WESTERN LEAGUE Ivybridge Town 1 Brislington FC 1
- Details
- Last Updated on Monday, 18 November 2024 11:10
- Published on Monday, 18 November 2024 11:03
- Written by GRAHAM HAMBLY at Erme Valley
A CLOSELY contested game saw Ivybridge held to a 1-1 draw at home to Brislington in the Jewson Western League Premier Division.Ivybridge survived some early pressure from a lively Brislington side before taking the lead with a shot from Connor Rush following a well worked move in the 55th minute.
They had a great opportunity to add a second when Sean Thomson broke clear of the visiting defence following a quickly taken free kick. But his attempt to chip the ball over goalkeeper Ryan Smallwood saw him lift the ball over the cross bar.
A second goal at that stage might have put Ivybridge on course for what would have been their first league win in five matches.
Brislington took full advantage of their escape to secure a point with a late equaliser from new signing Shea Mannings in the 82nd minute.
Ivybridge joint manager Wayne Gamble said: “It probably is a fair result, but we have got to do better and see these games out to start getting three points on the board. We dropped two points at home to Saltash, two points away to St Austell and another two here today. If we have aspirations to get into the play-offs we can’t keep doing this.
“Sean Thomson could have killed the game off when he went through one on one but tried to be a bit too clever there. If he put us 2-0 up we could probably have gone on to win 3-0.
“We rode our luck come the end because when they equalised Brislington had their tails up.
“We could have ended up losing that game come the end. We played so deep. I was trying to urge our team to go up higher and try to go and win the game. I would rather lose a game trying to win it rather than settling for a draw. One point is no good to us. You have got to win your home games.”
Despite the disappointing result, there were a number of positives for Ivybridge including the debut of new signing Owen Stockton, who came on as substitute for the last 30 minutes.
Gamble said: “Owen is a big signing from Buckland and an ex-Bideford player. He is a big, strong boy and is going to do us well. He is a great signing and a great addition for us.”
Another bonus for Ivybridge is the return from injury of defenders Jake Lane and Jordan Powell.
Powell was in the starting line-up while Lane came on as a second half substitute with Gamble adding: “I think Jordan has defended superbly today. He has come back into the starting line-up against a good side and been brilliant.
“We have missed him over the weeks. I think he was the best player on the park today. With Jake also coming back we are getting everything together.”
Midfielders Rio Daly and Fletcher Williams, who were unavailable against Brislington, are due to return to the squad in time for the next match, at home to Nailsea and Tickenham on Saturday. That match will be followed by a Friday evening visit to Saltash on November 29 and Gamble says: “With the midweek fixtures coming to an end we are now looking at Saturday to Saturday apart from the Friday night game against Saltash and I am looking for six points from our next two games.
“I have told the boys that we have got to roll up our sleeves and dig in if we mean business. So, it is on to Nailsea now and we will be training hard in midweek.”
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