The Dev played out a very entertaining 1 v 1 draw on the pitch but the highlight of the day happened before the game started.
10 mascots from our youth U7, U8 and U9’s lead the players out at the Ray Mac and had a day they and their parents will remember for some time. A crowd of over 100 including children was far higher than the 33 on the opening day of the season, and so was the income for the club and the funding of the development side.
On to the reason most in the ground had come for, the match, it started as it intended to continue with end to end football but little work for either goal keeper.
Blunny who won promotion to the county premier division by going unbeaten in the Swindon and district premier league last season, certainly showed why they achieved that incredible achievement and the start they have enjoyed at the higher level so far this season.
It wasn’t until the 33rd minute when the younger Arnold, Carson put Roocroft through down the left channel, and from there on it was all about Dyllan twisting and turning near the touchline and fired in a shot from an impossible angle, I suspect every body including the goal keeper thought he was going to pull it back and the shot certainly took the keeper by surprise and he was slightly only so slightly off his line, the shot squirmed in behind him and into the back of the net. 1 v 0.
The Whites if anything had slightly more of the chances in the closing period of the 1st half but given how this game played out did rely on a bit of luck at the same time, when a rocket of a shot beat Dan McCarthy hands down, but rebounded off the bar directly to a Blunsdon player who at that point had an open goal to shoot at, but his shot went high over the bar.
The Whites saw it out to half time and further opportunities came and went, one of note was when striker Ed Timperley dropped deep and dinked a lovely ball over the defence for the rapid Omario Henry to run on to, unfortunately his first touch took him a little wide and by the time he could shoot the angle had narrowed too much, the shot flew past the far post. Half time 1 v 0.
The 2nd half started the same way with chances for both sides but no further goals until that is the 72nd minute when the visitors finally took a chance to level the scores, being honest it was no less than they deserved.
The game didn’t fizzle out to a boring score draw, both sides where going for the win but good keeping, poor finishing perhaps too, but at the final whistle it ended 1 v 1.
The referee on the day Andy Meaden said in the bar after the game that ‘what a lovely game that was to officiate, two teams trying to play good football and played in the right spirit’. He was right.
One of the opposition players commented post game that the dev were a step up from any team they have played this season and last when they were winning by 6-7 goals every week. High praise for a seriously young whites side.
The Dev move on to Tuesday evening when we host Devizes town 1st team in a league game to be played at the home of our friends Bemerton Heath Harlequins at Moon Park. This will be another tough game in search of our first 3 points this season. A defeat and two draws is our haul so far, but confidence is high and two new signings today and the return of Will Waterson will add to our resources and with Waterson also to our goal scoring ability.
Subs all used
Ben Jones, Jayden Goodhall, Roman McGettigan, Gary Hind
MOTM: Prince Da Cruz Coquenao
