While is was not so hot as last Saturday when Buckland played their first pre season friendly away to Elburton, the temperature was still up around the 27 degree mark despite a cooling breeze. I’m sure Buckland are very grateful that Exeter stepped in at the last minute due to Wessex premier league side Bournemouth FC not being able to fulfil the fixture.
The pitch has had some much needed drainage work carried out on it and despite being watered often, shows signs of burning in places caused by all the sun we have had lately. I’m sure the groundsman will be happy when we get some much needed rain to get the grass growing again
Today’s game was played much more like a pre season game than last weeks game and to be honest it was nowhere near as enjoyable, mainly due to lacking very much goal mouth action. Neither keeper were forced into making any real saves and the only reason two goals were scored, was due only to two very poor defensive mistakes by Buckland players.
The City players showed plenty of class at times and were easily the better side, but Buckland worked hard and with a little more composure on the ball, or a better pass, could have caused City more problems than they did. For the first ten minutes Buckland just seemed content to keep passing the ball backwards, while City were playing so many good balls out to their left winger Elliot Chamberlain.
The first half chance of the match fell to Gavin Hammon who turned well on the edge of the box, but dragged his right foot shot well wide of the target. Buckland then put a nice passing move together that consisted of about six passes, the ball finally ended up at the feet of Jamie Micklewright who was just out side the city box. He hit his shot well enough low and hard, but it went wide of the left hand post.
Poor Danny Gaze made so many good runs from the back into good positions out wide on the left and deep into the City half, only to find the ball never reaching him and then we had to keep jogging back in the heat to get back into position again. I have to say at this point the Buckland defence looked very strong with Danny having Alex Jeanin beside him; the number of times they stepped up and caught City players off side was unbelievable. Not sure if Buckland are looking to sign Alex, but he would be a very good signing and I hope they do.
While City’s approach play was good at times with plenty of neat one touch passing, they seldom threatened the Buckland goal and it was only a very poor back pass that was well under hit that allowed them to take the lead. It was a race to see who would get to the loose ball first, Bucks keeper Kenny Griffiths, or City’s Tom Nichols. Kenny lost the race and Tom Nichols took the ball around him and from a very tight angle rolled the ball over the line.
Up the other end there was a very loud shout for handball inside the City box; play almost seemed to come to a standstill while players were waiting for the ref to blow up. He didn’t and the ball came out to Danny Gaze some 30 yards out who hit a screamer that only just missed the target.
Halfway though the first half while a Buckland player was down injured, the ref blew up for a drinks break, a very sensible thing to do in such hot weather.
Onto the second half and Buckland were quick into the tackles, but City started passing the ball around again well, Buckland ended up hitting more and more hopeful long ball as the half worn on. One very good city move saw the ball up on the edge of the Buckland area, their player wearing the number 14 shirt whose name was not on the list given to me, made some space for himself and fired in a good shot that only just cleared the crossbar.
All the best attacking moves were coming from City and Jacob Jagger Cane played in a great ball from the left hand side to Tom Nichols who looked well off side and with just the keeper to beat, he surprisingly put is shot wide of the right hand post.
Meanwhile Simon Revill was trying to make things happen for Buckland and he went on a good run down the right and put in a very good cross that sadly was just a fraction to high for Lian McAuley. Lian climbed as high as he could but the ball came more off the top of his head and over the bar for a goal kick.
City thought they had scored again after Elliot Chamberlain turned well in the Bucks box and fired a low hard shot into the left hand corner of the net, but the linesman put up his flag for off side. Not sure the player was off side myself and I don’t think he was too happy with the decision
Buckland were kept to hitting most long balls while City continued with their neat build ups that often lacked the killer telling pass near the Buckland box. But they were gifted a second easy goal when Danny Gaze headed the ball back into his own box. I’m not sure if Danny was trying to get the ball back to his keeper, but it was a soft header and Tom Nichols was onto the loose ball in a flash and with just Kenny Griffiths to beat, passed the ball across the keeper into the bottom left hand corner of the goal.
I’m sure Adam Castle will be more than happy with the effort and hard work his players put in and would have learned a few things about some of them. The tale of this game was simply that the City players had just that much more about them as you would expect them too.
The new players in the Buckland side are all fitting in well and I have no worries at all about the coming season, I will put my neck on the line and say I expect them to finish in the top half of the table easily.
