With my midweek games rained off this week, I decided to venture a little further today and take the train up to Bracknell to watch their Southern League fixture against VT FC, who were promoted from the Wessex League last season.
Bracknell have endured a difficult season with just one win back in October. Two consecutive 9.0 defeats in the past week have confirmed their relegation to either the Combined Counties or the Hellenic League. After wandering around some local back roads to the ground, I wandered down to the seating to read the programme and wait for Paul to arrive. Both teams were out training with the home players playing some one touch football and having a joke with some piggybacks while the away team did some stretches, runs and ball control exercises. The programme was unusual as it included coverage of German football and the Northern Unibond league as well as the standard fare about the visitors.
Paul arrived in good time for the kickoff and we wondered whether Bracknell would be able to improve on their earlier performances. VT started with some urgency and won an early corner after a goalmouth scramble. This lead to another corner and a shot that was cleared off the line by a defender. We anticipated that this would set the scene for the match but Bracknell surprised us in the 8th minute. After winning a corner, the ball was played into the box and headed out. It fell nicely for Smith who hit a great shot into the top left corner to give Bracknell the lead.
Bracknell appeared to be playing a 3-5-2 formation with one defender playing in a sweeper role and the two wide midfielders dropping back in when necessary to a 5-3-2 formation. VT had a lot of possession but weren't able to break down the Bracknell defence as the home team threw themselves into every challenge to try and keep the ball away from their goal. This limited Bracknell to occasional attacks but they were unlucky not to extend their lead after 24 minutes from another corner. The ball was played towards the back post and only needed a touch to force it home but there wasn't a red shirt close enough to get to the ball before it was cleared.
It seemed that the goal had knocked the stuffing out of VT as their passing in the final third and finishing was at times woeful. They seemed to be trying to overcompensate and perhaps felt under a bit of pressure as they were losing to a team that they would have expected to beat comfortably. It also appeared that they had rested a couple of players that could have made a difference with the experienced Bowers and Ashcroft on the bench.
The closest that they came to a goal in the first half was from a corner in the 40th minute that was played very deep and past the far post. The ball was hooked back in and was headed towards goal where a Bracknell player moved away from the post to clear it before it crossed the line. As the ball came out there was a clear division in the area with 5 red shirts to the left and 6 yellow shirts to the right. The ball fell to a VT player but his snatched shot went into the crowd of yellow shirts and was deflected wide for a goal kick.
When the referee blew for halftime, the home fans and neutrals all applauded the home team off the pitch to recognise the way that they had worked so hard to give themselves a chance to win the game.
We expected VT to come out and impose themselves on the game in the second half. There was a brief rain shower as they kicked off and headed down the slope towards the Bracknell goal. Within seconds the ball was crossed from the right side and fell to a VT player at the back post. I was expecting to see the net rippling but his shot lacked any power and allowed the Bracknell keeper to dive across and save what looked to be a certain goal.
The first five minutes of the half saw the ball move from end to end. Bracknell had some pace up front and used it to good effect with some breakaway chances but were unable to trouble the visiting keeper. VT came close to scoring again when a cross was slightly mishit and ended up hitting the crossbar before going out of play.
It wasn't long before we saw some changes with Bowers and then Ashcroft coming off the bench to try and rescue the game for the visitors. Bowers played a great through ball in the 60th minute to a team mate only to see a horribly mishit shot fly well wide of the goal. A couple of minutes later VT won a freekick centrally outside the area. A great shot was on target when the Bracknell keeper timed his move across goal well and managed to punch the ball out of the area. VT continued to apply pressure and Bowers had a shot blocked in the area. Bracknell were being penned in their half as their clearances weren't getting too far with 9 or 10 men behind the ball.
With 15 minutes to go, a Bracknell player sliced his clearance which looked to have put VT in on goal, only for the shot to fly just over the bar. VT managed to put the ball into the net 5 minutes later with a lovely hooked shot but the assistant's flag was already up for offside. From the restart, Bracknell played the ball up field and took a shot from distance. The VT keeper managed to block the ball and it flew out of the area.
In the 88th minute, Bracknell cleared the ball out to the left wing and two of their players launched a counter attack. The first player reached the ball ahead of the defence and brought the ball forward. His team mate, Small, strayed offside before slowing down his run to get back onside again and at that moment the ball was played forward into space. Small took the ball towards the area and calmly placed a low shot to the left of the onrushing VT keeper. The whole ground seemed to erupt as the ball rolled into the back of the net and all of the Bracknell outfield players followed Small into the corner to celebrate.
The first clean sheet of the season for the home team and the second win to double their points tally. Not the result we were expecting but a well deserved one and a very enjoyable game to watch as a neutral.
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