Bluefin Sports Challenge Cup

Brimscombe & Thrupp 4

Tuffley Rovers 2

By Jeremy Turner

Brimscombe progressed to the next round of the Bluefin Sports Challenge Cup after a hard-fought game against their Gloucestershire neighbours Tuffley Rovers.

The game sprung into life within five minutes when Ben Deakin looked to have been brought down in the box, the referee waved play on and Ben Snook shot from just within the 18 yard box but it deflected out for a corner.

Karl Nash drove the resultant corner to the front post where Christien Turner cleverly flicked the ball backwards and Kyle Pitt smashed the ball in to the back of the net, 1-0.

Tuffley responded well with Walter Greenwood testing Steve Sparrow in between the sticks for Brimscombe, but the shot-stopper was equal to his drive.

Rovers could have drawn level in the 23rd-minute when a corner avoided everyone except a Tuffley player, but he scooped the ball over the bar from six-yards.

However, the found parity when ex-Brimscombe boy Jordan Fletcher riffled home.

Rovers weren’t level for long though, a delightful ball from Nash found Deakin rushing through the centre of the park; one-on-one with the keeper, he placed the ball to the left of Clarke, but the keeper got down well and made a good save only for the ball to ricochet back to Deakin and he made no mistake with his second chance to give his side a 2-1 lead at the break.

Brimscombe extended their lead just after the whistle had blown for the second half. Nash whipped in a free-kick and the ball went straight into the net, 3-1.

Almost immediately after the re-start Warren Mann was judged to have been fouled in the box and Shayne Bradley stepped up and dispatched the penalty giving Sparrow no chance, 3-2.

Both sides made substitutions throughout the second half, for Brimscombe, Johny Davis, Karl Nash and Tom Black were replaced by Matty Blythe, Joey Tustain and Billy Jones and for Tuffley, Mark Ford made way for Dean Barnard.

The game developed into a bit of a battle at times typical of a local derby but referee Kevin Norris controlled the game well.

Brimscombe’s skipper Snook got himself on the scoresheet before the end of the game when his free-kick could only be diverted into the goal by Clarke and the score finished 4-2.