Keynsham 6-2 Longwell Green 29th Sept 2018

Keynsham Town 6-2 Longwell Green
Western League Division One
AJN Stadium
29th Sept 2018

Keynsham put on a very impressive performance in front of a healthy home crowd to give their season a kick into life.

The home faithful didn’t have to wait long for on loan striker James Ollis to give them that lead. On the 3rd minute Keynsham had a corner cleared for a second corner. This time Harley Purnell found his target in an unmarked Ollis at the back post, who headed past the despairing keeper.

The K’s could have been further ahead on 9 minutes after Craig Wilson, acting as the focal point in a front three, found Ollis on the right. The youngster found Tauren Williams who supported from full back and his quick back heel found Ollis again. However his left footed effort goes wide.

Longwell Green started to come back into the game and were level on 15 minutes from a quick piece of thinking. A freekick was awarded inside the Keynsham half and number 8 took it quickly to play in Luke Bryan. Ash Clark advanced to meet the striker who coolly lifted it over him with a good finish.

Clark was called into action again five minutes later but was equal to the task this time. The tall keeper smothered a one on one with Longwell’s number 9. This created a swift counter attack with Nathan Curnock releasing Ollis, who popped up on the left, but his touch around the keeper went wide of the near post.

Keynsham were ahead again on 27 minutes after the hard working Ollis chased down a lost cause on the right to win a freekick. Most players were in the box when Purnell plays the dead ball out to Cameron Shorney to strike. The shot was low and fierce through a crowd of player to evade the keeper to make it 2-1.

The midfielder didn’t have to wait long, 4 minutes in fact, to add to his tally in spectacular fashion. Ollis was in the wars and won another freekick with his direct running, this time on the edge of the box. Up steps Shorney to curl one into the top corner giving the keeper, wall and nearly the cameraman (on the Keynsham bench) no chance.

Keynsham had another big chance just before half time. Kyle Box held the ball up well on the left hand side to bring Wilson into the game. The striker find the arriving Ollis who twists and turns into the box forcing the keeper out to meet him; unfortunately the curling finish was just wide of the far post.

So after an explosive first half the score was 3-1 and everyone sensed that the game had lots more goals in it.

However both teams came out and kept it tight with neither side giving each other an inch of space to work in. On the 56th minute Keynsham broke the deadlock with an element of fortune. A ball in on the left found the Longwell defence bunched up and a poor headed clearance fell to the increasingly reliable right foot of Ollis to volley home from inside the box.

This woke up the chances in the game and Longwell should have had a goal back two minutes later. Good work on the left found number 9 with space to shoot but Mike Grist slid in expertly to deny a clear cut chance.

The most fortunate goal of game would fall to Box on the 60th minute. A quick freekick inside the Longwell half hit the retreating referee and found Box in acres of space with the keeper stranded (after coming to take the kick). Box didn’t hesitate in curling a smart shot up and around the keeper to nestle in the far corner.

Substitutes started to influence the game and Longwell’s set up a goal on the 76th minute. Liam Crew’s corner on the left found Bryan unmarked to make it 5-2. Ollis wasn’t finished for the afternoon and didn’t show any signs of slowing up as the teenager completed his hattrick just three minutes later.

Bath’s number 17 takes down a long clearance by Clark and fires past the on rushing Longwell number 1 to make it 6-2 to Keynsham.

Longwell had one more chance to Clark when Bryan broke free but the keeper gathers at the second attempt after making himself big.

A fine afternoon for John Allen and his team in this long awaited local derby. It would have also given Bath City something to think about with their ever increasing injury list with the performance of James Ollis. Longwell on the other hand will have some decisions to make for their next game as they adjust from their relegation to Division One.

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