BUCS Football Championship, Last 16.
University of Chichester Campus
Wedensday 18th February 2015
With the Premier regions having finished their league fixtures it was time to look at the Championship (which is the equivalent of the Premier Knock-Out Cup) with South meeting North at this stage. Chichester finished fourth and Nottingham fifth in their respective six team divisions.
Chichester did most of the early attacking with a Bold free-kick from a central position forcing a low save from Nottingham keeper Shapiro. Kempson had a chance for the home side but his shot came off of defender Basso and was scrambled clear. Chichester continued to create as Manners shot from the left forcing Shapiro to parry. Little was seen of Nottingham offensively and it was the home side that looked more likely to score. This occurred in the 36th minute when Kempson took a free-kick on the right and midway into the Nottingham half; his kick picked out Collard at the far post who sent a fine header across goal and the ball nestled into the corner. Home keeper Binfield got into an untidy challenge with Brathman and there were a few shouts for a penalty but the referee waved them away. Chichester extended their lead close to the interval when Kempson found Landais who shot low from 18-yards. It could have got worse for the East Midlands side when Landais played a cross-field pass to Manners but defender Bonnington blocked the shot. HT: 2-0 and Chichester worth their lead.
Nottingham had a couple of opportunities early in the second half. First, Brathman had a decent chance but, in perhaps trying the spectacular, succeeded in playing an ‘air shot’; the ball did fall to Banfield whose effort was off target. The second chance did go into the home net when a free-kick from the right found Woolley at the far post who headed it across and Brathman cheekily clipped the ball past keeper Binfield from close range. Chichester’s Odam showed some silky skills in the Nottingham penalty area, close to the dead ball line, so much so that he was upended by Braneth who, from the visitors point-of-view, conceded an unnecessary penalty kick. Odam [pen] took the kick himself and confidently placed it low into goal as Shapiro went the other way. The two goal margin in Chichester’s favour seldom looked under threat from there and they could have added further goals. That stated, Brathman mis-kicked a further shot in the box and Perrin’s follow-up was deflected away by home defender Bell. A neat passing move with Bold and Odam involved brought a further pass to Landais who got past Shapiro but a Nottingham defender covered. Late on, Bold picked the pocket of his opposite number Basso and his 20-yard shot smacked off the visitors bar. In stoppage time Landais collected a loose ball, got past a Nottingham defender and he also shot against the goal frame, but this time the outside of the post and away. FT: 3-1 and a victory Chichester deserved.
Three of the four Nottingham yellow cards were due to dissent, whilst the home side quietly got on with the game. It’s ironic that this stage is the ‘Last 16’ but there are only twelve teams competing, the top four finishers in each region having byes. Those ‘bye teams’ also benefit from a home draw in the ‘proper’ Last 8 and Chichester are now scheduled to travel to the North champions Loughborough in a week’s time.
Match Report written by Gary Day.
Photography by Dan Stone.
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