Pre-season Friendly Result

[CoachKT]

Well contested game between to evenly matched sides on the day.

As is the case with pre-season friendlies, both sides had regular 1st teamers missing (holidays, etc) but credit to Wessex bearing in mind the torrential rain this week and one or two spells during the game, the pitch / playing surface was very good and the food laid on afterwards was too.

Bere could have taken an early lead, hitting the bar in the first minute, but Wessex gradually took control of the midfield and deservedly went in front after 25 minutes although the goal was slightly fortuitous....a cross cum shot eluding Craig Howells at the far post.

Will Westlake drew Bere level five minutes before the break with a typical surging run from midfield and cool finish.

Wessex started the second half in the ascendancy and again deservedly retook the lead when their No.9 intercepted a pass to Will Westlake and played a killer ball in behind the Bere defence. craig Howells did well to get a hand to the strikers original shot but his strike partner was on hand to prod home the rebound.

Will Westlake's cool finishing deserted him ten minutes later when he blasted wide from the spot after Joe Hodgkiss has been fouled, but Bere eventually equalised with twenty minutes to go when Darren Smalley's low drive took a wicked deflection off the Wessex CD and looped into the net.

Both sides had chances to win the game, but in the end a draw was a fair result.

Seeing as it was our first friendly we were naturally a bit rusty and taking into account the players missing I was overall pleased with the performance and our fight back in the second half, but will look for some improvement when we take the trip to Hayle for our second friendly next weekend.

Once again, thanks to Wessex and good luck to Ravo and the lads this coming season.