Monday, Mar 24th, 2025

Yate Town Football Club

TEAM - Tim, Lee, Craig, Andy M, Jamie, Cookie, Si R, Jon C, Jason H, Elliott, Julian.Jon C.

SUBS - Arron, Ant, Duds

MNF This fixture has been moved from the Sunday due to Yate having a wedding to go to.  Monday were their usual accommodating selves and agreed to swap the fixture for the Monday evening.  The change seemed to help Monday's recruitment effort and at one stage we had 16 players!  That was dropped down to 14 on the evening.

Turning up to the ground, Monday were greeted by a player tunnel and even the match ball on a display unit on the exit out of the tunnel!  All very professional.  Upon warming up - it quickly became apparent that Yate not only had their usual 20 players, but also they had their regular 'stars' on show and even a youngster who was going to play the last 15 minutes.  He was the son of one of the Yate strikers.  Despite his youth and speed, seeing the father and son play up front really did highlight why this rule exists.

Yate got off to a flying start and immediately were putting their early possession to good use.  When Monday got the ball - they would panic and give it away cheaply.  Elliot and Julian up front were not seeing nearly enough of the ball.  Scott Murray sitting in the Pirlo role was busy running things and it wasn't that much of a surprise that he picked up a lay off on the edge of the box and rolled the ball into the bottom corner, giving Tim no chance.  This had come after some neat play from Yate leading up to the goal.  1-0 Yate

That seemed to give Monday a bit of a kick and, after Yate fashioned one more decent chance, things started to shift in Monday's favour. Both Si and Cookie got in on a few occasions down their wings to fire in crosses that no one could quite get on the end of.  Si had a good low shot saved neatly by the Yate keeper who was called into action for the first time.  And Cookie got behind the defence only for the ball to bobble agonisingly to far ahed of him.  Monday's good play continued after the first round of subs, with things fairly even. 

Then a quality through ball from Scott split our defence. Lee, playing his first game back since the first game of the season, couldn't quite get back and their left winger cut inside and smashed a shot in from close range.  2-0 Yate

Half-time

Monday's half-time team talk was very much 'more of the same'.  Monday had grown and grown into the first half with the half finishing evenly.  There isn't much to do in Yate on a Monday night and by the halfway point - seemingly half the town had turned up to watch.  The bar was open as well, so they were enjoying themselves with a pint and a spliff!

Monday started the second half very much the better team.  Yate could not get the ball forward and when they did - it didn't come to anything.  Monday were confident on the ball and moved the ball forward through the lines nicely.  Chance after chance came.

Elliot had a couple of shots from 12-18 yards out that went just wide or just over.  Then Elliot's shots started to get on target.  A couple of really neat saves from their keeper kept denying Elliot his goal.  All the chances had come from neat play and he was linking up nicely with his now fellow striker Ant.  

Monday finally got one back when Arron swung the corner in.  It just missed Scott Murray on the front post and landed on Cookie's head who expertly directed it past the excellent Yate keeper.  2-1.

Further chances came for Monday.  Arron, now at right-back, had a powerful long range shot neatly tipped over after stealing the ball off Scott Murray.  Jamie had a dipping shot tipped onto the bar resulting in an unsuccessful goal line scramble.  And Ant nearly got on the end of a brilliant low and powerful cross in from the left.

As Monday kept pressing for the equaliser, Yate brought on their rapid 17-year-old son of striker Twaine Plummer.  He immediately had an impact by showing his pace sprinting past Jamie down the right.  He even nearly got past Craig!  Only for Craig to scramble back just in time to put it out for a corner.  Arron also had to stretch as much as he possibly could to get a block on a shot.

Yate finally got a 3rd as Monay threw men forward.  A ball was played over the top to Plummer senior, and he bullied Duds off the ball before Andy's leg went into cramp and Tim had committed himself too soon.  He got past Tim and just had to roll it in from 8 yards out.  3-1

The game then finished shortly after.  

A very friendly game with some excellent play from both teams on a quite bobbly pitch.

The usual feeling of heart break was not really present after this fixture given how well Monday had played and what a good match it had been.  Yes, the pitch was a bit bobbly, and Lee the ref may not have seen everything, but all in all it was a great fixture to be a part of and one where Monday had had most of the chances in the game.  

The league might now be gone but we have 2 very exciting fixtures in May to finish off the season at home.  Lets finish the season on a high.

MOM - Cookie