Bluebells in good spirits as they look to continue their FA Cup adventure
YATE Town and their fans are gearing up for a potentially enthralling Saturday afternoon which could put them within touching distance of the FA Cup first round once more.
Yate, buoyed by their 4-0 home romp over Beaconsfield in Southern Premier South at the weekend, host Redhill, who sit 12th in Combined Counties Premier Division South, for a third round qualifying tie at Lodge Road.
The Surrey-based visitors operate at Step 5 level, two divisions beneath the Bluebells on the national non-League scale.
It’s nine years now since Yate, for the first time in their history, featured in the first round with the pros, a 3-0 away defeat by Cheltenham Town halting their exciting adventure that year after previously seeing off Conference pacesetters Newport County in a replay at the final fourth qualifying hurdle.
Yate commercial manager Mark Thorne said: “Without undermining our opposition, this is a great opportunity for us to progress.
“We’re hoping the town turns out in its numbers to help take us another step towards the promised land of the first round proper.
“We’re building momentum with not just good results but by playing well, and it’s great to be in the spotlight.
“I’m sure there’ll be no complacency at our end as it looks like Redhill are coming not to just enjoy the occasion, but to take the game to us, having stated they are putting on free transport for their own supporters.”
Yate had hoped to enter the tie with a testing Tuesday night league fixture at Taunton Town this week acting as a competitive warm-up.
That was, to the visiting camp’s frustration, until the Somerset club called off the game on account of the “national fuel situation.”
Irked Yate boss Paul Michael tweeted in response: “Away team (Yate) fine to travel. At the start of the season we were sent Covid directives that said games would go ahead provided 13 players were available. Gutted.”
Lee Lashenko could hardly have been a more satisfied Bristol Manor Farm supremo after witnessing a Tuesday evening to remember this week at Creek HQ.
His stunned side went 2-0 down
to two early Plymouth Parkway strikes, but roared back to win 4-2 thanks to centre-half Josh Ford’s brace either side of half-time followed by a 55th-minute Jamie Short effort and a late long-range Kyle Tooze clincher.
The victory sent Manor Farm up into fourth spot in Southern Division One South heading into tomorrow’s home encounter with lowly Lymington Town travelling up from the south coast.
Lashenko acknowledged: “It was bizarre that we found ourselves two down (by 25th minute) having been so much on top. Josh’s goal just before half-time was just what we needed to give us momentum on a nice, slick pitch helped by the rain. We then produced the best 45-minute performance I’ve seen from a side of mine in a long time; and Kyle thoroughly deserved his goal as he was outstanding as our man of the match.”
Centre-forward Tooze had by now replaced the injured Short at right wing-back, his predecessor having had to withdraw on 75 minutes with a hamstring injury which looks set to sideline him for several weeks.
Skipper and left wing-back Aron Robbins is hopeful of overcoming a hamstring niggle ahead of tomorrow’s kick-off after being replaced by Mason Winter on 56 minutes, while central midfielder Jayden Nielsen misses out on account of a collarbone condition.
Paulton Rovers manager John Rendell wants his team to build on their bashing of Barnstaple Town as they head to Devon for a third successive game in the county.
Saturday’s 5-1 victory over struggling hosts yet to gain so much as a point propping up the rest at the foot of the Division One South standings brought to an end a sequence of three straight league defeats for Rendell’s Rovers.
Now the Winterfield Road chief is eyeing a consistent upturn following a bright beginning to his team’s campaign, starting, he hopes, with a Bideford scalp tomorrow.
Rendell said: “That win at Barnstaple was much needed. It had been a really tough few weeks with games, most of them tight, not going in our favour; which is why I’d said at the time the lads were facing their first real test.
“We had to be patient again; it wasn’t until the 40th minute that Dave (O’Hare) got us the breakthrough we were looking for. After having endless opportunities to score in previous games, it was important the lads didn’t start feeling sorry for themselves.
“We enjoyed good possession from the start and we looked secure defensively, helped a lot by having the experience and chat of our new signing from Tiverton, Neil Martin, in there at the heart of our defence alongside young Dan Dempsey, who unfortunately had to come off at half-time having been troubled of late by persistent niggling injuries.”
Rendell continued: “I’ve also been very pleased with our new right midfielder Leighton Tuodolo, a young lad (19) who is strong, quick and clever on the ball. Leighton’s been good value for us since coming in on a dual registration from Chippenham Under-23s three games ago.
“The same applies to James Byrne, who’s provided solidity and experience sliding in at right-back for our last two games after joining us from Larkhall.”
Rendell said of Saturday’s success: “We produced a solid and very convincing performance. In fact Barnstaple felt we were the second best team they’d played after Plymouth Parkway.
“We were well drilled in possession and we looked competent and organised out of it,” pointed out the Paulton leader, who should have forward Leighton Thomas, and central midfielder Nathan Brown, both available again.
Mangotsfield United, meantime, host Cinderford Town desperate to end their winless run since the 2021-22 off, a journey that got no easier for Ray Johnston’s men in midweek as leaders AFC Totton swept to a 5-0 Cossham Street victory.