A terrific comeback from two down saw Hereford FC U18s beat AFC Bridgnorth U18s at Hinton Football Club on Wednesday 3 September.
The first chance of the game came from the visitors with a shot from the edge of the box on the right which was well saved by home goalkeeper Will Utley with his legs. From the resulting corner, there was a goalmouth scramble in which Josh Mills somehow managed to clear the ball off the line.
The first chance for the young Bulls came after Jack Tolley played a good ball through to Dom Zawadzki, who saw his left footed shot saved by the AFC Bridgnorth goalkeeper. The home side then had a free kick midway inside the opposition half which was taken by Tolley. He found Jack McGowan who saw his good header tipped onto the bar and out for a corner by the keeper.
AFC Bridgnorth then opened the scoring after a corner was whipped into the six-yard box from the right and turned in from close range. Shortly afterwards the visitors doubled their lead after a free kick from the left was played into the box and found the head of a striker who nodded the ball into the back of the net.
However, the Bulls quickly pulled a goal back when Jack McGowan was brought down inside the box for a penalty. It was McGowan himself who stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to slot the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.
And soon after the Bulls were level,. This time Tolley was the scorer as he hit a powerful right foot shot which flew into the net giving the visiting keeper no chance.
Half-Time: Hereford FC U18s 2-2 AFC Bridgnorth U18s
The second period continued in the same vain as the first – with chances at both ends – but thankfully it was the home side who found the decisive goal.
It was Tolley once again to the fore, driving into the box before being fouled and then calmly taking responsible by stepping up and slotting the ball home from the spot to give his side the lead.
Despite late pressure from AFC Bridgnorth, the young Bulls stood firm to keep their opposition out and secure a fantastic 3-2 win. That’s two wins out of three now for Anthony Smith’s side, who continue to make rapid progress despite being a relatively young squad.
Well played lads!
Match information from Sam Cummins
