MATCH REPORTS

BUSTLEHOLME STARTED THE FIRST 10 MINUTES OF THE GAME VERY BRIGHTLY AND FOUND THEMSELVES UNLUCKY NOT TO HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD. EAST PARK THEN GOT THEMSELVES WELL ORGANISED AND BUSTLEHOLME WERE SECOND BEST FOR THE REST OF THE HALF.

A PIECE OF SLACK PLAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK LEAD TO EAST PARK'S BUSY FORWARD BEING ABLE TO TUCK AWAY A ONE ON ONE WITH ANTHONY MADDOCK. BUSTLEHOLME FOUND THEMSELVES LUCKY NOT TO BE FURTHER BEHIND THANKS TO SOME GOOD DEFENSIVE PLAY AND A SMART SAVE FROM MADDOCK.

AT THE INTERVAL, THE COACHING TEAM OF DAN 'O' KEEFE AND ROSS MADDOCK BLASTED THE PLAYERS FOR THEIR POOR LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE. THEY WERE TOLD TO GET THE BALL DOWN AND PLAY MORE. THEIR WAS A TACTICAL CHANGE MADE, WHICH SAW THE TEAM REVERT TO A 4-3-3 FORMATION FROM 3-5-2.

ATHLETIC CAME OUT THE BLOCKS SECOND HALF AND PILED THE PRESSURE ON EAST PARK. SOME BRILLIANT WORK BY LUKE MGHEE HELPED THE HOSTS TO WIN A CORNER. FROM THE RESULTING INSWINGING CORNER FROM ISAAC COOPER, BEN 'O' KEEFE TUCKED AWAY A NEATLY PLACED SHOT.

OVERALL A POINT APIECE WAS PROBABALY A FAIR REFLECTION OF THE GAME. BUSTLEHOLME WILL BE LOOKING TO ADD TO THEIR POINTS TALLY NEXT WEEK WHEN THEY TRAVEL TO ALL SAINTS JUNIORS.

BUSTLEHOLME ATHLETIC TRAVELLED TO ALL SAINTS JUNIORS FOR THEIR FIRST AWAY GAME OF THE SEASON. ALL SAINTS JUNIORS THE PREVIOUS WEEK HAD WON AWAY FROM HOME 5-1.

AFTER THE OPENING TEN MINUTES OF FEW CHANCES, BUSTLEHOLME PILED THE PRESSURE ON WITH SOME NEATLY PLAYED FOOTBALL FROM THE BACK. SOON THE LONG BALLS STARTED COMING FROM ALL SAINTS AND THEIR PLAYER IN THE FREE ROLE SOON FOUND HE HAD MET HIS MATCH IN JOE HUNT, WHO HAD A SUPERB GAME AT CENTRE HALF.

ABOUT 20 MINUTES INTO THE GAME, BUSTLEHOLME WHO WHERE NOT AT THEIR BEST TOOK THE LEAD WITH QUICK THINKING FROM JAY JOHAL WHO CAME SHORT FOR A CORNER AND GAVE IT BACK TO ISAAC COOPER WHO PUT A TEASING BALL INTO THE BOX WHICH FOUND IT'S WAY INTO THE TOP OF THE NET.

AT HALF TIME THE SCORE WAS 1-0 IN ATHLETICS FAVOUR. THE LADS WERE TOLD TO GET THE BALL DOWN AND PLAY WITH HEART AND COMMITMENT, SOMETHING WHICH WAS SHOWN BY EVERY SINGLE PLAYER ON THE PARK IN A YELLOW AND GREEN KIT.

THE SECOND HALF AND A STRONG ALL SAINTS CAME OUT THE BLOCKS AND PILED THE PRESSURE ON, WHICH BUSTLEHOLME WERE ABLE TO DEAL WITH AT THE BACK WITH SOME SUPERB DEFENDING. IN THE LAST FIVE MINUTES SUPERB DEFENDING FROM JACOB WHITEHOUSE IN HIS OWN BOX AND THEN A SUPERB ONE HANDED SAVE BY ANTHONY MADDOCK HELPED ATHLETIC TO THREE POINTS.

OVERALL, BUSTLEHOLME TOOK ALL THREE POINTS FROM A TEAM WHICH I BELIEVE WILL BE UP NEAR THE TOP OF THE LEAGUE COME THE END OF THE SEASON. A MAGNIFICENT AWAY PERFORMANCE. IF THE EFFORT AND FOOTBALL STAYS AT THE SAME LEVEL BUSTLEHOLME WILL SURELY BE CHALLENGING AT THE TOP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.

BUSTLEHOLME ATHLETIC TRAVLELLED TO ALL STAR HARRIERS IN WHAT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A TOUGH GAME. WHEN THE PLAYERS ARRIVED THEY SAW THAT THE PITCH THEY WERE GOING TO BE PLAYING ON HAD A HUGE SLOPE ON IT, SOMETHING THEY WOULD HAVE TO ADAPT TO.

ATHLETIC STARTED SLOWLY AND WERE PUT UNDER IMMEDIATE PRESSURE, WITH THE HOME TEAM PLAYING LONG BALLS OVER THE TOP USING THE SLOPE TO THEIR ADVANTAGE AND SOON FOUND THEMSELVES 1-0 UP AND LOOKING STRONG. AFTER TWENTY MINUTES, BUSTLEHOLME STARTED POPPING THE BALL AROUND THE PITCH AND WERE LOOKING MORE LIKE THEIR USUAL SELVES.

AROUND THIRTY MINUTES INTO THE GAME A SUPERB BALL ACROSS FROM DRAY ORGILL WAS PUT AWAY BY JOSHUA HEATH WHO GOT A GREAT CONNECTION ON THE BALL AND IT FLEW PAST THE OPPOSITION KEEPER TO LEVEL THE SCORE.

THE HALF TIME BREAK CAME AND BUSTLEHOLME WERE RIGHT BACK IN THE GAME. THE LADS WERE TOLD TO KEEP THE BALL ON THE DECK AND PLAY THEIR GAME. THE LAST THING WE WANTED TO WATCH WAS LONG BALL AFTER LONG BALL BEING PUMPED INTO THEIR HALF, JUST BECAUSE OF THE SLOPE WE HAD IN OUR FAVOUR.

ATHLETIC SOON STEPPED UP ANOTHER GEAR AND A CORNER FROM LUKE McGEE CAUSED ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS AND FOUND IT'S WAY INTO THE KEEPERS HANDS, WHO LOOKED AS THOUGH HE WAS BEHIND THE LINE. THE REF SAID 'PLAY ON' BUT THEIR LINESMAN PUT HIS FLAG UP AND TOLD THE REF THE BALL HAD CROSSED THE LINE AND THE SCORE STOOD 1-2 IN ATHLETICS FAVOUR.

AFTER BUSTLEHOLME TOOK THE LEAD THEY DOMINATED AND TWO MORE EXCELLENT AND CONTENDERS FOR GOAL OF THE SEASON WERE SCORED BY ISSAC COOPER AND BEN 'O' KEEFE TO LEAVE BUSTLEHOLME 4-1 UP.

OVERALL, A 4 - 1 WIN AWAY FROM HOME IN ANY GAME IS AN EXCELLENT RESULT AND A PERFORMANCE TO MATCH WITH IT IN THE SECOND HALF. THE RESULT KEEPS UP THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE TEAM OF CHALLENGING AT THE TOP OF THE LEAGUE.

ATHLETIC WELCOMED SPRINGVALE DOWN TO CHARLEMONT FARM AND THE SPECTATORS WERE TREATED TO A GOOD GAME OF FOOTBALL, MARRED ONLY BY A 'DODGY' REF.

THE FIRST HALF AN HOUR WAS AN END TO END GAME WITH PLENTY OF CHANCES, MOSTLY IN SPRINGVALE'S FAVOUR. BUSTLEHOLME'S DEFENCE WERE AT THEIR BEST ON A NUMBER OF TIMES TO KEEP OUT THE OPPOSTIONS LIVELY STRIKERS. AT HALF TIME THE LADS WENT IN EQUAL AT 0-0.

THE SECOND HALF, BUSTLEHOLME CAME OUT ALL ATTACK AND PLAYED SOME EXCELLENT FOOTBALL AND EVENTUALLY WENT 1-0 UP THANKS TO A NEAT FINISH FROM THE UNFIT BEN 'O' KEEFE. BUSTLEHOLME KEPT THE PRESSURE UP BUT UNFORTUNATELY WERE CAUGHT OUT WHN A LONG RANGE SHOT FROM SPRINGVALE FOUND ITS WAY INTO THE NET AND EQUALLED THE SCORE AT 1-1.

THE GAME WAS A WELL MATCHED AFFAIR AND OVERALL A DRAW AND A POINT A PIECE WAS FAIR. BUSTLEHOLME STILL UNBEATEN AT THE START OF THIS SEASON.

NEXT WEEK BUSTLEHOLME HAVE A WEEK OFF FROM LEAGUE ACTION AND ARE AT HOME TO WITHYMOOR COLTS OF THE STOURBRIDGE YOUTH LEAGUE IN THE SOUTH STAFFS CUP.

BUSTLEHOLME WENT INTO THEIR FIRST CUP COMPETITION AGAINST OPPONENTS WHO THEY HAD LAST PLAYED A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN THEY WERE FIRST SET UP AS BUSTLEHOLME ATHLETIC AND BEATEN 2-1. WELL HAVEN'T TIMES CHANGED AT THE CLUB.

WITHIN THE FIRST TWO MINUTES ISAAC COPPER HAD PUT ATHLETIC INTO THE LEAD AND WITHIN A MINUTE OF THE RESTART COOPER HAD HIS AND THE TEAMS SECOND GOAL OF THE GAME WITH AN ABSOLUTE PURE CLASS FINISH. ATHLETIC COULDN'T OF ASKED FOR A BETTER START. BUSTLEHOLME WERE TOTALLY DOMINATING THE GAME AND PLAYING SOME OF THE CREATIVE FOOTBALL THEY HAD BEEN TOLD TO DO. SOON ISAAC COOPER HAD GOT HIS HAT TRICK AND BUSTLEHOLME WERE THREE UP WITHIN THE FIRST FIFTEEN MINUTES. THINGS COULDN'T HAVE GONE MUCH BETTER FOR SUMMER SIGNING ISAAC COOPER UNTIL HE GRABBED HIS AND THE TEAMS FOURTH GOAL OF THE GAME.

BUSTLEHOLME WERE REALLY IN THE MOOD AND WERE PLAYING SOME FANTASTIC FOOTBALL, PLAYING OUT FROM THE BACK AND LITERALLY JUST EXPRESSING THEMSELVES. JOSH HEATH GRABBED A GOAL WITH A GREAT FINISH, THE END PRODUCT OF A FANTASTIC RUN FROM THE MIDFIELDFER. BRAD FALMER SCORED A FANTASTIC LOB FIVE MINUTES BEFORE HALF TIME. A QUICK LAPSE IN CONCENTRATION SAW WITHYMOOR SCORE, WHICH THE TEAM WERE DISAPPOINTED TO CONCEDE AFTER SUCH A NEAR PERFECT FIRST HALF.

AT HALF TIME THE LADS WERE TOLD TO KEEP PLAYING THE BALL ROUND ON THE QUICK SURFACE. A LOT OF CHANGES WERE MADE WITH PLAYERS ASKED TO PLAY IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS.

THE SECOND HALF AND DRAY ORGILL MADE IT 7-1 WITH A COOL FINISH FROM THE BACK POST AFTER BRAD FALMER HAD HIT THE POST. FALMER THEN GOT HIS DOUBLE AND ATHLETICS EIGHTH GOAL OF THE GAME WITH A SUPERB DRIVED SHOT. JOSH HEATH CLAIMED HIS SECOND OF THE GAME AFTER SOME GREAT PLAY FROM LUKE McGHEE SET HIM UP AND HE FINISHED WITH A SUBLIME FINISH. 9-1 AND ATHLETIC WERE LOOKING SUPERB.

ANTHONY MADDOCK CAME OUT OF GOAL FOR CERTAIN REASONS AND ISAAC COOPER WENT IN GOAL JUST INCASE IN THE FUTURE ANYTHING HAPPENS TO MADDOCK. WELL, WELL, WELL WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT TWENTY MINUTES UPFRONT AND MADDOCK PUT AWAY A SUPERB SHOT UNDER THE BODY OF THE OPPOSITION KEEPER AND SCORED TO MAKE IT 10 - 1. WITH A COUPLE OF MINUITES REMAINING WHO WOULD BELIEVE IT, ANOTHER UNLIKELY SCORER, IN CENTRE BACK GRANT TEMPLETON WHO PUT AWAY A SUPERB SHOT OFF THE TOES OF CAPTAIN AND FELLOW CENTRE BACK JOE HUNT.

ATHLETIC GO INTO THE SECOND ROUND OF THIS PRESTIGOUS CUP AND LOOKING VERY STRONG. IF ATHLETIC KEEP THE FOOTBALL AT THE SAME STYLE AND TEMPO AS THIS GAME THEY WILL BE CHALLENGING, HOPEFULLY AT THE LATTER STAGES OF THE CUP.

ATHLETIC TRAVELLED TO PREMIER DIVISION SIDE EUROFAST. THIS WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A TOUGH TEST, BUT WAS MADE HARDER WITH THE ABSCENCE OF JOE HUNT, BRAD FALMER AND JORDAN DRUMMOND.

FIVE MINUTES INTO THE GAME AND BUSTHLEHOLME WERE 1-0 UP WHEN JACOB WHITEHOUSE (WHO DESERVES PRAISE FOR CONTINUEING IN THE GAME AFTER A CHALLENGE LEFT HIM WITH WHAT IS BELIEVED A SERIOUS INJURY TO HIS WRIST, AND WAS UNBELEIVABLE FOR THE WHOLE TIME HE WAS ON THE PITCH) FIRED IN A LONG RANGE FREE KICK, A DEFINATE CONTENDER FOR GOAL OF THE SEASON. THEN AFTER ANOTHER NEAT MOVE FROM MIDFIELD THE BALL WAS PLAYED UPTO THE SUPERB LUKE McGHEE WHO FIRED AWAY A LOW SHOT UNDER THE BODY OF THE OPPOSITION KEEPER.

AFTER BEING 2-0 UP AND PLAYING SOME GOOD, NEAT FOOTBALL, THE LADS CONCEDED A SLOPPY GOAL AND THEN GIVING AWAY A CORNER, ALTHOUGH IT LOOKED A GOAL KICK FROM WHERE I WAS AND CONCEDING OFF THAT. A THIRD GOAL CAME WHN ATHLETIC WERE DOWN TO NINE MEN ON THE PITCH AT ONE POINT.

WELL, THE SECOND HALF AND ATHLETIC DOMINATED AND WANTED THE BALL MORE THAN THE OPPOSITION AT TIMES, ALTHOUGH NOT ALL. A GREAT CLEARANCE BY ISAAC COOPER OFF THE LINE KEPT THE OPPOSITION AT BAY AND THEN A GREAT DOUBLE SAVE FROM ANTHONY MADDOCK AGAIN KEPT EIROFAST OUT. A COUPLE OF LATE CHANCES BY COOPER AND JOHAL NARROWLY MISSED THE GOAL AND ATHLETIC GOT CAUGHT ON THE BREAK AFTER GAMBLING BY ATTACKING IN NUMBERS. SO THE FINAL SCORE READ EUROFAST 4 - 2 BUSTLEHOLME ATHLETIC.

OVERALL, A SUPERB TEAM PERFORMANCE WHERE THE LADS CAN BE PROUD OF THEIR EFFORTS. ATHLETIC HAVE PROVED WE ALL AT THE TEAM NEW, DESERVE A PLACE AMONG THE ELITE LEAGUE FOR OUR AGE.

TODAY, ATHLETIC WERE TAUGHT A HARSH LESSON THAT THIS FIRST DIVISION IS GOING TO BE A HARD ONE TO GET OUT OF. THE LADS STARTED THE GAME IN POOR STYLE AND WENT BEHIND AFTER LESS THAN A MINUTE WITH POOR DEFENDING. JUST AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEN 'O' KEEFE WAS ENT OFF BY THE REFEREE (WHO I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT HAD A 'BAD' GAME AT THAT). FROM THE FOLLOWING FREE KICK IT WAS PUT AWAY BRILLIANTLY LEAVING MADDOCK WITH NO CHANCE. 2-0 DOWN WITH TEN MEN AND THINGS WEREN'T LOOKING BRIGHT, BUT TO THEIR CREDIT ATHLETIC CAME BACK TO 2-2 THANKS TO GOALS FROM DRAY ORGILL AND A PENALTY BY ISAAC COOPER. HALF TIME AND THE REFEREE HAD GOT IN THE KIDS HEAD, BOTH SIDES KIDS.

HALF TIME AND THE LADS WERE TOLD TO TAKE THE GAME TO HAWKES AND KEEP UP THE HARD WORK AND DOUBLE THEIR EFFORTS TO MAKE UP FOR THE MAN BEING SENT OFF.

WELL, WELL, WELL DID THEY LISTEN. NO!! THAT'S THE ANSWER, ATHLETIC WERE THREE, THEN FOUR DOWN BEFORE ANYONE KNEW IT. ATHLETIC FINALLY CRUMBLED AND THANKS TO SOME GOOD SAVES FROM MADDOCK AND GOOD DEFENDING BY THE LADS KEPT IT DOWN TO 8 GOALS AGAINST.

ATHLETIC WILL HAVE TO IMPROVE VASTLY TO HAVE ANY HOPE OF MOVING UP. BUT I HAVE FAITH IN THE LADS AND I THINK THEY HAVE THAT HARD WORKING ETHIC TO IMPROVE AND I AND THE REST OF THE MANAGEMENT TEAM ARE CONFIDENT THEY CAN.

P.S ATHLETIC ARE CURRENTLY STILL ON THE LOOK OUT FOR MORE PLAYERS, NOT JUST BECAUSE OF TODAYS RESULT BUT TO HELP CONSOLIDATE, OTHER THAN THIS GAME A GOOD START TO A LONG, HARD SEASON.