Mangotsfield clinical in close win over Brimscombe
Brimscombe & Thrupp slipped to their second league defeat in a row, losing 2-0 to a Mangotsfield side who took their chances.
After a goalless first half, Henry Ikeije tapped home after Brimscombe failed to clear their lines, before Jaydn Crosbie found the target with a late penalty, to seal the points.
After losing their last league outing at Hereford Lads Club, Brimscombe were coming into the game following a cup win over Pershore in midweek and the Lilywhites nearly took the lead in the opening minute.
Jonty Welch was found in space inside the box, but the midfielder scuffed his effort straight at Dominic Oakes.
Ollie Pitt fired the wrong side of the post from 18 yards in the 7th minute, as Sam Prior’s side look to make a fast start.
But on 16 minutes, Mangotsfield had the lead…or so they thought!
A ball forward fell to Crosbie at the edge of the box and after the striker drilled in off the post the visitors began to celebrate.
However after protests from the home side, the referee consulted his assistant and eventually ruled out the effort for a block preventing Eli Simpson being able to try and block the shot.
The first half saw both sides cancel each other out for the most part, with half chances for both.
Jack Freeman sliced an effort wide from the edge of the box, before Harlie Price had a long-ranged effort well held by Oakes.
The second half started with Brimscombe looking to make a crucial breakthrough and after Jack Hughes made a good run to the left side of the box, he laid off for Ollie Pitt to sting Oakes’ palms.
Moments later, Price laid the ball off for Jonty Welch, but his drilled effort flew wide.
And Brimscombe were made to pay for their misses on 64 minutes, when a free kick into the box just wasn’t cleared and Henry Ikeije was on hand to tap home after a shot rebounded to him.
Kyrese Morrison found space on the right side of the box, but saw his effort palmed onto the post by Gav Jones, before Morrison cut back to Jake Hicks – who blazed over from 18 yards.
Brimscombe pushed for an equaliser and with ten minutes to go, Dominic Oakes made a stunning save to palm Jonty Welch’s header out of the top corner, before Ryan Ponting could only head against the bar on the follow up.
From the resulting corner, Jack Hughes’ goalbound effort was cleared off the line.
And with two minutes left on the clock, Brimscombe were punished for their misses when Ikeije was tripped in the box and Jaydn Crosbie converted from 12 yards – as he did at Longlevens on Tuesday night.
The win moves Mangotsfield up to 8th in the Hellenic Premier table an four points from the play-offs, however they only have eight league games remaining and sides around them have as many as five games in hand.
Mangoes head to Cinderford on Tuesday night, before nine days without a game.
For Brimscombe, they sit in 17th place in the table, 16 points ahead of the relegation place and have only played 22 games so far this season.
Next up for Sam Prior’s side is a trip to Corsham Town on Friday (9 January) before a trip to Slimbridge a week on Tuesday.
Brimscombe & Thrupp: G Jones, Deakin, J Jones, Black, Simpson, Ponting, J Welch, Pitt, Hughes, Price, Freeman
Subs: Harper, Potter, M Welch, Prior, Schofield
Mangotsfield United: Oakes, Tovey, Ashton, Ilea, Bence, Morrison, Purnell, Ikeije, Crosbie, White, Nunn
Subs: Kelly, Barimah, Hicks, Hutchison, Morris
C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Harlie Price (Brimscombe & Thrupp)
READ MORE: Check out Saturday’s results in and around Gloucestershire right here
