KJM SPORTS REPORT Wendron Utd 2 Saltash Utd 4
- Details
- Created on Sunday, 24 September 2023 09:51
- Last Updated on Monday, 25 September 2023 19:58
- Published on Sunday, 24 September 2023 09:51
- Written by KEVIN MARRIOTT at KJM Sports
The Ashes now host Portishead Town in the first round proper on Saturday October 21.
Having lost their opening six games of the season Saltash have turned a corner with only one defeat in the last six.
They trailed to a 25th minute Charlie Young goal but hit back strongly to lead 3-1 shortly after half-time with Tylor Love-Holmes (35 minutes), Kieran O’Melia (37) and Josh Johnson (48) on target.
Young produced a stunning strike in the 68th minute to reduce the arrears but the Ashes restored their two-goal cushion within two minutes through an own goal.
Saltash manager Macca Brown said: “It was a good win, I thought it was relatively comfortable to be honest. I know Wendron played on Wednesday night and I’m not sure if that had an impact on their freshness, but I felt we controlled the game from the word go.
“The one thing missing in the first 20 minutes from ourselves was that bit of intensity, it felt a bit like an end of season game.
“We had a lot of the ball but we didn’t have that injection of quality which could have turned the possession into something more, which we have had in recent weeks.
“Then, what seems to be happening to us most weeks is that we were stunned by a counter attack, and we were 1-0 down.
“Jake (Mead-Crebbin) probably should have held the the cross but the striker was ready and stabbed it in, and then it was always going to be interesting to see how we would react.
“Fair play to them, as 10 minutes later we were 2-1 up. Kieran and Tylor were our two best players on the day and they combined for the first goal, and then Kia finished well to put us ahead.
“Half-time came at a good time, the message was to enjoy the ball a bit more in their half, we wanted to see players with their chests out and ‘conducting the orchestra’ a bit more and I think we got that.
“JJ (Joe Johnson) finished well immediately after the break and we should have gone on and made it more comfortable but credit to Wendron; they started to come back into the game a bit with 20 to go and pulled one back, which was an unbelievable finish, although I felt he was a yard offside.
“The response again was excellent, and we restored the two goal cushion, and then their keeper made several great saves in the final 15 minutes or so to keep the score at four.”
Brown added: “Overall we are delighted. We lost our first six games of the season but the lads have ignored the noise and we’ve lost just one of our last six, so we are heading in the right direction.
“We’ve got some really tough games coming up in the next month, starting with Torpoint next weekend, so the challenge is for the next six games to have a similar look to the last six.
“With the experienced squad they’ve put together this season Torpoint will have their eyes on a title challenge, as will Buckland and Barnstaple in the games that follow.
“So it is a fantastic challenge for our young side and one they must be ready for.”
Wendron: E Fearn, I Dryburgh, R Carroll, S Palmer, R Tetley, S Young, R Reeve, L Potts, C Young, J Stocker, J Cleverly.
Subs: F Williams, R Watson, T Bertrand, B Scoffin (gk).
Goals: C Young (25 & 68).
Saltash Utd: J Mead-Crebbin, E Wright, E Goodman (R Howe 85), H Greening, L Murray (B Goulty 81), T Badcott, K O’Melia, T Love-Holmes, J Johnson (T Huyton 71), A Goulty, J Toulson.
Subs not used: N Crump, D Youlden.
Goals: T Love-Holmes (34), K O’Melia (37), Josh Johnson (48), own goal (70).
Referee: Neil Hunnisett.
SWSN Star Kieran O’Melia.
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