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Saturday 16th August – Team Bath 4 – 1 Thurrock

League, 3pm

Thurrock paid the penalty for a very poor first half performance in their very first meeting with Team Bath at Twerton Park on Saturday.

It took the students just five minutes to take the lead. Takumi Ake picked out Steve Abbott, who with acres of space was able to pick his spot and shoot past Thurrock keeper Andrew Young. Just two minutes later and the home team went two up. Once again it was poor marking that allowed Ake to receive Mike Perrott’s cross on the left, turn inside and fire past Young.

Fleet had started the game with a back three but with the plan appearing not to work reverted to a more conventional back four.

It was the home team who were still having more of the play and only a good save by Young from Abbott prevented Fleet from going further behind.

On 32 minutes Thurrock did pull a goal back. A long clearance from defence was headed on by Hakeem Araba to Che Stadhart and his powerful shot from outside the area was too good for Team Bath keeper Jake Meredith.

Three minutes later Abbott restored The Students two goal advantage when he headed home Ake’s cross from the left. His header looping over Young’s outstretched hands. On the stroke of half time the match as a contest was over when Marc Canham delivered the perfect free kick for Sami El-Abd to head home.

The second half was a more even affair and in the 65 minute Thurrock were almost presented with a goal. Team Bath skipper Gary Warren’s header back to keeper Meredith seem to be heading into the net but Meredith was able to scoop the ball off of the goal line.

Five minutes from time Thurrock had the opportunity to make the score a little more respectable when Stadhart was pushed in the area. It was Stadhart himself who took the spot kick but despite sending the keeper the wrong way the ball struck the post.