BUCS Premier League South: Hartpury 3-1 Bath

Hartpury Senior 1^st Team entertained Bath at home on a lovely mild winter’s day. The weather was perfect with hardly any wind and the sun was shining for the first BUCS league game after the Christmas break.

Hartpury started extremely brightly and had two attempts cleared off the line within the first five minutes. But totally against the run of play, it was Bath who made the breakthrough. A long ball out from defence caught the Hartpury defenders napping and somehow the ball found its way to the feet of the Bath striker who advanced one against one with James Nortei in the Hartpury goal. He took the shot early and rolled the ball to the side of Nortei and into the net.

If anything, this seemed to galvanise Hartpury and their pursuit of finding a goal. They continued their dominance and were unlucky with Max Etheridge, Jack Winter and Jack Harris all denied by either good saves or good defensive blocks from Bath. But the equaliser was scored by Max Etheridge. A super run down the right hand side by Jack Winter left him almost on the touch line and he produced a hard, low driven cross and the ball was bravely rammed home by Etheridge from a few yards.

Hartpury did not take their foot off the gas and they found themselves in a great position to take the lead when Bath did not clear the ball from the eighteen yard box. Jake Parrott closed down and chased to get the ball back off the opposition and a wild swipe from a Bath player resulted with a penalty. Parrott bravely stepped up and dispatched the kick, high into the top left corner.

Half-Time: Hartpury 2-1 Bath

The second half continued in the same manner as the first and Hartpury were dominant from the outset. This time the first real chance of the half was taken. Another scintillating dribble from Winter on the right produced a tantalising cross into a dangerous area between goalkeeper and defence. Etheridge was intent on beating everyone to the ball and forced the ball over the line to make the score 3-1.

The game then really petered out and although Hartpury were still in control, another clear cut chance was not really created by either team. Hartpury very professionally dealt with the game and knowing that they had won the game, saw the game out to the final whistle.

Hartpury: Nortei, Roome, Tasker, Hancock, Clarke, Baldwin, Winter, Macklin, Etheridge, Parrott, Harris.

Subs: Holloway>Winter, Dingri>Parrott, Wood>Harris

Subs not used: Marsh, Knott