 70 mins and picked out Jordan at the back post but the skipper somehow failed to find the net when sliding to meet the ball just inside the 6 yard box. Although there were not that many clear cut chances Real were looking more and more like scoring as the second half progressed and we were just hoping it was just a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’. As we continued to hunt for the equaliser we had to be careful we did not concede again but with some excellent defending and a notable save from Andy we looked capable of keeping them out for the remainder of the game.
Rusty had come on after around 60 minutes to replace Aaron at centre-back and the third and final substitution (on 75 mins) saw Smithy come on to replace Herbert with the manager going to a 3-5-2 formation (pretty much a 3-3-4 when having possession as Dicky and Smithy encouraged to join attack). This was The Gaffers final throw of the dice. Would it be enough?
Despite many attacks it did not look like being our day. In the 88th minute the impressive Shane Douglas put a great ball through to Browner who raced onto it but was brought down when just about to enter the box. The free kick was taken and when only half cleared the ball remained in their final third. With just a couple of minutes remaining and all but 2 players in their box for the set piece(s) being taken the ball found it’s way between JB and a Lloyd defender. JB got his foot to it first and was brought down by the defender. Penalty!
Smithy showed a cool head to send the keeper the wrong was and Real were level. A deserved equaliser. Injury time was played out with no chances of note.
Full Time – Lloyd United 1 v 1 Real Bristol
Players Ratings
Andy 7
Did well. Made some decent saves and not at fault for their goal.
JB 8
Was going to be Man-Of-The-Match but pipped by Palmer. But he had a great game and won the penalty for us. Top Man!
Aaron 7
Decent game by Aaron. Continues to look better as he gets more game time.
Palmer 8
Man-Of-The-Match (again). Solid as a rock. Organised the defence well..
Herbert 6
Caught out a few times in the first half when defending but looked good when on the ball, as always.
Ashley Nixon 6
Came off injured after 40mins but did ok up until then. Didn’t quite offer protection was looking for but he did take the ball off of his defence well.
Jason Steele 7
Another good game from Jason. Worked hard and in the second half he kept possession excellently.
Captain 7
Unusually quiet first half but impressive second half. Rallied the troops well and got stuck in. On another day may have found himself on the score sheet!
Browner 7
Given a hard task on a huge pitch to support midfield and be there to help Matt Steele up front. He worked hard though and did his best. Like many of the players was much better in second half. Looked a real threat at times.
Dick 6
Similar story to Browner. Tried his best for the side, Bit casual in possession though and his final ball let him down slightly. But you do think something good can happen when he gets on the ball and he continues to look a threat for us.
Matt Steele 7
Worked his socks off. It can be difficult to play on your own up front and he was clearly frustrated at the lack of support / service at times during the game but he did well for the side and if he continues to work this hard then when the support arrives the goals will flow!!!!!!!
Subs
Shane Douglas 7 (40 mins)
Great performance on his debut after coming on for the injured Ashley Nixon. Can’t remember him giving the ball away once and made some good tackles.
Rusty 7 (60 mins)
Did well when coming on and helped keep them out when going to just 3 at the back.
Smithy 7 (75 mins)
Put a couple of nice crosses into the box and kept a cool head scoring the penalty to grab a deserved point.
Managers View
‘’ It was far from our best display but it shows the sign of a good side who can get something from a game when not playing well. We were poor first half and although it was a good finish it was a poor goal we gave away. We didn’t keep the ball when in possession and we did not close down the opposition when not in possession. They are 2 fundamentals and something we need to put right immediately.
On a positive note the second half was a lot better and we easily looked the better side. Yes, I would have liked us to have created more chances but we were in control at times and we started to play it around. Shane Douglas looked good when coming on and I feel we did defend well generally. JB has had his best game so far this season and Palmer was awesome again. The players did not give up on getting that equaliser and that is pleasing to see.
I think we were good value for the draw. It was probably the right result. Performance wise we will look to improve next week and get 3 points in the bag. ‘’
The Gaffer
Real 6
Bristol 5 4
For the second week running, Real's GFA Cup game looked in doubt against Bristol 5 due to the weather but the game finally went ahead at Patchway.
Real started brightly and early pressure was converted to a deserved lead when Jason got up well to superbly head home Weeksys corner. A few minutes later and it was 2-0. A bad lunge on Matthew Steele resulted on the referee correctly pointing to the penalty spot. Herbert sent the keeper the wrong way and that was 2-0. The only downfall was that Matthew Steele had to go off injured as a result of the challenge. Smithy replaced him, going right midfield with Browner pushing upfront alongside Weeksy.
Real looked like they could run away with it but Bristol 5 were awarded a penalty of their own when Palmer was adjudged to have brought down their forward. The penalty was tucked away, 2-1. This clearly lifted the spirits of the Bristol 5 players and two goals in the last 10 mins of the first half meant that Real Bristol, who had led 2-0, went in at the break trailing 3-2. In the mist of all the events in the first half another injury, this time to James Herbert, led to a second forced substitution with Aaron Vailes replacing the German at left back.
So the second half began and we were all hoping that the half time team talk had lifted our own teams spirits as the disappointment of chucking away that two goal lead could be seen on the faces of all our players. We wanted a goal quickly after the restart but the goal that came was not at the end we wanted as they had scored to make it 4-2.
The next event in the game was one that many would have thought would have killed us off. Smithy was taken out on the right wing and the free kick was awarded. Smithy was furious with the tackle on him and he needed to be pulled away before he killed someone. He calmed down and made his way into the box. The free kick was taken and with the ball mid air the referee blew his whistle and awarded them a free kick. He called Smithy over and showed him the Red Card. He was off!!!! He allegedly, deliberately elbowed their man in the box. Smithy claimed that he never elbowed him purposely and simply had his elbows raised for leverage. The refs mind was made up and we were now down to 10 men.
Weeksy dropped into the centre of midfield alongside captain and Jason. Dicky was now playing up front alongside Browner.
Many would say this was now too big a task and most times they would be proved right. But not today. Real Bristol dug deep and began to show a team spirit that I have never seen from the side before. Everyone was working hard for one another and everyone wanted to get us back in this cup tie. We got back into it on the hour when Dicky got in down the left and squared for Browner who neatly finished making it 3-4. With around 75 mins on the clock Real forced a corner. Aaron Vailes made his way forward to the back post and when the ball came over to him he expertly volleyed home. The fans went wild, 4-4.
Depsite chances for both teams the game went into extra-time. With 10 men and another 30 mins on a cut up, boggy pitch, many would believe that Bristol 5 would go on to victory. Real had other ideas though and in the first half of ET the Captain ‘spotted something’. He crossed to Browner who poked the ball in and Real had somehow turned it round, 5-4.
The Gaffer changed things tactically as we now had a lead to preserve. Browner dropped back to right midfield with Real changing to a 4-4-1. Teapot replaced Aaron Vailes at H/T of ET and he was playing wide left with Dicky now up front on his won. Weeksy who had moved from up front to midfield was now in defence at LB!
After 105 mins on this mess of a pitch and after spending half of that time with 10 men the players were still somehow finding the energy to close people down and make runs when we had the ball. Real were seeing the game out well, defend resiliently and on the odd occasion when they did get through our back four Andy in goal was pulling off some amazing saves. He really was having a fantastic game in goal. You felt there was another goal in the game. There was. And what a goal it was. The ball came to Jason just inside the box. He controlled it, got the all out of his feet and with the outside of his right foot put the ball into the top corner. Game Over, 6-4.
A truly fantastic game. Goal saving tackles, Great Saves, 2 penalties, 3 players got injured, 10 goals and a red card. This game had it all.
Match Ratings
Andy H-R 10
Amazing saves. Great display.
JB 10
Composed on the ball and some great challenges.
Palmer 10 – Man Of The Match
Could have been any one of 14 but it was Ben who got voted man-of-the-match. Outstanding.
Ashley 10
Did well in the air and looked comfortable in possession playing through the midfield.
Herbert 10
Although he felt poorly he looked a class act before having to go off injured. Took his penalty well.
Browner 10
His best display this season. 2 goals and a great all round performance.
Captain 10
Fantastic display. Showed his quality and ran his socks off as always.
Jason 10
Great head butt. Just kidding. 2 Brilliant goals and another great display.
Dicky 10
Once he got going there was no stopping him. A great game.
Weeksy 10
Great display from the forward / midfielder / defender. Worked really hard for the cause.
Matt Steele 10
Like Herbert was looking a class act before going off injured.
Subs
Smithy 10
Sent off for an elbow. Their keeper told me he could see Smithy never meant it but the ref said he did and that was that. Linked with everyone well when on the pitch.
Aaron Vailes 10
Won’t forget his goal in a hurry. Did well playing at unfamiliar left back position. Continues to improve as he finds his way again after some time out of the game. He did really well today.
Teapot 10
Came in for second half of ET and looked neat and tidy. Attacked well and linked play with Dicky really well.
Groundsman / Mascot / Coach / Referees Assistant etc - Alex Lippiatt 10
Lips showed great attitude. Gutted to not be playing but he was still their in the pouring rain helping out. Help put nets up, warm up Andy, Run the line etc. Nice to see.
Real 1
Sportsman 5
The scoreline does not tell the story in what turned out to be a well contested cup game at DRG. The home side started poorly and Sportsman got through our back line far too comfortably to take the lead early on. They caused uproar with their second goal though. Weeksy was down injured so we kicked the ball out of play. They then threw the ball in to their left back who we all thought would be kicking it back to us. Instead who put through their forward who was then one on one with the keeper and he made no mistake slotting home to make it 2-0. This infuriated the Real team but instead of responding well sloppy mistakes gifted Sportsman 2 more first half goals and with Real only showing signs of scoring on rare occasion it seemed it could be a cricket score. But then there was hope. Shortly before half time Matt was pulled down in the box and Hebert emphatically put the ball into the bottom left corner to make it 4-1.
Half Time - Real Bristol 1 v 4 Sportsman
The second half saw Ashley replace The Gaffer in goal and a change to the formation with The Gaffer slotting into the middle of midfield and Dick and Browner playing as wingers supporting Matt Steele up front on his own. Rusty had replaced the injured Weeksy and slotted into CB. This proved to be a good tactical change and Real really started to dominate proceedings in the second half. The Gaffer nearly got Real back in the tie but his effort from outside the box somewhat agonizingly came back off the post. Sportsman should have been reduced to 10 men in the second half but the referee did not see their forward punch The Gaffer in the face. Despite constant pressure from the home side it was Sportsman who got the goal. Jordan was alleged to have brought their man down and with Ashley guessing the wrong way that was 5-1.
Full Time – Real Bristol 1 v 5 Sportsman
MAN-OF-THE MATCH. The fans got together and decided Jordan deserved M.O.T.M. Well done skip!
Match Ratings
The Gaffer – 7
Although he was injured he went in goal at time of need. Made couple of good saves and did ok when playing midfield for half hour of 2nd half.
JB – 6
Went off injured but did ok up til then.
Palmer – 6
Not one of his best games but did well in the second half.
Ashley – 6.5 (CB – 6 / GK – 7)
Caught out couple of times when CB in first half but did decent job in goal 2nd half.
Herbert – 8
Great display from the German ‘B’ international. The gaffers vote for man of the match.
Browner – 6
Not involved as much as we would have liked.
Jordan – 8
He was voted man of the match so has to be an 8 really but I don’t think it was the best he has played by a long shot and for me warrants a 7.5 but will round it up lol. He worked hard as always but I felt his ball distribution was not up to the usual high standard. Got stuck in though and tried his best to pick the team up!
Jason – 8
Great Head Butt.
Dick – 6.
Should have done better with his chances and was far too often wasteful in the final third. Told the ref to f#ck off and was generally a frustrating afternoon for the tricky winger. Showed glimpses of his quality though with some good pacey runs and sure to bounce back next week!
Matt Steele – 7.
Did not get a great deal of service but he really worked hard for the team and was a handful in the air (as expected).
Weeksy - 6
Rating based on 30-35 minutes as Weeksy went off injured just before half time.
Subs
Aaron – 7
Did well when came on. Good ball distribution and some good tackles.
Macey – 6
Only on for 10 mins or so but did well. ‘Duck!’.
Rusty – 7
I thought he was superb when he came on. Solid as a rock and clearly willing to fight for his place in the side.
Managers Views
‘’ Things have not gone for us today. I don’t think the ref has helped us one bit but if we defend like we did in the first half we will get beat and that is what’s happened. I feel the scoreline flatters them greatly and there are plenty of positives to take from the game. In the second half we have showed that we can outplay a top side in the league above us and that will give us confidence going into the game next week. We weren’t on our game first half and this one has slipped away from us but we will learn from this experience and hopefully it should not happen again.’’
The Castle 2
Real Bristol 5
Real Bristol came from behind to beat a useful side at Frys. Both teams started brightly but it was The Castle who opened the scoring. A long ball was not dealt with properly by Ashley and their striker ran through and neatly slotted home to give them the lead. Both teams continued to play the ball around and Real Bristol deservedly drew level when Ashley Nixon was on hand to stab the ball home after the keeper dropped a ball played into the box from a corner.
Half Time: The Castle 1 v Real Bristol 1
With ‘The Castle’ now having to play up the hill we went into the second half knowing the win was there for the taking and we started to dominate the game.
Dick managed to give us the lead after around 55 minutes when getting in behind The Castles defence and slotting home at the second time of asking.
The next goal in this game was going to be crucial and I am pleased to say it was Real who got it. Some fantastic football in a move involving several players was nicely finished by Nik Weeks.
Real Bristol were now playing some of their best stuff this season and Matt Steele made it 4-1 to put the game beyond doubt. With Real catching their opponents on the break it was 3 onto 2 and surely a case of Matt Steele putting someone through. Or so you would have thought. The Gaffer had his hands on his head when he could see Matt shaping up to shoot with the keeper off of his line slightly. But his hands were soon off his head and clapping as Matt Steele struck the ball from 25 yards over the keeper, clipping the underside of the bar and then bouncing up into the roof of the net. It truly was a great goal from the striker and we can overlook the fact he should have passed lol.
With the result now beyond doubt The Castle did pull back a consolation with just a few minutes remaining, but it was Real who would have the final say with Browner in the right place at the right time to fire a shot low and hard into the bottom left corner from close range.
Full Time: The Castle 2 v Real Bristol 5
Man – Of – The – Match: Ben Palmer
Match Ratings:
Michael Dicks 7
Solid display from Dicksy. He came in for us to do a job and he did that well. Replace on the hour due to injury.
JB 7
Their wide-man got behind a few times early on but JB found his stride and put in another good performance.
Palmer 9
Mr Reliable. Put in some great tackles and marked their forward brilliantly. Vocal as always, organising the defence well.
Ashley 8
Gifted them the lead but didn’t look back from there. Got the equaliser and defended well (especially in the air) before being replaced by Rusty.
Herbert 8
Great display from Herbert. Passed the ball well – you can always rely on him to play the right ball and use the midfield.
Browner 8
Played on the right hand side of midfield for the first time this season. Looked like he had been playing there for years. Put in a fine all round display and got on the scoresheet in the process.
Jordan 8
Captain showed great leadership skills and produced a good display. Never stopped working for his side. He and Jason were playing against 3 in the first half but more than held their own.
Jason Steele 8
The other part of our double act in the middle of midfield also had another fine game. Kept the ball well and linked defence to attack.
Dick 7
Lost his head a couple of times and not as creative as recent games but was still another good performance from Dick. Proving to be a sound acquisition to the team.
Weeksy 7
Worked hard and showed some good touches. Took his goal really well. We said they goals would come and they hopefully will keep on coming. I am sure they will.
Matthew Steele 8
What a goal!!!! Held the ball up well and won lots in the air.
Subs
Rusty 6
Not on the pitch for too long but what he had to do he did well.
Aaron 6
Likewise, not long enough to make too much of an impact but did well what he had to do.
Managers Views
‘’ I am absolutely delighted with the 3 points today and more importantly the performance from all my players. They showed good character after going behind and the effort they have put in was tremendous. The second half display from the lads was our best 45 minutes of football this season.
The performance will give us confidence going into the cup game next week against Sportsman. They are a good side who will provide a stern test but based on todays game I see no reason why we cannot get a result.
As for the league, well, we are back in the hunt. Other results have gone our way today and that is pleasing but we just need to concentrate on our own results. We win our own league games and we win the league. I believe we can do it. Today has showed we are capable. There is always room for improvement though and those areas that we need to work on we will do so. That way we will be equipped to challenge for the title.
The Castle showed they are a good side and we should not underestimate this victory. A great result. Well done lads!’’
FIVE STAR REAL GET OFF THE MARK!
The Argonauts 1
Real Bristol 5
Real Bristol earned a well deserved 3 points when visiting Severn Beach on Sunday to play the Argonauts. Real Bristol started brightly but had to be patient as a hardworking Argonauts side did their best to keep Real shut out. But Real did get the goal eventually. Dick got on the ball 25 yards out from goal, spotted the keeper of his line and expertly lobbed the keeper. It was a great finish from Dick and it gave Real a deserved advantage going into the break.
The Argonauts continued to work hard and frustrate Real at the start of the second half but Real made it 2-0 on the hour when Jordan Baths precise through ball was neatly finished off by Nik Weeks. Game Over. Or so you may have thought. The Argonauts started to get a bit of joy in the final third and so the manager decided to change the formation and introduce Macey and Browner for Weeksy and Smithy. Shortly after, a rash challenge from Macey in the box gifted the Argonauts an opportunity to get back into the game. And despite the attempts to put their player off (from Lips) they gratefully accepted the opportunity and stuck the penalty away to make it 2-1.
Real came back at them strong though and Dick was continuing to get a lot of joy down the left hand side. He was getting round them all the time and looked a threat. This was what led to our third goal as Dick raced into the box to square for the advancing Browner who expertly placed the ball beyond the keeper and into the net.
Browner then got his second of the game just minutes later. The new look attack that was put together in the second half again were heavily involves. Dick raced away down the left to find Matt Steele inside the box. Matt seemed destined to get on the score sheet but his effort came back off the bar. The ball ended up at Browners feet though and he found the bottom corner from close range.
With the score now 4-1 and Real looking like scoring every time they went forward the game as a contest was over but there was time for one more goal. Dick again was involved as he eased past the last defender with just the keeper to beat. The keeper got down well to save the effort but Matt Steele was on hand to tap home he rebound. A well deserved goal for the forward.
After the game we spoke to Scott Budding who had this to say………………..
‘’ I am delighted that we have got the result today. After a couple of frustrating scorelines we could have easily started panicking today in that first half because although we were on top we just couldn’t get our noses in front. But we didn’t panic. The lads kept their concentration and Dick came up with a moment of magic to give us the lead. We really pushed on in the second half and we really began to play the ball around, keeping possession and looking more dangerous in the final third.
I think the changes I made were positive ones and I am just pleased it came up trumps today. I did not take Smithy and Weeksy off because they were playing poorly. It was just that despite the fact we were the better side I felt we had the players to punish them more than we were doing and so by changing our shape slightly we could exploit their weaknesses. I am just so pleased that we did finish the game so well.
Browner was excellent when he came on and he took his goals well and I got to say that Dick really was tremendous in this game.. But everyone did well and I am very pleased with the players. I believe we will kick on from here and string together some victories. Thoroughly looking forward to next week.
Just want to finish by saying a big THANK YOU to the PARKWAY. They put on a lot of food and a LOT of drink. It is appreciated by everyone at the club. Pleased to have their support! ‘’
MATCH RATINGS
Lips – 8
Didn’t make a mistake as such all game. Did the odd poor kick but did well and pulled off crucial save when 2-1 up.
JB – 7
They call him Mr Reliable and he looked it in this game. Good to see him looking for the ball all the time now. If starts to really shout for it then it will all come together. He did well in this game.
Palmer – 7.5
Solid performance from Palmer. As always. Vocal organising defence well.
Ashley – 7
Another solid performance from Ashley also.
Herbert – 7.5
As always he looked very composed on the ball. Did well when moved into midfield.
Smithy – 6
Would liked to have seen more of him on the ball. Did ping a great ball to Dick in the first half but was not in the game as much as we’d liked.
Jason – 8
Battled well and burst forward whenever possible.
Jordan – 8
Captained the side superbly. Very vocal and worked really hard as always. Showed his worth in the final third also with some nice through balls.
Dicky – 9. FANS MAN OF THE MATCH
Closest performance to a 10 seen so far this season. Every time he got the ball you thought he would burst past the fullback and create a goal. Great lob and a great game. MY MAN OF THE MATCH.
Nik Weeks – 7.5
Looked lively in attack. Showed some good touches and took his goal well.
Matt Steele 7.5
Another good performance from Matt. In first half didn’t seem to want to play with back to goal as looked to turn and tried a few flicks. 2nd half back to business. Won stacks in the air, scored one and nearly had more.
Subs
Macey – 6
Came on at Left Back to allow Herbert to move into the middle of midfield when changing formation. Played few nice pass and got stuck in. Unfortunately a bit too much, as gave a penalty away that let them back into the game. Found Dick well a few times.
Aaron – 6
Not long to make an impact but everyone clearly pleased to see him back and wearing the famous red/black. Was neat and tidy the time he was on.
Browner – 8
Two goals in the time he was on speaks for itself. Showed glimpses
of his self before his injury with a fantastic solo run and he took his goals
well.
Real 2
Longwell Green 3
Match Ratings –
GK – Lips 8 FANS MAN OF THE MATCH.
Were it not for the error that led to their equaliser he would have been my man of the match as well. Still gets a rating of 8 though as he pulled of some fantastic saves and kept talking to his defence (as always).
RB - JB 7
Had difficult job on his hand with their tricky captain running at him but he did well. Was great to see him looking for the ball early from Lips at every opportunity.
LB – Herbert 7
Similar story as JB. And as always looked very composed on the ball always looking to use our midfield. Moved into midfield in second half with no complaint.
CB – Rusty 7
Got stuck in and did his bit. Maybe caught a couple of times by the movement of their forwards but a decent display overall. Replaced by Palmer due to injury.
CB – Ashley 7
First half was great. Second half not as impressive as seemed to tire. Won everything in the air but played people onside a few times when not in line with the rest of his defence. Caught a couple of times by the movement of their forwards. His passing/composure was impressive in that first half display.
RM – Smithy 7
Want to give him 7.5 but don’t believe in half measures lol. Maybe not quite an 8 but Smithy should take confidence from this display. His work rate in the game was fantastic. He looked to get forward at every opportunity but did forget his defensive duties and worked back hard when moves did break down. His distribution at times was not up to his usual standard but he did well and if everyone works as hard as he did in this game we will be laughing (in a good way lol).
LM – Dick 7
With his pace he always looked a threat. Caused lots of problems for their defence and worked hard. Squared up to a ‘cage fighter’ and got booked. Nearly lost his head and had yellow turning to red but settled down again soon after.
CM – Jordan 8. MAN OF THE MATCH.
Most vocal performance from the skipper this season. A couple of misplaced passes but overall he was excellent, working tremendously hard for the team and putting in some great tackles.
CM – Jason Steele 7
Working well with Jordan in the middle of midfield before coming off due to feeling unwell.
CF – Matt Steele 8
Another good game from Matt. Typical target man qualities were displayed again as he held the ball up well and won a lot in the air. Took his goal well.
CF – Weeksy 8
He showed he can be stronger on the ball and he was neat and tidy all game. Good to see him on the scoresheet.
Subs
Macey – 6
Replaced Jason on the hour allowing Herbert to cover in midfield by slotting in at familiar left-back role. Couple of free-kicks given away in positions where could have been avoided but other than that he did well.
Palmer – 7
Replaced the injured Rusty at CB. I thought he was great when he came on. Very vocal and looked in control. Was good in the air and on the deck.
Browner – 5
Replaced Weeksy up front. Not his usual self. He got on the ball in some promising positions for us but either turned into trouble or his touch let him down at the crucial moments. This was a difficult game to come into though and we should remember that he is getting over a serious injury. He will soon be knocking in the goals again I am sure.
Managers Reaction
I am bitterly disappointed to have lost the game having led twice. The thing is that again we have made mistakes gifting goals to the opposition and as I have stated before you cannot afford to do that against teams in this league.
We started very brightly and got our noses in front. I thought that although they created the odd chance we looked like extending our lead leading up to Herberts own goal. Matty Steele took his goal well to restore the lead and it is just a shame that a couple of the changes we made were enforced upon us due to injuries and sickness as I feel that has had a big impact on the outcome of the game. The lads who came on did their best and I am not in any way blaming them but had those changes not been enforced I would have made different changes at different times perhaps.
All credit to Longwell Green Sunday though. Cannot take anything away from them. I thought they played some good football and had one or two good individuals. I am sure we can settle the score with them though in the return game.
It is important we bounce back from this defeat against The Argonauts next week. It is a great opportunity to get some points on the board and I am confident of a result.
It is a long season and let’s not get too disheartened over a couple of bad results. Our performances have given me optimism for the season and we definitely have played better than our zero points suggest. Win a few on the bounce and we’ll be near the top where we belong. Come on Real!
Scott Budding – Real Bristol Manager.
Bristol Jaguars 1
Real 6
Real Bristol progressed to round 2 of the Cup with a comfortable victory over Bristol Jaguars.
Real Bristol started well from the off and after around 10mins were awarded a penalty for a foul on Matthew Steele. Smithy put the ball in the bottom left corner to make it 1-0. Moments later Smithy got his and Real's 2nd of the game when he struck home superbly from around 25 yards hitting the ball first time into the roof of the net, not allowing the keeper time to get back into position.
Around 25 minutes into the game Rusty cynically fouled the Jaguars forward on the edge of the box (claims Rusty lol) but the ref awarded a penalty kick and the Jaguars made it 2-1.
The Referee was in the spotlight again 10 minutes after when he awarded another penalty to Real Bristol. There could be no arguements as Nik Weeks was blatantly pushed over in the box. Smithy sent the penalty down the middle to complete his hat-trick.
Half Time, Real Bristol 3 v 1 Bristol Jaguars.
In the second half Real Bristol carried on where they left off and 10 minutes into the second JB notched a rare goal (his first ever Palmer believes). He did well to turn the ball in following a set piece. It was a nice finish from the full-back.
After around 70 mins Matthew Steele got his first of the season when he was given the chance to take Real's 3rd Penalty of the match. He calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner.
Just a few minutes later he got his second. Browner did brilliantly to close down the Jaguars defence, forcing them to play back to their Keeper. He then charged down the Keeper who tried to turn Browner only to slip and that left the ball trickling into the 6-yard box and into the path of Matthew Steele who gratefully tapped home.
In truth this was a very comfortable victory and it could have been more. After the game we got the views of Real Manager Scott Budding:
'' I am very pleased with todays victory and more importantly the performance my players have put in. I cannot fault anyone today for their effort and I am just pleased to get our first goals and victory of the new season.
The game delay could have affected us but it didn't. We started brightly, got the early goal I was looking for and never looked back.
We all know there will be much tougher games that lye ahead so we will not get carried away but this is a launch pad for our season and the win will give us confidence going into the next game''.
Match Ratings
Alex Lippiatt – 8
Fantastic performance that has made us forget last weeks events (partially lol). Was like having an extra defender at times as he was always alert to long ball and was quickly out to clear. Pulled off a wonder save in the second half.
JB – 8
Fine performance from JB and notched a rare goal. Looked very comfortable, never troubled by their left winger and kept it simple when in possession.
Rusty – 7
Another decent display from Rusty. Disappointing to see one of ‘those tackles’ from him which led to their penalty but other than that looked part of a solid defensive partnership with Ashley.
Ashley – 8
Came in for the absent Ben Palmer and impressed throughout. Won everything in the air and was vocal. Was just pipped for man of the match.
Herbert – 8
Very impressive performance from Herbert. Always looking to play through the midfield and keep possession.
Smithy – 8
First half hat-trick from Smithy was well deserved. He took his pens well and his 2nd goal was a gem. Quieter in the second half but played well throughout. Was the Fans Man Of The Match!
Jordan – 8
Skipper led by example with his work rate. His tackling and passing was spot on.
Jason Steele – 8. Man Of The Match.
Just pipped Smithy and Ashley for Man Of The Match. Tough tackling and astute passing was impressive throughout. Worked hard with Jordan in the middle and played a part in lots of good moves when going forward.
Dick – 7
Carried on where he left off last week with another good performance. Frightens defences with his pace. If he keeps his cool/head and gets the ball into the box early then he is going to be a seriously major player for us.
Matt Steele – 7
Don’t feel he was as good as last week which is strange as he scored twice this week but he still played well winning majority of things in the air as expected. Didn’t look so keen this week to play with his back to goal but it was another decent performance from Matt and he is settling in well. Harshly denied his hat-trick when coolly slotting home a through ball from Jason.
Weeksy – 6
Tried hard and linked up the play well at times. May not be the biggest but feel it is fair to say he needs to try and be a bit stronger. Unfortunately for him no chances really came his way again so not involved to the degree he, or shall I say ‘we’, would like. But as I have said before he will score goals.
Subs
Bronwer – 7
Replaced Weeksy with around 25 minutes to go. Continues to recover well from his injury. First touch slightly off at times but been out for ages so slightly understandable. He ran his socks off when he came on and his pressure on the defence led to Matt Steele’s second goal.
Teapot – 6
Replaced Dick at the same time Browner came on. Did well what he had to do and although not heavily involved he did well when the ball came his way.