Slimbridge U18s rescue point against tricky Tuffley to maintain unbeaten home start to the season

Slimbridge U18s maintained their home unbeaten start to the season salvaging a 2-2 draw against Tuffley Rovers U18s at Thornhill Park on Tuesday night in the Cheltenham Youth Floodlit League.

Tuffley struck first blood when captain, Harley Mustoe, dispatched a spot kick confidently into the bottom left corner on 21 minutes.

Slimbridge levelled the game in unbelievable fashion when Max Fowler scored directly from a corner on 30 minutes, but Tuffley regained the lead instantly when Omarion Harrison poked home from close range moments later.

After constant pressure Slimbridge did find an equaliser on 70 minutes when Freddie Harris was picked out by Charlie Bean inside the area to bullet an effort into the top corner.

Slimbridge extended their unbeaten home form to seven games and remain unbeaten against Tuffley in 15 meetings.

Tuffley are without a win in their last four games now and missed the chance to close the gap of the sides above them.

It was a fast start from the hosts with Harris seeing an effort saved incredibly at point blank range by Drew Oliver on four minutes before he dragged an effort just wide a minute later.

Tuffley grew into the half and had their opening chance on 17 minutes when Gabriel Barlow shrugged off Haydn Evans before unleashing an effort that was beaten away well by Kieran Winstone.

The hosts came inches from levelling the game again on 34 minutes when Archie Howarth headed a Kieran Bennett cross back across goal looking for Harris, but he could only poke it past the post.

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Tuffley came out flying in the second period and almost had a third inside the opening two minutes when a stretching Gabriel Barlow saw his effort cannon off the underside of the bar after he met a Harrison whipped cross.

Slimbridge could’ve have levelled if not for some heroics by the Tuffley shot stopper, Oliver, firstly when he incredibly clawed a Bennett curling effort over the bar on 55 minutes.

Moments later he denied Marley Johnson with an almost carbon copy save before denying Bennett’s flicked effort smartly on 59 minutes.

Both sides threw everything at it to win the game and Slimbridge went closest deep in stoppage time when Evans strike from distance whistled past the post.

Slimbridge are now not back in action until the January 14^th when they host Evesham United u18s whilst Tuffley have no time to rest as they are back in action on Thursday when they host Bishops Cleeve u18s in the County Cup.

Slimbridge U18s: Winstone (GK), Anderson (Wayman 65’ (Jones 79’)), Parker-Delves, Djiaha-Nsangou (Mee 56’), Evans, Jagger ©, Fowler (Bloodworth 81’), Johnson, Bennett, Howarth (Bean 46’), Harris

Unused subs – Liddington

Tuffley Rovers U18s: Oliver (GK), Hambling, Collier, Shyamapant, Staite, Mustoe ©, Rose, Ali-Ahmed, Barlow (Samuels 75’), Werner, Harrison (Bourne 60’)

Unused subs- Roberts

C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Drew Oliver (Tuffley Rovers U18s)