SATURDAY 14th JANUARY 2023
DIVISION TWO
ACES FC 8 BISHOPS CANNINGS FC 5
LITTLE AND SMART STAR FOR ACES
Earlier in the season Aces FC and Bishops Cannings played an exciting match in which they shared eight goals and this Gooding Accounts Ltd sponsored Division Two game eclipsed that game for goals with Aces running out 8 – 5 winners.
After a cagey opening ten minutes it was Aces who opened the scoring when Mike Little skipped round the Cannings keeper on the edge of the box and reached the by-line to cross for Reece Mortimer to stab home from close range.
On 25 minutes Aces double their advantage when a clearance found the dangerous Little 25 yards out who calmly controlled the ball and lobbed it back over the keeper’s head into the net.
This seemed to kick Bishops Cannings into life and after spurning a couple of chances Aaron Chivers pulled one back on 37 minutes.
On 45 minutes Aces conceded a penalty which Kieran Chivers calmly slotted home to level the match.
Cannings weren’t finished and pushing forward straight from the restart they scored a third when they forced an Aces own goal to turn the game on its head to take a 3 – 2 lead at the interval.
After the break Aces came out determined to get back into the game and it only took 5 minutes for them to level the match when Mike Little scored his second of the game from close range. The goal was originally flagged for offside but after consulting with the assistant, referee Brenchley awarded the goal.
Aces then re-took the lead on 58 minutes when after a mazy run Junior Smart fired home.
That lead only lasted 2 minutes as Cannings pushed forward again and a cross cum shot from Szymon Raczek flew over the Aces keeper’s head into the far corner of the net to make the score 4 – 4 matching the game earlier in the season.
The scoring in this match wasn’t over however and on 65 minutes Junior Smart scored his second of the afternoon when a clearance was headed on to him by Mike Little and he beat the keeper to restore Aces advantage.
3 minutes later, substitute Keegan Smart made it a father and son scoring act for Aces when he rifled home the sixth goal for the home team from fully 30 yards out.
2 minutes later Aces made the game safe when Mike Little completed his hat-trick, heading home number seven from a corner.
Not to be outdone, with ten minutes left on the clock Junior Smart also scored his third of the afternoon when he rose above the Cannings defence to head home number eight for Aces.
In an end-to-end match played in an excellent spirit it was Bishops Canning who completed the scoring when Anthony Freebody burst forward in the 83rd minute to slot home making the final score 8 – 5.
Next weekend a confident Aces FC travel to face Heytesbury Reserves while Bishops Cannings will be looking to bounce back when they entertain Hilperton Greyhound.