City go top with win over 10 man Brimscombe

City overcame a defensive Brimscombe & Thrupp on Saturday afternoon to move to the top of the Hellenic Premier League for the first time this season.

The Gloucestershire outfit initially proved a tough nut to crack for the home side, who were forced to play with 10 men for most of the game after a first-half red card, but Cornes’ men managed to get the job done and seal the three points with three second half goals.

Cornes made only one change to the starting line-up from the win over Tuffley Rovers in mid-week, with Elliott Keightley returning to partner Kirk Layton in the centre of defence in place of Lorcan Sheehan. Jamie Insall continued to lead the line and was flanked by Elliott Hartley and Liam Lockett either side, with Izak Reid continuing to play in the number 10 role. Kyle Belmonte partnered Calvin Dinsley in the slightly deeper midfield two.

City made a bright start to the match and after only three minutes, skipper Adam Mace delivered a delicious cross into the box which was met by the head of Insall, who saw his header cannon off the crossbar, but was then called offside and it wouldn’t have counted regardless.

Brimscombe seemed happy to sit in and soak up pressure from the home side for much of the opening exchanges, but a moment of madness put a huge dent in their prospects for the day. After a fairly innocuous dispossession from Kirk Layton, winning the ball fairly and playing the ball back to goalkeeper Whitcombe, the away side’s striker Jack Freeman engaged in an act from the dark arts of football and trod directly on Layton’s achilles, sending him to the floor in agony. The referee didn’t hesitate in sending the attacker off, and Brimscombe would play the next 65-70 minutes with 10 men. The striker had no complaints either, making it seem he knew exactly what he’d done.

Despite being a man down, Brimscombe restricted City to half chances for most of the first half, with Hartley, Mace and Lockett seeing efforts finish off target. First half added time though saw City’s two best chances of the half. Firstly, a Liam Lockett free kick which was well saved by the Brimscombe number 1, followed by another effort from the left winger, cutting inside onto his right foot and via a defender’s header, seeing his effort hit the crossbar and head over.

The second half began similarly to the first with Jamie Insall presented with a chance, this time from a fantastic first-time Logan Stoddart cross which flashed across the face of goal, just evading Insall’s outstretched boot. Two minutes later Insall had the ball in the net, this time a header from a Layton cross, but was adjudged to have fouled the defender, much to his disagreement.

Insall, on a mission to get himself on the scoresheet, was denied a certain goal after a miraculous save from the away side’s keeper, a volley from six yards which he managed to tip around the post.

The breakthrough though came on 62 minutes. Good work by Elliott Hartley saw him fouled to the right of the Brimscombe box, and from the resulting free kick Adam Mace sent a fantastic ball into the near post. A Brimscombe defender dived at the ball, with it ending up in the top corner with a finish a centre forward would have been proud of. It wasn’t pretty, but City were ahead.

One then quickly became two just minutes later as Brimscombe, being a goal down, needed to now open the game up. Excellent work on the left side from Belmonte left him in the opposition box, before laying the ball to Lockett. With a lot still to do, Lockett danced his way past opposition defenders with footwork that judges on Strictly Come Dancing would give 10’s for, and fired the ball into the net. City were now two to the good, both goals coming in quick succession.

City’s third came after exceptional build-up play. Belmonte played a fantastic crossfield ball out to Jamie Insall, and following a brilliant first touch, teased a sensational cross into the penalty area for Izak Reid to nod in at the back post.

City had chances to increase their lead as the game closed out, and Brimscombe almost recorded their second own goal of the game from an outstanding Logan Stoddart cross into the box. But the game would finish with the three goals for City, and another three points on the board making it seven league wins in a row.

Following Corsham Town’s 0-0 draw with Worcester Raiders, the win sees City top the league table on goal difference, with two games in hand. Next up is Lydney Town away on Tuesday evening.