It was a tough learning curve today for our new-look Reserves as we went down 3-0 at Toolstation 1st Division League side Keynsham Town at the Crown Field this afternoon, where admission was just a recession-busting pound.
Didn't get our full line-up, but those who played included Sam Alexander, Ryan Bennett, Rob Moore, Matt Maynard, Connor Britton, Dan Spill, Rob Taylor, Ross Beazer, Kyle Tooze and others.......
Much of our Youth team last season have now moved up to the Reserves in the Somerset County League, so a higher level Keynsham side proved to be an even stronger test for our kids. The main visible difference straight away, though, was that Keynsham had a lot of really big lads in their side and we didn't really have any in our side. No doubt they'll come across a lot of that in the SCL next season........
Keynsham certainly had the better of the 1st half, creating more chances than we did, going ahead on 16 minutes from a close-range tap-in, after a goal-mouth scramble in which it seemed Sam Alexander had been impeded. We kept having a go at them, we kept plugging away, but they were a big, strong side & it began to show......
It was a fairly quiet opening period for the first 25 minutes after the break, with no side making a breakthrough, but Keynsham were comfortable with their 1-0 lead. Then the home side made it 2-0 on 71 minutes with a 20-yard shot on the run from a through ball, with Sam Alexander unable to stop it from going in.
Young forward Dan Spill then had 2 moments to regret, when first he missed an open goal after the ball had come across the box via Kyle Tooze's pass with the keeper nowhere in sight & then Dan was red-carded after a confrontation with a Keynsham player which saw Dan off and the home player merely booked. A bit harsh in my view, seeing as it was only a friendly!
Keynsham then made it 3-0 (83) with a fart-post header after a cross from the right. There was no way back for us after that!
The lads will meet a lot of big sides in the SCL Premier Division next season, so let's hope we (they) can learn from this experience today.
Hard luck lads!
"Mango's Mouth"
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