Bisons v Spartans Match Report

Bracknell Town & District Sunday League Junior Cup 2021 - 2022

Bracknell Bisons 2 V 2 Bracknell Spartan 1st

5-4 Penalties

Another cup game saw the Bisons at home against Bracknell Spartan 1st from Division 4 and currently sitting in 3rd place. Unlike last week the playing surface was perfect despite torrential rain the day before. Kicking down the hill first half the Bisons were enjoying plenty of the ball, especially down the right side but struggled to create any clear efforts on goal. The best opportunity fell to Owen whose excellent solo run and shot on goal brought the best out of the Spartan’s ‘keeper. Totally against the run of play the opposition took the lead with a superb free kick from 25 yards that cannoned in off the far post giving Harry no chance. Ben, Joe, Dylan and Harvey all had half chances but the Bisons couldn’t find the equaliser. It was a real kick in the teeth to concede again just minutes before half time with a soft goal that came out of nothing.

As with any 2-0 scoreline the next goal would be crucial and with the second half underway the Spartans were offering very little and the Bisons were pressing well and looking dangerous with every attack. Dylan was seeing a lot of the ball in his forward role and had three chances in quick succession. Jay couldn’t convert a cross after some excellent work down the right from Joe and Owen and Jamie tried his luck from distance. It is so typical in football that goals don’t always come from neat football, a great cross a superb shot and so it was as Kev bundled the ball over the line to make it 1-2 with plenty of time left on the clock.

Whereas in the first half much of the play was down the right, Harvey, Max and Dylan were seeing a lot of the ball on the left and some great play saw Dylan in space out on the angle of the penalty box and he struck the ball high into the top far corner to bring the scores level – whether it was a cross or a shot only Dylan knows ! The rest of the half saw little in the way of chances for either team the best falling to Elliott at the far post but he couldn’t keep his effort down.

So, straight to penalties and Spartans struck first. Tom stepped up for the Bisons but the ‘keeper guessed correctly. Harry evened up the scores saving Spartans’ second penalty as Dylan, Harvey and Ravi all successfully converted. With the score at 3-4 Kiran placed the ball knowing he had to score otherwise it was bread and water from now on but he calmly slotted the ball home, nerves of steel! Now it was sudden death and excitement rose amongst the ranks as Spartans’ 6th penalty cannoned off Harry’s righthand post. Jamie strode purposely towards goal like a gladiator entering the Coliseum, his mind made up and knowing that hero status was in his hands or at least his right foot. The comeback was complete as Jamie buried the ball low into the corner.

A terrific fight back from two goals down, no dropping of heads and a great team spirit with a will to win. There was some decent football played and had we gone ahead I don’t think Spartans would have had it in them to stay with us.