Adrian Swan

VCD Athletic Youth 0 v 5 Bridon Sports Youth

0-1 Adebiyi (17), 0-2 Giovagnoli (41), 0-3 Laggah-Adaakwa (57),

0-4 Laggah-Adaakwa (71), 0-5 Medley (73).

Third placed VCD Athletic entertained fourth placed Bridon Ropes on a very windy day at Oakwood.

The hosts, with the strong behind them, started the game brightly and had their first effort on goal when their dead ball specialist Liam Spellward hit a long range free kick from the half way line that bounced through to Bridon keeper Jack Wilson.

A neat passing move from the visitors on 7 minutes saw them go close to opening the scoring when the lively Patrick Giovagnoli sent over a left wing cross that the impressive Jack Kirby flicked goalwards, the ball falling to Che Quartey at the far post but his close range shot was well saved by home keeper Harrison Carnell-Davis diving low to his left.

Spellward then tried his luck from another free kick from some 25 yards that curled narrowly over before he had another long range shot that forced Wilson into a good diving save to his right to palm the ball away to safety.

Bridon then took the lead on 17 minutes when a cross into the box was only cleared out to the edge of the area where John Adebiyi hit a low first time shot that flew through the crowded goalmouth and beat Carnell-Davis to his right as the ball found the bottom corner of the net.

VCD then had a chance to equalise almost immediately as Ross Craig’s through ball put George Joyce in on goal but he hit his shot straight at Wilson.

Another excellent Spellward free kick then almost produced a goal for the hosts when he curled a 25 yard effort over the Bridon defensive wall only for Wilson to dive full length to his right and push the ball out to the left side of the box where it fell for Alfie Rhodes whose follow up shot from an acute angle flew into the side netting.

The visitors were then unlucky not to double their lead on 23 minutes when a great defensive splitting pass from William Powell put Giovagnoli through on goal and he raced into the box before hitting a low shot that saw the ball beat a diving Carnell-Davis to his left but rattle the post and fly out to safety.

Spellward then had another powerful long range shot deflect off a Bridon defender and almost wrong foot Wilson who managed to save diving low to his left for a corner.

Another swift counter attack saw Bridon go close to increasing their lead when Kirby played the ball up to Adam Cooke who in turn flicked the ball onto the run of Kirby into the box but he then shot straight at Carnell-Davis.

On the half hour mark VCD almost drew level when Craig made a good run down the right before cutting across the box and hitting a low shot that Wilson initially fumbled but managed to gather diving backwards before the ball crossed the goal line.

Joyce then tried his luck with a dipping long range shot that the busy Wilson saved diving to his left before the visitors made it two on 41 minutes when Giovagnoli showed great pace to burst through the centre of the VCD defence before slotting home low to the left of Carnell-Davis.

The final action of the first half saw VCD go close to reducing the arrears when a Stacey Petrou pass put Kameron Mendez in on goal on the left side of the area but his shot from a tight angle flew over.

It was Mendez who went close again early in the second half when his shot from wide left flashed narrowly wide across the face of goal with Petrou stretching at the far post unable to get a touch.

Bridon then went close to making it three when a neat interchange between half time substitute Joshua Laggah-Adaakwa and Giovagnoli saw the latter’s pass put Laggah-Adaakwa in on goal but his fierce drive was well saved by the home keeper diving low to his right.

However on 57 minutes it was three when Giovagnoli’s right wing cross found Laggah-Adaakwa in the box and he rifled the ball home high to the right of Carnell-Davis.

It was nearly four just after the hour mark when Adebiyi’s long range shot was acrobatically saved by Carnell-Davis diving high to his left tipping the ball onto the bar and out to safety before Nathan Medley curled a shot just over.

Joyce’s through pass then put Mendez in on goal but his close range shot was well blocked by Wilson.

Then VCD almost played themselves into trouble when Rhodes lost the ball to Giovagnoli on the edge of their area and his pass found Laggah-Adaakwa in the box but as he was about to shoot Umar Adeyoola made a great last ditch tackle but his sliced clearance caught on the wind and flew back towards goal where Carnell-Davis made a flying save high to his left to tip the ball over for a corner.

Bridon then nearly gifted VCD a goal on 69 minutes when Wilson’s throw out was intercepted by Petrou but his shot from the edge of the box flew wide. Minutes later it was four when a Rhodes clearance was blocked by Kirby sending the ball flying back through to Laggah-Adaakwa who fired home low to the right of Carnell-Davis.

Worse was to follow for the home side on 73 minutes when Kirby made a strong forward run through on goal before unselfishly laying the ball off to an unmarked Medley who smashed the ball home low to the right of Carnell-Davis.

After this with the wind getting even stronger neither side could fashion any further chances.