Cornard United 1 Reserves 4

The Reserves under the new management team of Paul Bugg & Stuart Reavell began their league season with an away trip to Cornard United. The weather that greeted them on their arrival was anything but summer-like with a torrential downpour including hailstones and even a flash of lightning. However the game kicked off in bright sunshine and we had the better of the very early exchanges but fell behind to an unchallenged far post header from a free kick. This after only 5 minutes. Arguably the turning point in the game came in the 19th minute. Regan Pelling chased a through ball and the advancing goalkeeper parried the ball over his head, Regan continued his run a placed the ball into the centre of the empty goal. At this point the Referee blew his whistle and conferred with his Assistant who confirmed that the ball had been handled outside the penalty area. Rather than playing the advantage, letting the goal stand and issuing a yellow card to the ‘keeper he awarded a free kick and sent off the goalkeeper. We failed to capitalise on the resultant free kick. It was a further 10 minutes before we got on the scoresheet. A poor goal kick from the substitute goalkeeper was picked up by Kevin Inglis who slipped the ball into the path of Regan Pelling who calmly chipped the advancing ‘keeper. In the time added on at the end of the half a left wing Kevin Inglis corner was headed in, unopposed by Harry Knights.

6 minutes into the second half Regan Pelling extended our lead placing his penalty low to Cornard’s third goalkeeper of the afternoon’s left. The penalty had been given for a push as the ball was played in from a right wing corner. 10 minutes later our hosts were further depleted when the same player who had been booked in the penalty award took out Toby Groom and hence received his marching orders. With only nine men to play against it was almost inevitable that we would increase our lead and indeed in the 71st minute we did with Regan Pelling again on target to complete his hat-trick. A Kevin Inglis free kick on the edge of the box was played to the side of the wall to an unmarked Regan who had time and space to turn and shoot home. Subs Tom Mansfield & Matt Oliver replaced Deivydas Andriuskevicius and Jac Garrard before the re-start. The final substitution saw Joe Murphy replace Alfie Norman for the last 17 minutes which were played out a walking pace.

FT – Cornard United 1 Leiston Reserves 4