Wells City A team vs Frome Collegians

Wells City A team vs. Frome Collegians. Mid Somerset premier division. 2/9/16

After a long preseason, the mid Somerset premier division got under way for the A team this week, entertaining a strong Frome collegian side who are looking to bounce back to county league football as soon as possible following them founding last term.
Throughout pre-season, it was clear to the management team of Morris, Goswell and Barlow that the team will have to be re-built around new younger players as the reserve team have promoted many from the squad that finished 2nd last season. Morris handed debuts to 10 new players, 9 of which are not 17 yet and throughout large periods of the game didn’t look out of place at all. The opening exchanges meant that there wasn’t too many clear cut chances for either side, as both Wells and Frome tried to get a strong foot hold in the game. On 20 minutes however the visitors broke the deadlock after a messy goal mouth scramble, which was dispatched emphatically into the bottom corner. This began what was an odd period in the game as Wells seemed desperate to get back into right away. The inexperienced therefore showed as poor defensive positioning and lack of closing down meant the home side were 3 down before they knew it.

The shell shocked home side got back into the encounter 5 minutes before half time as a Charlie Giles free kick was spilled by the visiting keeper and debutant Nik Healy was there to nod passed the keeper. HT 1-3.
After a stern talking to, the home side came out in the second half determined to get back into the game, and to their credit came very close as their efforts and determination was a complete opposite to what was severed in the disastrous 20 minute spell at the end of the 1st half. Slick passing especially from the impressive Healy and another debutant James Bayliss really took the game to Frome. A couple of attacking changes meant Wells were open to the counter attack, but with 16 year old Michal Widecki keeping Frome out with a string of excellent saves meant the game was still in the balance. On 75 minutes, it was 2-3 as Jordan Storde-Walton nodded a Mike Barnett corner home. Moments later there was a glorious chance to grab the equaliser substitute Steven Kockoya beat the keeper to the ball and rolled it back to Giles who could only find the side netting with an excellent effort from a tight angle. 2 Minutes or so Bayliss had a great chance but his effort was saved by the keeper, after some good work again from Kockoya. With the clock ticking down, Morris instructed his players to go for it which left the A team short at the back. As a result Frome grabbed another 2 goals in the injury time to condemn the home side to an opening day defeat.
FT 2-5.

Post match Morris stated that ‘this was always going to be a tough test for our young side, and i think for large parts of the game we really pushed our opponents. They had to work hard for that victory as we didn’t roll over in that second half.’
‘I think that in the 20 minute period of the 1st half we really missed an experienced head in there just too calm things down. We went chasing the game too early on and continuously got caught on the counter attack, we were lucky to only be 3 down at this stage. However the 2nd half showed that this group of players belong at this club and if they continue to show good attitude and a willingness to learn then Wells will have a bunch of very talented youngsters at their disposal. Michal Widecki, Nik Healy, James Bayliss, Oliver Glass, Oak Sheldrake, Jacob Lyons and Steven Kockoya all had solid starts to their adult football career, with Healy really shining in the 2nd half. With Xavier Taschini, Louis Ellis, Will Rivers and Josh Morris to come in along with the much need experienced Stephen Griffin, I feel that we are going to get stronger as the season progresses and hopefully provide the reserve team some more players throughout this campaign.

Next Saturday the A team travel to Bridgwater Sports in the junior cup, KO 2.30.