Home to Crosscourt with déjà vu weather returning from the Coalpit Heath match a month ago. In the past, cold and windy weather has detracted from the overall performance of the team. It should be time to put this bugbear to rest against a struggling team of wide bodies.

Unlike the Coalpit Heath game Bradley Stoke played into the wind first half to defend for 45 minutes then take the game to the opposition in the second half. The wind was difficult to fight against, the ball in the air very hard to judge and control, but still Bradley Stoke managed to regularly penetrate Crosscourt's half. Then Crosscourt would clear the ball all the way back into Stoke's half before starting again. As time passed these clearances were accompanied by the odd counter attack and shot. On one of these counters Crosscourt overloaded the home team's centre backs and managed to pop out with the ball on the left side of the area. Not hesitating the forward put his foot through the ball and, with wind assistance, it soared into the roof of the net as keeper Smith watch it pass over his head, 0-1. Bradley Stoke responded quickly with some sharp passing down the right that left Dave Stephen open in the box. He hit the ball firmly into the far corner of the net, 1-1. Ten minutes passed before Crosscourt's right midfielder found himself in acres of space on a counter attack following a Bradley Stoke corner. The ball was passed through to him as he closed on the box. He shot low and hard towards the far post, Smith got down to it, but was only able to parry the shot, and with the follow-up coming from another Crosscourt Forward it was 1-2. Again not to be out done Jerry Harper connected with a loose ball just outside the box following a strong challenge by Dave Stephens on a Crosscourt defender and blasted it along the ground and in off the post. All square at 2-2 for half time.

The second half began with all out pressure from the home side as they nailed Crosscourt back in there half. Court were completely unable to get the ball out of their own end. After a long wait of some persistently wayward passes, crosses and shots a ball was finally knocked into Harper. He chested the ball into the box as he followed on and scored. As time went on with continual pressure still in Bradley Stoke's favour, the away side seemed content to settle for defeat by the odd goal.  Bradley Stoke continued to throw bodies forward in pursuit of more glory, but ended up neglecting the more basic duties involved in football. Some of the tackles became unconvincing and the marking pedestrian. Then in the final minute, Crosscourt broke out with a couple of attacks. Finally, with moments remaining, they were awarded a free kick out wide. Bradley Stoke defended the first ball, but failed to make a decent clearance and the ball bounced round the Bradley Stoke box, until it came to rest with an unmarked midfielder on the edge of the box. He had time to take a few touches before hoofing it into the goal, just below the crossbar with 30 seconds left on the clock.

The Crosscourt locker room could be heard quite clearly over the muted Bradley Stoke frowns.
Bradley Stoke's inability to kill off an inadequate foe means they manage to lose 3-3!

Match report courtesy of Roger Smith.