Brilliant Broadwell kick off County League campaign with win over Longlevens Reserves
Broadwell Amateurs kicked off their 2026/27 Gloucestershire County League season with all three points, running out 2-0 winners over Longlevens Reserves.
Ben Fishwick scored a goal in each half to see his side coast to victory in the end, with an impressive and battling display.
Longlevens Reserves couldn’t match Broadwell physically and ran out of ideas pretty quickly, having squandered three of four huge opportunities earlier in the contest.
The hosts also had keeper Jack Sargeant to thank for still being in the game up until Fishwick’s second, with the young stopper producing a number of crucial saves.
Both sides have next weekend off, with Longlevens Reserves in action a week on Tuesday, when they host University of Bristol at Saw Mills.
Broadwell are now not in action until Saturday 22 August, when they host Wick in their first home game of the season.
Longlevens Reserves had the first chance of the game, as Fin Rankin’s driven effort was saved at his near post by Phil Chovanec.
The keeper was let rooted moments later, but Jack Cornell fired wide after spinning well in the box.
Jamie Belfitt had the ball in the net on 13 minutes, but his effort was chalked off for offside as the free kick came into the box.
But just four minutes later, the visitors broke the deadlock. A corner into the box was headed down and Ben Fishwick turned the ball home from close range.
The hosts wasted two golden opportunities to level the game, with Rankin going through on goal only to lob Chovanec and see his effort rebound off the bar.
Then, after Harry Knight sliced a clearance across his own goal, Leo Marsden-Green side footed wide with as far as six yards out.
Jamie Creed should have punished the misses right before half time, but after Belfitt’s great work to keep the ball alive and cut back from the right, the forward could only send his effort straight at Sargeant, who beat away the effort.
Sargeant was called into action within the first three minutes of the second half, again standing firm to beat away a spectacular effort from Creed.
Cornell broke the offside trap for Levens moments later, before squaring for Adi Adichareh – who side footed wide from the centre of the box.
Longlevens final big chance either side of the break saw Adichareh combine with substitute Jordan Alderman, who slipped through for Cornell – but the Levens Skipper fired across goal and wide.
The longer the half wore on the more Broadwell took control, seeing the game out and frustrating their opponents, who ran out of ideas pretty quickly.
And with under ten minutes remaining Broadwell struck the killer second blow as Man of the Match Dan Brain worked space down the right and after his ball in was only palmed down by Sargeant, Fishwick was on hand to claim his second of the day and secure all three points.
Broadwell will be delighted with their display, with the whole squad playing their part in a great opening win – whilst Longlevens Reserves will be looking to get a number of key players back in the squad as they look to settle down into life in the County League.
Longlevens Reserves: Sargeant, Kent, Fusiek, Snelgrove, Thornton, Morrissey, Rankin, Brown, Marsden-Green, Cornell, Adichareh
Subs: Knight, Twyning, Cavallaro, Summers, Alderman
Broadwell Amateurs: Chovanec, J Knight, Locke, Creighton, H Knight, Malcolm, Fishwick, Belfitt, Creed, Brain, Burnard
Subs: Powell, Skidmore, Guest, Childs
C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Dan Brain (Broadwell Amateurs)
READ MORE: Check out the list of Saturday’s results in and around Gloucestershire right here
