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| STAR MAN: Bashley's Gary Middleton |
Substance very nearly trumped style in a game of cat and
mouse between Bashley and Cambridge City, but in truth any more than a share of
the spoils would have been a travesty for these shot-shy sides.
The Lilywhites, on the back of five away wins out of six in
the Southern Premier, produced flowing football at times but drew just one save
from Bash custodian Stuart Moore as the hosts harassed and harried in the style
expected from boss Frank Gray.
And the New Forest outfit arguably had the better chances to
win despite spending much of the night chasing the ball, though their Achilles
Heel of failing to find the net continues to stifle progress.
The Scot will be pleased with his side’s sixth clean sheet
of the campaign, but a seventh home league match without scoring offers the
biggest reason for Bashley’s perilous position.
More familiar strike pairing Mark Gamble and James Stokoe handed
Gray’s team more punch in the final third, but the defensive shift that Bashley’s
goal-getters had to put in amongst City’s slick passing meant opportunities
were limited.
Had Gamble managed to catch Cambridge cold in the second
minute it could have been so different, but after latching onto George Colson’s
throughball, the former Farnborough man saw his low drilled effort fizz wide of
the far post.
City soon recovered and signalled their intent by pressing
the hosts back for long spells with Mitchell Bryant at the thick of the action
while Ieuan Lewis’ deflected effort forced Moore to adjust his dive and make
his solitary stop of the night.
Quite how Adam Marriott missed with a far post header from
Jackson Ramm’s drilled cross midway through the first half is anyone’s guess,
but it epitomised the kind of evening City were in for.
If it wasn’t wayward finishing, it was brave Bash defending
as Matt Finlay, a late replacement for the injured Tim Stephenson, denied
Marriott a one-on-one opportunity with Moore.
At the other end, visiting keeper Zac Barrett had trouble
with a few routine balls before clawing Colson’s far post header away from
Charlie Knight’s cross on the stroke of half time.
Both sides found another gear and played at a higher tempo
after the restart, but it was Cambridge who continued to keep the ball well and
gradually pressed Bash back further and further.
The hosts were almost caught out when Ian Richardson sold
Moore short with a backpass, but the young Reading loanee blocked at the feet
of Marriott before Gary Middleton cleared any lingering danger and Bash nearly
reaped the rewards of their resolute rearguard action in the final ten minutes.
Gamble’s angled effort drew a fine low save from Barrett
before Stokoe’s flicked header beat the City stopper but bounced just wide of
the far post as the hosts tried to complete something of a smash and grab.
Two teams with two very different styles ended this match
with same problem – both goalkeepers had far too little to do – but it is hard
to imagine that either manager will be too disheartened with a solid display
and a point that may yet have a bearing on whether they meet in this division
again next season.
BASHLEY: Moore, Strickland, Oliver (Knight 10), Finlay,
Middleton, Richardson, Casey, Colson, Stokoe, Gamble, Hill. Unused subs:
Gradwell, Foster, Gazzard, Kearn (g/k).
CAMBRIDGE CITY: Barrett, Ramm, Blanchett, Theobald, Chaffey,
Nightingale, Lewis, Prada, Bryant (Midgley 78), Marriott, Fuller. Unused subs:
Cambridge, Cleaver, Pepper.
STAR MAN: Gary Middleton (Bashley)
As always, in the right place at the right time, winning
headers, charging down shots and more importantly, mopping up behind when loose
balls dropped in the penalty area. Narrowly beats Matt Finlay to the award on a
night where all of Bashley’s back three did so much to stifle City’s attack.
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