Bransgore score five as Loco capitulate

Ferndowns finest football team played the only team in the village on Sunday, as we travelled to Bransgore for our first game of the season.  Bransgore are a good side, and they successfully drubbed up by a number of goals last season, so we were certainly hoping that the same would not happen again this week on a very sunny Sunday at Bransgore Rec.

The game began with Kris Legg in goal - Mat Robinson, Neil, Chris Hopkins and Jimmy at the back.  In midfield was Dave, Big Jim, Dan Carr, and Kyle - and this put Jonny and Ali up front.  Andy and Mellor Eaton were on the bench.

Loco were in control for long periods of the opening stages of the game at Bransgore, and really didn’t  look like conceding - however in the same breath, you could also say that we didn’t look like scoring either.  Although Kyle’s pace was going to worry the village defenders, he simply didn’t have a look in, as the Bransgore boys marked him out of the game.

Apart from long balls up the penalty area, attacks from the Ferndown side ere few and far between - and it was worrying when the home sdie eventually took the lead, as for a while, it was looking like we were not going to get back into the game.  Indeed the goal for Bransgore came after a bit of a defensive lapse, and as the ball rolled into the back of the net, the frustration and concern on the Loco faces was evident.

However, we did rally, and some good touches, specially at the back from Neil, meant distrubtion was excellent.  The defender, who has been a rock for us, was superb in hitting the channels, and most of his invovlement in the half helped the side to crve out chances, with Jonny looking meancing on a number of occsions.  But, it was not to be and the half time whistle blew with Loco 1-0 down.

Half time: AFC Bransgore 1 - 0 Ferndown Locomotive

So, either Loco really, or we capitulate.  Legend would suggest that it would be the latter… however it wasn’t, it was the former (well, until 80 minutes anyway).

For large parts of the second half we were resolute, and Bransgore didn’t look like scoring.  Mat, Neil, Chris and Jimmy were strong, and the Loco midfield worked tirelessly in order to keep them from doing too much work. At the other end of the pitch, Kyle looked as though he might be able to forge out some chances on more than one occasion, however the London young gun just didn’t have his shooting boots on.

It was almost as if Bransgoe took some inspiration from our lack of joy in front of goal, as they started going goal crazy towards the end of the game, scoring four in the space of ten terrible minutes.  It was not the way we wanted to finish the game, but it all started when a speculative cross somehow found its way into the net.  Once that goal went in, we knew there was Bob Hope or no hope.. and Bob Hope is dead.

There were some well taken gols in amongst the final stages of the game, and although subs Andy and Kirk came on to try to mix things up, their involvement was all too late - and the final whistle blew, with Loco’s goal difference suffering to the tune of five.

Final Score: AFC Bransgore 5 - 0 Ferndown Locomotive