Saturday 4th January 2025
Midland Football League Premier Division
Studley 1 Brocton 2
Brocton’s first game of the new year saw a trip to Studley with a 3G pitch ensuring the game went ahead. Brocton made two changes welcoming back Charlie King and Christian Blanchette with Cooper Marsh and Cam Osborne taking their place amongst the replacements. Studley came into the game on the back of three heavy defeats.
It was Brocton that started on the front foot. Within two minutes, Blanchette shot over the bar from a tight angle. In the 5th minute, Josh Simcox played a low ball into the box with Will Whieldon clearing the bar with his effort. First attacking sign for Studley came through Szhem Whyte-Hall whose shot was straight at Tony Allsopp. In the 10th minute, a corner from Connor Haddaway was headed over by Kenny Devoir. Two minutes later, a half-volley from Whieldon was over the bar. Brocton took the lead in the14th minute. Blanchette raced into the box and was tripped by Studley keeper Aaron Flahavan who was yellow carded in the process. From the resulting penalty, Whieldon made no mistake. Brocton continued to press. Blanchette teed up Dan Evans and his shot was comfortably saved. Whieldon then saw a shot blocked by the home defence. A cross from Simcox was met by the head of Reg Smith but the leading scorer was well wide with his effort. Studley began to make inroads. Whyte-Hall beat Simcox down the Studley left and his cross evaded everyone. In the 27th minute, Whyte-Hall was tripped on the edge of the area, earning Simcox a yellow card. The free kick came to nothing as it cannoned off the Brocton wall. In the 32nd minute, Smith went on a rampaging run, opening up the defence before shooting over the bar. Nate Timbrell wasted a good chance for the home side, choosing to play a one-two rather than shooting, the chance coming to nothing. The half ended with a bad injury to Ashton De Mulder which saw 7 minutes added on.
Half-Time: Studley 0 Brocton 1
Brocton started the second half with a renewed purpose. Two minutes into the half, Lucas Green-Birch was just off target with a volley. In the 49th minute, Blanchette connected well but his shot was well held by Flahavan. A great move from Brocton almost created goal number two. Charlie King played the ball into the path of Blanchette. His cross was knocked down by Smith to the waiting Green-Birch and his shot again cleared the cross bar. Brocton made it two in the 57th minute. Another excellent move created an opening for Whieldon and his shot flew into the top corner. Brocton continued to create opportunities. A minute after the goal, Green-Birch was through but denied by a fine save from Flahavan. Green-Birch then turned provider, laying the ball into the overlapping Whieldon and his shot was again too high. In the 70th minute, a ball over the top picked out Whieldon and he was denied by an excellent save from Flahavan. Studley were beginning to sense that they could get back into the game. In the 77th minute, Kyle Moseley connected perfectly, and his shot beat Allsopp, hit the cross bar, and bounced down to safety. Moseley again went close three minutes later. He shot was across Allsopp who got a touch to it. Evans was on hand at the far post to shovel it wide. It was now all Studley and Allsopp saved well from Charlie Footes at his near post. Studley pulled a goal back in the 86th minute. A corner from the right was headed into the far corner of the net by Moseley. Whyte-Hall hit a fierce shot on target with Kenny Devoir putting in a fine block. In the 3rd minute of stoppage time, Seb Conaghan won the ball in midfield, threaded it into the path of Charlie King but he too cleared the crossbar. Conaghan was again impressing as a substitute and a sharp run by the teenager ended with him being brought down in the area by Flahavan. The referee awarded the penalty but not a second yellow for the Studley keeper. Haddaway stepped up and blasted the penalty over the bar. In the final minute of stoppage time, a cross from the Studley left was headed over by Whyte-Hall and Brocton took home all three points.
Full-Time: Studley 1 Brocton 2 Attendance: 86
Studley: Aaron Flahavan, Harrison Bassford, Charlie Watts, Nate Timbrell, Dexter Dudley-Toole, Max Martin, John Mills, Charlie Shaw, Kyle Moseley, Ashton De Mulder (Charlie Footes 45), Szhem Whyte-Hall. Subs (Not Used): Flynn Coffey, Brooklyn Delaney-Cator, Eddy Sietambi
Brocton: Tony Allsopp, Josh Simcox (Cooper Marsh 47). Dan Evans, Kenny Devoir, Tom Vaughan, Charlie King, Will Whieldon (Cam Osborne 87), Lucas Green-Birch (Seb Conaghan 77), Reg Smith, Connor Haddaway, Christian Blanchette (Jude King 87). Sub (Not Used): Ben Hackett
Yellow Cards: Flahavan, Martin (Studley); Simcox, Evans, Vaughan, Green-Birch (Brocton)
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