By Dick Sturch

Millwey Rise 2nd X1 1, Bow AAC 2nd X1 4

Again the Millwey pitch remained playable when many others fell foul to the torrential rain. From the start the game was influenced by the visitors senior team being without a game. Also unfortunately, some very questionable decisions from the line. None more so than when, from a Rise strike, the ball was at least a metre over the the visitors goal line but ignored by their linesman. This, on top of some other really poor offside flags put a damper on what could have been an entertaining game.

Millwey's Jack Bennett's early strike on goal was pushed onto the bar and cleared as they put some early pressure on the Bow defence. Unfortunately bad luck handed Bow the opening goal when the ball was deflected into the Rise net for an own goal. The visitors began getting into the game and were awarded several free kicks in then Rise half which were well dealt with. Twenty-five minutes in and Jack Bennett fired home to bring the scores equal at 1-1. Bow went into a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes when they punished some careless play in midfield. Millwey had a great opportunity from a corner in the dying seconds of the first period which they were unable to turn into the net.

In the first minute of the second half Bow broke free and to Millwey's relief the ball was skied over the bar. There was a flurry of yellow cards in a very short space of time as frustrations began to creep in as Bow kept up a relentless pressure on the Rise goal. Then a near repeat of last weeks incident occurred when the home keeper collided with an onrushing Bow forward, but after a short period thankfully both players were able to continue. Bennett came very close to an equaliser when his well hit shot skimmed the bar.

Bow remained very prominent and again broke through the Millwey defence 15 minutes into the half to score a third goal. Veteran Wayne Jenkins gave way to the welcome return of Bailey Hall, who has been absent for several months through injury. Bow added a fourth goal before Rise were awarded a free kick from which Bennett once again went close to closing the deficit.

It was from Rise's efforts in the final minutes that the biggest travesty of the match occurred when the ball was poked into the visitors goal only to be cleared from at least a metre behind the goal line. After a quick look by the referee to the visitors linesman, the match continued much to spectators and players protestations that had greeted several other dubious decisions including a last minute calamatous flag for offside.

There is no doubt Bow were the stronger side and kept Rise under constant pressure without need of any other assistance! For Millwey my man-of-the-match was Dave Bridges who covered every inch of the pitch in attack and defence. Jack Bennett was a constant thorn in the opposition's side but everyone gave their all against a reinforced opposition.

Next Saturday Millwey Travel to Thorverton 2nds who are three places below them in Devon and Exeter Division Five.