Redditch 5 - 3 Bournville

Another early away day trip in the glorious Saturday sun saw Bournville take on their second pre-season game against a well drilled Redditch side. Bourn in true pre-season fashion fielded a large 16 man squad welcoming a collection of 2nds to bolster the ranks from the previous week.

The game was again played in quarters and in a similar fashion to last weeks effort fortunes fluctuated drastically from period to period. Bournville started strong taking onboard the pregame instructions from coach Bobby to control much of the first quarter creating chances and forcing multiple short corners. One such short corner produced the games first goal, a deft deflection from Alex Jenkins into the bottom corner from James Halle-Smith’s drag saw Bourn take the lead!!

Unfortunately this dominance was not to last as the second period saw a slight drop in tactical focus meet with some unfortunate errors to allow Redditch to seize back momentum and score 2 goals themselves. The first a nice deflection after a midfield turnover by a footballing DM and the second an outrageous overhead deflection from a wayward drag flick to take the lead into the half.

Where the second period saw a shift in momentum the third saw the wheels fall off the bus as Bournville lost a hold on their tactical approach and subsequently the game. Two goals conceded from an unfortunate deflection into the top corner and a close range finish from a free attacker in the D gave Redditch a 4-1 lead and control of the game. This lead could easily have been extended but for a quality double save from debut keeper Sonny Rotimi who came in for the second half replacing an ever so slightly intoxicated Adam Parsons.

The final quarter of the game saw a fired up Bournville show the type of fight that will be required for the season ahead as a focused and vocal performance won the period 2-1. Two well taken goals for the visiting Matt Guy could easily have been more but for a stand out performance by the Redditch keeper such was the vast improvement in the standard of Bournville’s game.

Overall while it was indeed disappointing to lose the game, the fact that Bournville’s performance throughout each of the periods was so varied provided some positive feeling that if the good could be maintained over the bad then results would follow.

MOM: Matt Guy for 2 goals and generally solid forward play.

DOD: Adam Parsons for being the palest person pre-game Sam George has ever seen!!