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FOXES STING THE WASPS IN OVERTIME!
- Rich Ford
- May 6, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 11
A dramatic final week for Lee Perks and his Foxes, saw them overcome a heavy schedule of 13 games in just over a month to regain promotion back to the Toolstation Western League Premier division, two seasons after taking voluntary relegation to save the club. Brislington followed Odd Down out of the Premier league after a season with travel requirements that eclipsed even the step 4 southern league above it! The burden that subsequently finished Ashton & Backwell, and forced Bitton to pull out mid season.
With Tavistock, Mousehole, Helston, and Falmouth now no longer in the TSW Premier division, the travel has significantly reduced and with a league title and now a play off win behind them the increased crowd numbers and a flourishing U18's set up, Brislington FC looks stronger than it has done for quite some time.
Having played just one league game in February, and two in march Brislington were facing a shattering run in through April. Having beaten eventual champions Portishead on the 26th March, the Foxes were halted in their tracks by Hallen leaving them no margin for error and subsequent losses to Bristol Telephones, and Portishead ruled out back to back 1st division titles meaning that the only chance of promotion would be through the play off's. April’s itinerary saw games played on the 1st, 6th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 20th, 23rd, 25th, with the final league game being played at the GFA headquarters artificial pitch against Warminster on the 27th. Brislington's final placement being 7th, (even though they were still league's top scorers) and with Bitton & Cribbs ineligible for promotion, if the Foxes were going to progress it would have to be the hard way, via two away games!! With the Semi final on the 30th then ultimately the final five days later.
A 2-1 loss away to 2nd placed Radstock on the 23rd, was to be a dress rehearsal for the play off Semi Final and a titanic battle saw the Foxes pip the Miners when it mattered most. Dean Griffiths scoring late on, the only goal of a tight and feisty encounter to set up a play off Final against fourth placed finishers Wincanton who had come from 3-1 down to defeat Wells city 6-4 in a barmy encounter at Moor Lane.
With one last effort the Foxes headed south for the winner takes all game on warm sunny afternoon, which no doubt helped boost the considerable crowd.
Would the past 30 or so days have taken too much out of the players, or would they be able to muster one last push?
The initial signs weren't good, with the home side taking an early 4th minute lead through Jaimie Thompson. Using their considerable height advantage and some unedifying simulation tactics to win free kicks allowing them to bomb balls in to the visitors box at any, and every occasion!!
On this occasion, Thompson capitalised on the chaos that reigned in on the Brislington penalty area, by arriving first to a knockdown, putting the ball into Dorringtons far left corner from the middle of a packed penalty area.
The sluggish start continued, and it got worse for the visitors who conceded a poor penalty 20 minutes later. Asa White's lethargic half challenge was penalised harshly after the forwards fall which looked more manufactured than genuine (Veo footage firmly supporting that claim) provided the Wasps with a penalty. This allowed Tom Jarvis to convert on 25 minutes putting the hosts 2-0 up at the break.
The body language suggested 'dead and buried', there was fight, but no belief and no one watching could have predicted the turn around that was to come!
No changes were made at half time and the performance did improve but there was no breakthrough and it was clear that a change of approach was called for. Plummer & Williams made way for Kington & McLennan, and just like that the game turned.
A departure from a direct approach saw Kington pulling the strings and McClennan running riot. This lifted everyone on the pitch (in red) and seemed to bewilder the wasps who up until that point had been so assured. It didn't take long for Kington to break Wincanton's resilient defence. Just over 60 seconds in fact!
His free kick from the left curling in at the far post with help from a glancing header by Wasps defender who was desperately trying, but failed to reach the ball, giving the Foxes a lifeline. The dejected figures of the first half were now standing tall, with an air of expectation!!
10 minutes later it was even. After a flurry of decent chances Joe McClennan found the equaliser with the help of the diabolical pitch which flummoxed the home keeper. A breakaway from a Wincanton free kick found Buck who raced away to the left, the pacey front man turned inside to see, then find, McClennan who had kept pace and his shot along the ground from the edge of the box somehow bobbled through the diving keeper, 2-2 and silenced the home crowd.
The tide had well and truly turned, and the momentum was with the Foxes!
Unfortunately a heavy collision between Griffiths and the Wincanton keeper saw the striker having to leave the fray after a lengthy stoppage for treatment and an attempt to carry on. This was a blow to the Foxes as Perks was forced to re-jig the side. Tobin coming on at left back, Dunn moving forward and McClennan redeployed to the right so that Buck could move into the centre.
This had no effect on the momentum though, and the Foxes continued to strive with McClennan, Scadding, Dunn and Buck all having good chances to get the third, while Wincanton looked lost, still trying to make the most of set pieces, however they were few and far between as the Foxes dominated possession.
Then came the winner, Kington dropped to get a Ben Withey throw once again showing the calmness that had been lacking all game, before drifting the ball beyond the back line for Lewis Dunn to arrive at the near post and glance in his header down low to the keepers left, sparking a mini pitch invasion from the bench, including one very happy Gaffer!
With the celebration over, the orchestrator of this comeback Ash Kington was forced to leave the pitch because of an injury to his groin, but in all honesty his work was done.
With 6 minutes of overtime left, the home side looked to throw more bodies forward but as with most of the second half, the visitors were dealing with the chaotic high balls well, and still caused some issues in the other direction to keep the home side on their toes.
Finally with 100 minutes on the clock the full time whistle was blown and the Foxes were promoted back to the Toolstation Western League Premier Division.
Well done boys UTF 🦊❤️
Monday, it’s down to Ironmould Lane for the U18’s final home game and a chance to win the league!!
