BAMBER BRIDGE FC

Saturday July 6th 2024

  Pre-Season Friendly

Bamber Bridge – 0 Fleetwood Town – 2

In the middle of a summer that, lets be honest doesn't actually seem to have arrived yet, we find ourselves in the first week of July and the pre -season match schedule is upon us. Bamber Bridge got us underway, as they entertained League Two, Fleetwood Town at the SFC Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Brig starting eleven included three Trialists, with just Bailey Thompson and Max Cane of the close season signings making their starting debuts. The Brig bench included new signings Finn Wallbank, Nathan Caine, Ben Rydel and Sidi Sanogo Fofana, along with two further trialists.

The match got under way with Brig, resplendent in their new Adidas strip attacking the Woodyard End. A blustery swirling wind wasn’t going to particularly help the flow of the game but in fact it turned out to be good contest with some very encouraging signs form the rebuilt Bamber Brig squad.

Fleetwood in yellow started brightly and created a couple of early chances without testing the Trialist Brig keeper. Brig had an early shot blocked as it looked goal-bound but the visitors were in control in the early moments. On 13 minutes Brig fashioned a decent chance as a long ball picked out Bailey Thompson whose shot was struck narrowly wide.

Brig looked to be encouraged by the chance and started to get more in the contest, A good cross from the right had the Cods Back defence back-pedalling but good defending saw the ball cleared from danger.

At the other end the Brig keeper was called into action making a fine save after The Fleetwood No.19 had done well to run in behind the Brig defence. Again Brig responded and Max Caine watched on as his shot flew inches wide of the post following a cross form Chris Churchman. The game was now swinging from end to end with Brig giving as good as they were getting. With Half time approaching the Brig keeper was forced in to another fine save with a strong hand stopping the ball from crossing the line. Half time and goalless but plenty of chances created by both sides.

Fleetwood made eleven half time changes and took just two minutes of the second period to take the lead. A cross from a free kick was whipped in and what from the far end looked like a looping header dropped over the Brig keeper to nestle in the back of the net. Buoyed by their lead Fleetwood began to turn the screw and should have doubled their advantage when a fine ball into the box found the Cods striker with time and space but he screwed his shot wide of the post.

On the hour it was the turn of Bamber Bridge to make changes with no less than seven players being introduced. The flow of the first half wasn’t really being replicated in the second half but Brig were still holding their own against their Football League opponents.

Good defending from Fleetwood with a fine defencive block in the box prevented Brig from levelling the score on 70 minutes.

As the closing stages drew near, the visitors looked the more likely, as first a shooting opportunity was wasted as the shot was struck wide, before a powerful header was superbly dealt with by Brig and cleared off the line. Sidi Sonogo Fofana saw a shot blocked for Brig and on 80 minutes A Brig trialist raced into the area looked to side step the keeper but lost his footing on the new grass, the resulting shot shanked well wide of the post. But it was the visitors creating the bulk of the chances as the final minutes approached.

Another Fleetwood shot flashed wide of the post before the Fylde Coast visitors doubled their advantage in the last minute, a chipped effort over the advancing Brig Trialist keeper giving Town a two goal cushion.

Seconds later and the referee blew the full time whistle. A good run out for a very new and unfamiliar Brig squad who all acquitted themselves well, and with seven more pre season friendlies before the NPL gets underway, this was a promising start. Oh, and it’s good to be back.

Full Time:

1. Bamber Bridge – 0 Fleetwood Town – 2
   
   
   Bamber Bridge: 1. Trialist, 2. Chris Churchman, 3. Trialist, 4. Jack Baxter, 5. Simon Grand,
   6. Trialist, 7 Danny Edwards, 8. Michael Potts, 9, Bailey Thompson, 10, Max Cane,
   11, Jeff Adubofour
   
   
   Subs: Mark Cullen, Nathan Caine, Sidi Sanogo Fofana, Danny Forbes, Ben Rydel, Trialist, Finn Wallbank, Trialist.
   
   
   Attendance: Not sure, looked about 400ish.