Hartpury FC fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat against 10-man Bideford AFC at The Sports Ground on Saturday.
Billy Osborn’s first half goal was cancelled out by two quickfire Bideford second half goals, settling this Southern League Div One South clash.
The first effort of the game fell to the Acorns on 14 minutes when Noah Coates saw a downward headed effort hooked clear off the line.
That was the only action until the 26th minute when Osborn turned home from close range, with the outside of his right foot, following a low cross from Coates.
Riley McGregor forced Robins goalkeeper, Luke Gwillam into a save six minutes with a driven effort from 20-yards being turned over.
The Acorns had the ball in the back of net again on 39 minutes but were denied the doubler when the referee blew up for a Hartpury foul just outside the area.
The resulting set piece came to nothing and that brought an end to the action for the first half, as the Acorns took a narrow lead into the break.
HALF TIME – BIDEFORD AFC 0-1 HARTPURY FC
Cameron Walters produced a goal saving block to deny a certain Bideford goal on 51 minutes but that block unfortunately took it out of Walters who subsequently left the field of play.
Three minutes later, Bideford levelled up the game when Jordan Ewing glanced a header past Seth Locke.
Bideford turned the game on its head on 58 minutes when Finn King-Smith turned home a rebound following a saved free-kick.
Locke was needed on 72 minutes to prevent another Bideford chance, getting down smartly at his near post to deny Ryan Downing’s driven effort.
The Acorns tried everything to get level and saw an effort cleared off the line following Osborn’s one-on-one effort being half saved by the goalkeeper up into the air needing a defender to hook the ball clear.
Luke Forward almost had a third for the Robins but could only drag his effort wide on 75 minutes, after a driving run from halfway.
Kian Davies saw a free-kick spilled by the goalkeeper, but Louis Manning couldn’t keep his follow up effort down on 76 minutes.
The Acorns were handed a little life line heading into the closing stages when Bideford were reduced ten men following the sending off of Jack Magartto.
Despite the extra man advantage, Manning could only drag an effort wide, and a last minute free-kick was headed over the bar seeing the Acorns to their first defeat since August.
The Acorns don’t have to wait long to try and put this right, as we travel to Bishops Cleeve on Tuesday night in the Southern League Div One South.
FULL TIME – BIDEFORD AFC 2-1 HARTPURY FC
STARTING XI: Locke (GK), Kent (Symons 90’), Ewing, Callow (Roney 64’), McGregor, Walters (Robinson 51’), Aldridge (Silva 67’), Davies, Jenkins, Coates (Manning 64’), Osborn ©
Written by Sam Yapp
