Keynsham Town 0-3 Frome Town
Somerset Premier Cup
AJN Stadium
10/12/13
The K’s bow out of the Somerset Premier Cup after a second go at Frome, good luck to Frome in the next round.
A strong Frome Town side, containing at least 7 of their regular first team, started well in the opening 25 minutes. Just 11 minutes in Ben Wood proved he would be a handful all night when he got free in the area but fired over. Captain Josh Ford then had a long shot going wide a minute later. Matt Dunk knew it would be a busy night when he pulled off a brilliant point blank save on 24 minutes to keep it 0-0.
Ryan Ashwood provided Keynsham’s main attacking treat and took every opportunity to take on the full back down the right hand side. It was his low cross on 26 minutes that found Sam Winfield’s feet but the recent signing just scuffed his shot wide across goal. It certainly wasn’t going to be Matt Smith’s day for Frome Town as he blazed over the bar from just 3 yards after a defensive mix up between Dunk and Szymon Gromek (filling in at right back) on 31 minutes. Four minutes later good work from Luke Lipinski found Winfield but his shot went over. It looked like Keynsham would go into the break 0-0 again but on 44 minutes Thomas Bannerman-Williams tripped Tim Stephenson on the edge of the box. Matt Clark dispatched the penalty with ease giving the Southern League Premier team the lead at the break.
If scoring just before the break is one of the best times to score then scoring just after the break is just as good, which is exactly what Frome did. When a early Keynsham attack broke down a long ball over the top found half time substitute Will Agbo who finished well past Dunk despite the keeper getting a hand to it, much to the delight of a strong travelling support. On 57 minutes Smith would have wished the ground to swallow him up. Dunk came out well to block a shot on the right hand side but the ball rebounded into the path of Smith just 6 yards out with an open goal but the quick shot went wide of the target.
Clark almost doubled his tally but his free kick on the left hand side fizzed over the bar on 61 minutes. Steve Cains tried to change the game by re-shuffling the team by bringing on young Jordan Anstey at full back and pushing Gromek into midfield. However a moment later Agbo fired a shot over from a break away on the left whilst Sam Roberts readjusted to right back (from starting at left back). Chris Lewis was introduced back into first team football coming on for the hard working Liam Robson on 71 minutes. It was Frome who then took firm control on the game when Wood turned on the edge of the box from a break away to fire past a stranded Dunk, after a deflection, making it 3-0 with quarter of an hour left to play.
Lipinski then could have replicated his goal from the abandoned game with a determined attacking run but this time the fierce shot went just wide. Reserve team manager Chris King was then introduced for only the third time this season, replacing the tiring Gromek in the middle of the park. Still it was Frome to have the last word with the impressive Wood using his pace to beat the offside trap but firing just wide.
Keynsham played well with a stretched squad against higher opposition for 163 minutes and will take heart in the number of chances they carved out. They travel to Wellington this weekend as they return to league action with their sole aim now to climb up the table and finish the season as high as possible.
Keynsham: Matt Dunk, Szymon Gromek, Sam Roberts, Aaron Marshall, Ben Stiff, Thomas Bannerman-Williams, Pat Davison, Luke Lipinski, Ryan Ashwood, Sam Winfield, Liam Robson
Subs used: Jordan Anstey 68mins (for Bannerman-Williams), Chris Lewis 71mins (for Robson), Chris King 79mins (for Gromek)