Bashley put together an excellent performance to ensure that they strengthened their hold on a BGB Premier Division play off place. Bash were unchanged from their narrow defeat at Team Bath seven days previously, and from the opening seconds of the game it was obvious that they were approaching their task with a positive attitude. Inside the first fifteen seconds Danny Smith and Chris Knowles combined and Dave Town saw his shot deflect through to Rovers keeper Karl Lewis. Chris Duggan was fortunate to escape without a card after tugging back Richard Gillespie early on, and Bash got the goal that they had been threatening after eight minutes. Chris Ferrett played the ball in from the left, Town dummied it and Ryan Moss outmuscled the defender before squaring the ball across goal for CHRIS KNOWLES to turn the ball home from inside the six yard box.
A fine cross from Craig Davis was half cleared for Smith to volley over, while Matt Birley dragged a dangerous looking free kick wide for the visitors. Sam Alsop was booked for kicking the ball away before Lewis was quick to react to beat Gillespie to a Town through ball. Bash were dominant and almost added a second with half an hour gone when a wind-assisted throw from Knowles was flicked on by Pete Castle and Davis saw his volley brilliantly saved by Lewis from point blank range. Within seconds though a long throw from Davis was again flicked on by Castle and Gillespie cushioned his lay off into the path of DANNY SMITH who sent his volley past Lewis and into the net.
Moss cut the ball back for Davis to have a shot blocked, and Gillespie had a shot held by Lewis before Moss picked up a caution for a foul on the keeper. Joszef Jakab fired a dipping shot over for Bromsgrove before Town released Gillespie but his cross was too deep for Moss. Gillespie got in behind the defence again but this time his cross for Moss was well cut out by a defender. On the stroke of half time Knowles picked the ball up in midfield and beat two players before looking up and seeing Moss offside, beating a third and firing in a shot from distance which Lewis did well to tip away. Les Hines was booked for dissent after Moss won the ball in midfield and ran on before shooting wide, and Daryl Burgess was also cautioned a minute later for a foul on Knowles.
Davis played another telling pass to release Gillespie and his cross was very well cleared by Gary Knight from inside his own six yard box. With 62 minutes on the clock Bash wrapped up the three points when Town played a superb ball through and RICHARD GILLESPIE beat the offside trap before calmly slotting the ball past Lewis. Knowles was replaced by Aidan Sainsbury before Gary Middleton shot just wide on the turn following a corner. Justin Keeler came on for Town and was involved in the final goal of the day when his ball down the line found Gillespie, who beat his man for pace and crossed for RYAN MOSS to turn the ball home from beyond the far post. Gillespie was immediately replaced by Jeremy Tarr, and he almost linked up with Davis and Smith to create another opening for Moss but Burgess cut out the final ball.
A fine pass from Paul Gazzard found Tarr, who forced a corner which was curled in by Ferrett and headed inches wide by Castle. With three minutes left Tarr won the ball well by closing down a defender and played a perfectly timed pass into the path of Moss, who met it first time only for his shot to come crashing back off the underside of the crossbar. David Elm was finally forced into a save in added time when Birley drilled in a low shot, while sub Leigh Downing shot just over as the visitors searched for a consolation goal.
Bashley: David Elm, Paul Gazzard (capt), Chris Ferrett, Pete Castle, Gary Middleton, Danny Smith, Chris Knowles (Aidan Sainsbury 66), Craig Davis, Ryan Moss, Richard Gillespie (Jeremy Tarr 77), Dave Town (Justin Keeler 72). Unused subs: Stacey Harper, Lee Burch.
Bromsgrove Rovers: Karl Lewis, Chris Duggan, Les Hines (Jorma Seabourne 79), Sam Alsop, Gary Knight (capt), Daryl Burgess, James Coulman (Leigh Downing 46), Dave Bridgewater (Mark Bebow 59), Gary McPhee, Jozsef Jakab, Matt Birley. Unused subs: Chris McHale, Andy Jones. |