Won 3 – 1
Scorers: Thomas Newell, Morgan Abbott, Ben Hancock
MoM: Sembeh Jalloh
With thanks to team sponsor MMil http://www.batchelorcoop.co.uk
The Batchelor-Coop Millers entertained Tunbridge Wells in the days late fixture at Polo Farm. Despite the temperatures dipping, as night fell, a sizeable crowd gathered to watch their exploits on AW1.
The game started at a frenetic pace, the home-side reaping the dividends of their captain’s youth-development strategy. Arthur, Ben and Thomas all showing their fitness and attacking prowess up front, with Morgan Abbott proving pivotal in midfield and Sembeh running the opposition defence ragged up the right-hand side of the pitch; and Pete Ratcliff doing likewise on the other flank.
In an all too familiar Millers narrative though, and despite being penned into their own half for most of the opening 35minutes, it was the opposition who took the initiative through a very rare breakaway, scoring to take the lead at the half time break.
The opposition did escape their own half more in the second half, but always found the home defence equal to the best they could offer.
The crowd could sense that it was only a matter of time, before the relentless Millers pressure told; and they were proved correct as Thomas Newell struck home from a short corner rebound between the keeper’s legs just fifteen minutes in.
Minutes later, a Pete Ratcliff run into the T-Wells D ended with a penalty stroke being awarded after he was clumsily tackled by a defender, lying prostrate on the turf, who decided to interfere with play and thus deny him a clear goal-shooting opportunity. With their usual stroke-taker on a mid-season training retreat in Costa-Rica, up stepped the youngest player on the pitch, Morgan Abbott, to calmly despatch the ball past the keeper, and give the home side the lead.
Ben Hancock deservedly joined in the the goal-scoring with a neat finish, from a Sembeh Jalloh cross, just two minutes later and the match ended at 3-1: a well-deserved result for another great whole team performance. Thanks to both Stu and Phil for officiating.