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Bishop’s Stortford 2-0 Bowers & Pitsea Match Report 20/9/22
Bishop’s Stortford made it back-to-back wins and clean sheets with a 2-0 victory over Bowers & Pitsea on Tuesday, but Blues defender Sam Robbins left the pitch on a stretcher after suffering a serious-looking knee injury in the first half. Mark Haines had already been substituted with a calf complaint, while club captain Ryan Henshaw remains sidelined with a groin strain from Friday’s win over Aveley. Jonny Giles and Frankie Merrifield got the goals, as Stortford moved up into fifth place in the Pitching In Isthmian League Premier Division.
The Blues started on the front foot with Giles controlling Chris Harris’ cushioned header and dribbling into the box, the midfielder forced a reaction save from Kie Plumley, who pushed the goalbound strike onto the crossbar and away from danger. Giles crossed to Harris from a corner, but couldn’t find a teammate with the nod down from the back post area. Bowers did manage to create though, and looked like a cohesive team with one-touch passing around the penalty area, Sonny Fish’s defence-splitting pass was perfectly weighted to Duane Ofori-Acheampong, but the winger fouled Giles before he could pass or shoot. Jack Giddens’ free kick went all the way to Ryan Charles in the box at the other end of the pitch, but he failed to pake contact with the volley and the defender was able to clear, before Charles ran onto Ollie Peters’ pass in the box, Plumley rushed out and pushed the ball away and Charles stumbled over his arms, with referee Jack Willmore perceiving it as a dive, he gave a free kick to Bowers. Giles’ set piece was on the money once again, a free kick near the corner flag went straight onto Harris’ head, but the visitors cleared for a corner. Like we saw on Friday, a succession of corners built pressure, leading to the opening goal, Giles played a one-two with Peters from the corner, and his low cross went through a crowd of bodies and past the unsighted Plumley, into the back of the net. Soon after the goal, Haines limped off to be replaced by Tosin Olufemi, and Matt Johnson came on for his 150th Blues appearance, replacing Robbins after a lengthy delay as he received treatment on the pitch and was loaded on to the stretched and carried down the tunnel to applause from the crowd.
HT 1-0
Giles’ free kick nearly nestled in the top corner after a deflection off the wall, but Plumley palmed it away, and Merrifield’s follow-up effort was blocked. Charles curled narrowly wide after a back heel pass from Giles into his path, and Olufemi’s clearance was controlled by Charles with his back to goal, he laid it off to Giles who found Merrifield in the left channel , with the striker slotting home from a tight angle. A powerful strike from Giles hit Plumley in the chest, unable to pick up the low trajectory of the ball, and saw it go behind for a corner. Bowers captain Dexter Peter was climbing all over Johnson at the back post from the following corner, and a penalty was awarded. Merrifield stepped up but fired over the bar from 12 yards, a small blot in terms of the bigger picture of the match. Matthew Campbell-Mhlope was left unmarked at the back post but flashed his header wide from Billy Knott’s cross. Peters’ low strike was saved by Plumley, and Donell Thomas’ 18-yard curling strike was pushed away from the goal. Giles dragged a low shot wide from the left side of the box, the Blues continued to dominate after the second goal, but couldn’t add to it further.
FT 2-0
TEAMS
Blues XI
1 Jack Giddens
2 Jay Porter
5 Sam Robbins (Johnson 45’)
7 Jonny Giles (Goal 36’)
9 Chris Harris (Thomas 62’)
10 Frankie Merrifield (Goal 67’)
12 Jack Thomas
15 Ryan Charles
17 Mark Haines (Olufemi 38’)
18 Ollie Peters
19 Harry Beadle (Yellow card 45’)
Subs
8 Matt Johnson
11 Tosin Olufemi
14 Darren Foxley
16 Charlie Allum
20 Donell Thomas
Bowers & Pitsea XI
1 Kie Plumley
2 Dylan Thistleton
4 Bola Dawodu
5 Dexter Peter (c)
6 Jamal Allen
7 Freddie Hockey (Campbell-Mhlope 60’)
8 Ridwan Ajala (Yellow card 47’) (Knott 62’)
9 Sonny Fish (Yellow card 35’)
12 Julian Gibson (Fernandes 68’)
17 Emmanuel Oluwasemo
18 Duane Ofori-Acheampong (Yellow card 77’)
Subs
11 Billy Knott
15 Matthew Campbell-Mhlope
16 Michael Bareck
19 Samson Bello
20 Valckx Fernandes
Attendance 312
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