Gloucester City U18s maintain unbeaten league start after holding on to beat Tuffley

Gloucester City U18s withstood a spirited Tuffley comeback to claim a 2-1 victory on Tuesday night, maintaining their unbeaten start in the CYFL this season.

After a goalless first half, Lewis Vye’s header and Oliver Gwizdon’s close range finish had the Young Tigers two goals to the good with twenty minutes left, but a Kaelen Venna effort set up a grand stand final 15 minutes, but City held on to secure the points.

City are one of only three sides still unbeaten in the Premier Division, alongside league leaders Hereford Pegasus and Slimbridge – who City host next Friday night at New Meadow Park.

For Tuffley, it was an impressive defensive display and over the course of the 90 minutes deserved a draw for their efforts and quality of Venna in particular, but they will take plenty of positives into a tough trip to Bishops Cleeve next Tuesday night.

The game produced a fairly open start, with Precious Abeiya having the best chance of the half on 6 minutes – getting onto a loose back pass but seeing his effort saved by Phil Chovanec.

Archie Myatt started the game on the left for the visitors and he saw his first effort of the night palmed out for a corner by Drew Oliver.

Myatt curled over on 20 minutes, after dispossessing Josh Kennedy and working his way to the left corner of the box.

The winger moved over to the right hand side after about half an hour and he had another great chance before half time, as he fired against the outside of the post from just shy of 25 yards.

Then in injury time, Myatt crossed for Christian Oliver who somehow headed wide from about eight yards out.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/mortgageadvicegloucestershire for your financial planning needs

Before half time, City brought on Ryan Baines and Lewis Vye and they looked a lot more balanced for it and that continued into the second half, with Vye in particular looking likely to break the deadlock.

Zak Jones won the ball on the edge of the City box but after failing to get the ball out of his feet had to rush his effort and Chovanec was easily able to save.

On 52 minutes Drew Oliver was left rooted to the spot as Christian Oliver’s effort deflected into the opposite corner – with the Rovers keeper delighted to see it rebound off the foot of the post.

But just five minutes later, Oliver could do nothing to stop the visitors taking the lead, as Vye leapt highest to plant a header into the top corner.

Kaelen Venna was the best player on the pitch over the 90 minutes and the Tuffley man nearly created an instant reply, but his ball in from the left was hooked away by Callum Tye before Ellis Mayo could arrive at the back post.

Oliver Gwizdon came on for City and he nearly added a second, but his goalbound header was blocked by the once again superb Andre Bolger-Allen.

Gwizdon did get his goal on 69 minutes though, as Tye and Vye combined down the left and the latter’s ball in just squirmed over Oliver and Gwizdon pounced to bundle the ball home at the back post.

Tuffley would have been disappointed as they weren’t two goals worse than City at any point of the game and they reduced the deficit on 75 minutes as substitute Luke Roberts slipped the ball through to Venna, who smashed past Chovanec.

Roberts was a handful after coming on and after turning well on the edge of the box, dragged his effort wide of the mark.

Venna nearly produced a stunning assist with just four minutes remaining, as he danced his way past a number of City shirts, before sliding the ball right to Roberts, who’s shot was deflected out for a corner.

Tuffley pressed in injury time and won a number of free kicks in and around the City box – but the visitors were able to withstand the pressure to clinch the win.

Tuffley Rovers U18s: Oliver, Kennedy, Ahmed, Smith, Bolger-Allen, Shyampant, Venna, Mayo, Abeiya, Samuels, Jones

Subs: Muskwe, Tyler, Roberts, Hansen, White

Gloucester City U18s: Chovanec, Chance, Townsend, Sullivan, Warren, Bradburn, Thomas-Phillips, Nembhard, Myatt, Oliver, Pinchard

Subs: Gwizdon, Vye, Tye, Baines, Adegunloye

C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Kaelen Venna (Tuffley Rovers U18s)