Keynsham Town 3-4 Clevedon Town
Western Premier Division
AJN Stadium
10/09/19
It was a busy five minutes for both keepers as the game started at a fast pace and never really slowed down. Ash Clark saved from George King whilst Matt Brown and Ben Dowdell forced smart stops from the visiting keeper.
It wasn’t long until the deadlock was broken. There was a counter attack after Clevedon hit the post from a corner. The ball was cleared up to Dowdell who outpaces his marker just enough to drill the ball across the keeper and into the bottom corner, putting the hosts 1-0 up.
It could have been two just a few minutes later when Dowell uses a great bit of skill to get to the byline and finds Harris in the box. The touch and shot produces a great one handed save at the near post. The resulting corner eventually finds Harris with a second opportunity but it’s well saved.
Clevedon were level on sixteen minutes through King. The striker finds space to shoot on the edge of the box and drills the ball into the near post to leave Clark standing.
Now Clevedon were really pilling on the pressure with Clark failing to hold a shot from King as they are finding space in the box to shoot. The follow up is saved but produced a third chance which goes for a corner, coming to nothing.
Then almost against the run of play Keynsham are ahead again on twenty seven minutes. Keynsham break on the right with Harris playing a one two with Dowell. Harris then releases Brown who did well to ride the challenge in the box but the keeper blocked his shot. However it wasn’t cleared and fell to the on rushing Harris to chest in from 2 yards.
Harley Purnell goes close in the final ten minutes of the half as Keynsham look to finish strong. Dowdell also fires in a shot from distance but it’s wide whilst King forces a save from Clark moments later at the other end.
Mitch Purnell commits the keeper into a diving one handed save then with just a minute to go before half time Keynsham go 3-1 up.
A good switch of play from Keynsham, after an attack breaks down, finds Harris completely unmarked on the right byline. He drills a first time ball into the near post with Brown getting in ahead of his marker to score.
So it was 3-1 to Keynsham at half time. The third goal was an important goal for Keynsham just before the break as Clevedon look dangerous going forward. Lucas Vowles and King seem to be getting the better of their individual battles but collectively Keynsham have held firm to keep the score down.
Vowles draws the first save inside three minutes of the restart as Clark parries a well struck shot.
Adrian Harvey goes close with a header just a minute later as the half starts to come to life.
The first good chance for Clevedon was from Jay Murray on sixty eight minutes when the ball was crossed to the back post; but he could only head it across goal.
A min later Clevedon found a way back into the game. An attack on the left with Elliot Nicholson playing a one two commits Clark for Nicholson to poke it past for a way back into the game.
On seventy two minutes King should have scored after finding space in the box but Clark holds his shot.
Moments later Clevedon counter with a long ball to Vowles. He wiggles past his two markers but Clark saves with Jordan Anstey completing the clearance on the line.
Keynsham couldn’t hold on to their lead and the game was tied at 3-3 on seventy six minutes. Clevedon had most of their attacking play on the left and their winger produces a cross at the near post with Vowles getting an unchallenged tap in.
The momentum was clearly with the visitors now and on the ninety second minute they took the lead for the first time during the game. Harvey heads the ball back to Clark but it falls into the path of Vowles who takes and touch to fire past Clark.
A minute later the referee blows for full time giving Micky Bell’s team a well deserved win after a stunning second half performance.