Wed 3rd Feb.

Wessex Premier Division.

Newport (IOW) 0 v 0 BRADING TOWN.

Brading Town Man of the Match…WILL QUIGLEY.

Team.. McCormack Prez Fleming Stuber Quigley Hatcher Rayner Sunsburg Ford Vale Jones.

Subs..Appell Buckett Sprooles.

Wessex Premier Division.

Bournemouth Poppies 1 v 0 BRADING TOWN.

 As reported by WES ESSEX.

Brading Town lost 1-0 to high flying Bournemouth on Saturday, but deserved to get something out of the game, following another impressive team performance.

Manager Steve Brougham was forced to make three changes from the side that comprehensively beat Totton & Eling in midweek. Phelps was unavailable and both Appell and  Hatcher were injured, although Hatcher was on the bench. In at right back came Prezpolewski, with Rayner returning to midfield and Sprooles playing wide right.

On a chilly afternoon Brading settled well early on, against a side currently lying fourth, the only scare coming just after the quarter of an hour mark ,when McCormack had to hold on to a firm shot after a Bournemouth player was allowed to run thro unchallenged. In the 27th minute the home side took the lead, a corner was cleared to Blake on the edge of the penalty area, he fired in a shot that deflected off Stuber, sending McCormack the wrong way.

A minute later it could of been two when Bournemouth’s Glenister met a deep cross with a firm header, but McCormack dived full stretch to palm the ball away. The rest of the half was fairly even with no further chances although the visiting supporters enjoyed a piece of  Jones’s magic when he beat two defenders, out on the touchline with some clever footwork.
HT 1-0. 

Shortly after the interval the leg weary Vale was replaced by Buckett. The pitch was starting to firm up as the game progressed, but it did not stop Brading playing their neat passing game, and constantly putting the Bournemouth defence under pressure. When the home did attack the Brading defence were on top form with Fleming and Stuber dominant in the air, and the full backs, Quigly and Prezpolewski sticking to their task. Prezpolewski made one superb challenge when a Bournemouth forward surged in to the penalty box after beating the offside trap, but as he was about to shoot Prezpolewski slid in from nowhere to clear the danger.

Chances for both sides were at a premium and the best opportunity of the half fell to Jones in the 73rd minute, a Rayner pass found him running into the penalty box, but his chip went over the bar and the advancing keeper. With 10 minutes left, Brougham brought on Hatcher in place of Sprooles, in an attempt to grab an equaliser, but Bournemouth held out.  FT 1-0 .

Brading Town Man of the Match..OLLIE FLEMING.
 
Team…McCormack Prezpolewski Quigley Sunsburg Fleming Stuber Rayner Ford Sprooles Vale Jones. 

Subs..Buckett  Hatcher Miles.
 
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IOW Saturday League, Div 2.

BRADING TOWN RES P v P Kyngs Towne.

IOW Combination 1.

BRADING TOWN “A” P v P Gkn Res.

Wessex Premier Division.

BRADING TOWN 3 v 1 Totton & Eling.

As seen by WES ESSEX.

A Scott Jones hat-trick was the highlight of an impressive 3-1 victory over Totton & Eling last night.

Manager Steve Brougham went into the game with the same line-up as Saturday. The only change was on the bench, where Ollie Buckett replaced Roger Roper.

The Romans kicked down the slope in the first half on a pitch much improved from Saturday, but still heavy in places, especially down the centre. The home started brightly and it was no surprise when they took the lead after 6 minutes when JONES neatly put away a low cross, following  good work by Ford down the left. Five minutes later Brading doubled their lead, a quickly taken free-kick found Hatcher in space, he looked up and fired a shot that was too hot to handle for the keeper, he could only palm the ball in the air and JONES forced the ball home. The two young forwards, Vale and Jones were causing the Totton defence all sorts of problems with their speed and work rate.

On 25 minutes it was almost 3-0, a Jones header crashed against the crossbar from an Appell free-kick. The combination weren’t to be denied though, Vale’s running earned another free-kick in a similar position to the one three minutes earlier. This time Appell drove in a low cross that alluded everyone except for JONES, who raced in to slot the ball past the keeper and complete his hat-trick. HT 3-0.

The second half started well for Brading, Jones raced past three defenders down the right, before whipping in a cross that clipped the crossbar. Manager Brougham had to make a forced substitution soon after, when Hatcher went off with a groin injury and was replaced by Prezpolewski. Ten minutes into the half Totton pulled a goal back, with the Roman’s defence claiming offside, allowing Wiltshire a clear run on goal before he slid the ball past McCormack. For the first time in the game Brading were under pressure, but the back four, superbly led by Fleming, held firm with Sunsburg, Appell and Ford working their socks off in front of them.

With 20 minutes remaining the visitors had two golden opportunities to pull another goal back, firstly when McCormack was rounded, but the attacker put the ball in the side netting, then a shot from a defence splitting pass went inches past the post. In final minutes, Vale and Jones, both suffering from cramp, were taken off and replaced by Spooles and Buckett. It was Buckett who nearly added a fourth, when the Totton keeper’s clearance struck him and rolled towards the goal, but the keeper just managed to scamper back and stop the ball from crossing the line. This was probably the best Brading performance of the season, and against a team in 6th place. FT 3-1.

Brading Town Man of the Match..SCOTT JONES.

Team..McCormack Phelps Quigley Sunsburg Fleming Stuber Appell Ford Hatcher Vale Jones.

Subs..Sprooles Prezpolewski Buckett Rayner.

Wessex Premier Division.

As reported by WES ESSEX.

BRADING TOWN 3 v 1 Alton Town.

Brading Town earned three valuable points in a real relegation battle at a muddy Peter Henry Ground on Saturday, beating Alton Town 3-1.

Steve Brougham’s men were looking for their first win since their superb 1-0 victory over Poole Town on 7th November. There were four changes from the side defeated at Hamworthy last week, Ollie Fleming and Kieron Ford both returned after suspension with Dan Vale and Danny Hatcher also returning to the starting line-up. Brougham decided to go for the youthful strike-force of Scott Jones and Vale for this vital game.

After nearly 24 hours of persistent rain it was a surprise that the game was on at all, but it was playable, although the pitch was going to cut up very quickly. The Romans played up the slope in the first half and started well, with Jones going close with a snap shot that went inches past the post. Against the run of play the visitors took the lead in the sixth minute, a low cross towards the back post found McCann in space who slotted the ball past McCormack. To Brading’s credit their heads never went down and they found an equaliser ten minutes later. Vale battled on the left to win the ball and then crossed towards the near post where JONES bravely dived between two defenders to flick a header past the Alton keeper. The visitors were still a threat and McCormack had to be at his best to a stop low strike and smother the rebound.

On the half hour mark the home side took the lead for the first time, good work between Vale and Ford on the left ended with Ford firing a low cross towards the back post where HATCHER got a foot in to force the ball home. Minutes later Brading almost increased their lead when the visitor’s keeper spilt a long distance shot and the ever alert Vale pounced, but his close range effort went over the bar. HT 2-1.

The second half started with a golden opportunity for Alton to draw level. With the Brading defence claiming offside, a through ball put an Alton forward clean through with only McCormack to beat, but his shot went into the side netting. Midway through the half came the goal that settled the match in the home side’s favour, a deep free-kick was only half cleared to edge of the box, APPELL struck a low drive through a number of players’ legs that the Alton keeper did not see till late and could not keep it out.

There were no further chances for either side as the heavy pitch began to take it’s toll, and the tackles were getting harder. Brougham made a double substitution with fifteen minutes left, bringing off the outstanding pair Vale and Jones, and replacing them with Przespolewski and Sprooles. There was also a late change when Roper was brought on for the hard working Appell. FT 3-1.

Brading Town Man of the Match…DANNY VALE.
 
Team..McCormack Phelps Quigley Sunsburg Fleming Stuber Appell Ford HatcherVale Jones. 

Subs..Sprooles Przespolewski Roper Rayner.

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IOW Saturday League, Div 2.

Seaview 3 v 3 BRADING TOWN RES.

( Reeve 2 Lewis 1 )

Brading Town Man of the Match..SCOTT LAWSON.

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Combination 1.

BRADING TOWN “A” 2 v 2 Sandown Res.

( Gullen, Woodhouse )

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Wessex Premier Division.

Hamworthy United 4 v 0 BRADING TOWN.

As reported by Wes Essex.

Brading Town’s first game of the New Year failed to produce an upturn in their fortunes, losing 4-0 away at an improving Hamworthy United on Saturday.

This was the  Romans first away game since 17th November, due to postponements. They went into the game knowing they would be without the suspended captain Fleming and Ford, but their problems increased when Sprooles & Prez failed to make the Hovercraft in time. On a positive note Roger Roper was in the starting line-up for the first time in six months after suffering an ankle injury in a pre-season friendly. Returning to the side also, were Reeve, Jones and  Appell with young Nathan Lewis on the bench for the first time.

The game started on a pitch that was in excellent condition considering the earlier heavy rain. The early stages saw the new look Brading back line under a lot of pressure and defensive errors were not helping the cause. Fortunately for Brading, keeper McCormack was in fine form and as early as the fourth  minute he pulled off a superb save, diving low to deny the home side. The visitors finally got on the attack and Appell tested the keeper with a volley from 30 yards out that had him sprawling across his goal to save. In the 11th minute Hamworthy took the lead, a corner from the right was only partially cleared and when the ball was crossed back from the opposite flank Horlock found himself on his own in the six yard box with the easiest of chances to beat McCormack. On the half hour mark, the hosts almost increased their lead when a misguided defensive header fell into the path of a Hamworthy forward, but his effort was kept out by a tremendous save from McCormack. The Romans finally began to exert some pressure and nearly equalised when a corner from the right was met by Roper at the back post, but his header went over. The turning point of the game came in the final two minutes of the half when Hamworthy grabbed two goals in as many minutes. The home side’s second goal of the game came after a Brading attack broke down on the edge of their opponents penalty box, a quick break saw Quigley left one on one with Swann. The Hamworthy forward turned Quigley with neat footwork before slipping the ball past McCormack.  Two minutes later a swift move in the Romans penalty box gave Diaper the space to fire a shot past the Brading keeper at his near post. HT 3-0.

To the Romans credit they came out the second looking to get back in the game withVale replacing Roper. An early chance fell to Brading when Buckett playing in a deeper role in the second half went on a run that resulted in a free-kick just outside the box. The free-kick was floated into the box where it was met by the head of Vale, but his header was comfortably saved. Brading were creating half chances and Rayner went close when another free-kick found him in space at the back post, but his strike went over the bar. With twenty minutes left came the visitor’s best move of the game, good interplay at the back resulted in a long ball knocked up towards the head of Jones, his flicked header sent Vale on his way and just as he was about to pull the trigger he was abruptly stopped just outside the box by a Hamworthy defender. The defender was fortunate to get away with a yellow card. The resultant free-kick was fired over by Rayner. With ten minutes left Lewis came on to make his first team debut in the place of Buckett. In the 85th minute the home scored a fourth when Cannie’s low drive beat McCormack. The final whistle shortly followed in a fairly even game that turned with the two goals just before half-time. FT 4-0.

Brading Town man of the match..JOE McCORMACK.

Team..McCormack Phelps Reeve Sunsburg Quigley Stuber Roper Rayner Buckett Jones Appell. 

Subs..Vale Lewis.

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