| Team | CoB Men’s 1stXI |
| Opponent | Stourport 3 |
| Date | November 9, 2024 |
| Result | Draw |
| Score | 1 – 1 |
Goalscorer: Kyle Letts
After three consecutive losses, CoB were hoping for a better outcome from this encounter, albeit that their opponents were several places above them in the league standings. CoB started with the return of a couple of recent absentees and even with a couple of subs on the side.
As it happened, CoB started strongly, taking the game to their visitors and creating early chances on goal with both Junaid and Noor with attempts going just wide. CoB enjoyed this early pressure limiting their opponents to just a few forays into their half. The defence holding firm. The midfield was working hard with some good combination play at times. Zach had a great chance on goal well-saved by the Stourport keeper. In fact, the Stourport keeper was having a busy afternoon keeping the home side at bay.
Kyle was proving to be quite prominent in many of the CoB efforts. In fact, as a result of one of his advances, CoB gained a short corner This led to Zach’s shot on goal being only partly saved and the alert Kyle, following up, put the ball into the goal to give his side a deserved lead at this stage. Stourport were by no means out of the game and right on the stroke of half-time, a late advance forward saw them grab an equalizer. CoB were a little unlucky to have lost the initiative at the break.
There was a lively start to the second half. CoB started as they had left off, but Stourport, emboldened by their goal, began to show much more determination and began to make their hosts work much harder defensively.
There followed a period of fairly-even play with both teams ‘going for it’. A good advance into the D saw Noor with a great chance to re-take the lead only for it to be just too high. Stourport were giving Neal a lot more work to do and it was only brilliant work by him from several short corner efforts that kept his side on even terms. In the end it proved to be honours even with both teams having to settle for a point. CoB will hopefully take heart from a much-improved performance – but it needs to last for the whole 70 minutes.
Next week the team have a short journey to Hampton in Arden for a late afternoon start.
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