Gareth Couch playing his last match before jetting off to Australia kept his sixth clean sheet of the season and netted a penalty to leave the Reserves still in pole position in the league. As early as the fourth minute Shaun Best made a run through the middle and passed to Lee Parfitt who knocked it into Ali Walkley's path.  Ali crossed from the left but it was just too long and went out for a goal kick.  

After 6 minutes we won a corner on our right which Mark Jones headed goalwards but the defender was in the right place to clear off the line. 5 minutes later it looked as though we'd gone one up when Ali Walkley played a through ball to Adam Beynon who netted but the ref decided he was offside. It was only a short respite for Village as on 14 minutes Adam Beynon and Ali Walkley opened up the Village defence and Shaun Morgan picked up the through ball and placed his shot wide to the keeper's left. 

Following a period of little action Shaun Best won the ball and found Shaun Morgan who played it through for Lee Parfitt but the keeper closed him down and he shot over the bar. Scott Bamsey was picking up a lot of loose balls in the middle of the park and he found Shaun Best who beat a couple of players only to be fouled just outside the area.  Ali Walkley fired his shot straight into the Village wall and they then won a free kick for hand ball.  Scott Bamsey, Shaun Best and Mark Jones were putting the Village defence under all sorts of pressure and they couldn't handle Shaun Best's runs down the right.

Just after the half hour Ali Walkley broke down the left and fed Mark Jones who made space and shot from wide left of the area but his shot went across goal and out for a goal kick.  We increased our lead on 39 minutes when a poor back pass to the keeper put him under pressure from Mark Jones.  Mark won the ball went around the keeper and fired into the empty net from wide left of the area.  From the kick off Adam Beynon went through the middle and passed to Mark Jones who shot and beat the keeper but a defender got back to clear the danger. 

Just before half time we played a free kick into the box and it bounced around between both sides like a ping pong ball before Village finally cleared the danger.  Village ended the half with a couple of corners which we dealt with without too much difficulty. Spurred on by the finish to the first half Village attacked and Gareth Couch dived to his left to save a goalbound shot.  We responded with Mark Jones beating a defender and laying the ball off for Ali Walkley but his first time shot from outside the area went wide.

We went three up after 51 minutes when Mark Jones chased a through ball into the box and was felled by the keeper.  Gareth Couch netted the resultant penalty with a fierce shot down the middle.  That effectively was game over it was now seeing whether we could again keep a clean sheet.  Village won a free kick just after the hour but it was cleared by Adam Beynon who found Shaun Best on the right, he in turn found Mark Jones but his shot was blocked and went for a corner. The Village keeper made a full length save from a Lee Parfitt shot with the rebound finding a Village defender who cleared the danger. 

With just over 10 minutes to go Mark Jones should have made it 4-0 but from a good position he headed over the bar.  He did get his second with 7 minutes to go when a good run by substitute Jackson Gammond put him in the clear and he found Mark in the area.  Mark shot on the turn and although the keeper got a hand to the ball it had too much power for him and nestled in the back of the net.  Shaun Morgan almost had a second goal with 4 minutes to go when Ali Walkley intercepted a through ball and passed to Adam Beynon.  Adam knocked it wide to Shaun who hit it first time and the ball cannoned off the crossbar.  Again Village tried to end the half strongly and looked to get something on the board, this coupled with some sloppy defending looked as though Village would get something but in the dying seconds Gareth Couch went full length to make an excellent save and preserve his season's record.

Lido:
Gareth Couch  Justin Williams  David Kingdom  Scott Bamsey  Leigh Shrimpton  Shaun Morgan  Shaun Best  Adam Beynon  Mark Jones  Lee Parfitt Ali Walkley.

Subs:
12 Jackson Gammomd for Lee Parfitt 69
14 Josh Cokely for David Kingdom  70
15 Tom Darlington for Shaun Best 70

There were no bookings

Match Report by Peter Reynolds

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