Saturday 2^nd May 2009 –

Ridgeons League Division One

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MOCO TRAVEL

Diss Town  1  Brantham Athletic  1 

Match Report - Tony Collins

Diss completed the 2008/09 season with a home draw against Brantham Athletic in a match of many chances. The Tangerines led at half time but were pegged back with an equaliser midway through the second half.

A weak back pass from James Long was cut out by Ben Soanes in the 6^th minute. He rounded goalkeeper Ryan Bedingfield and moved forward on the left hand side of the penalty area before taking his time to open the scoring with a shot from an acute angle. Brantham came into the game and were close to an equaliser three times. Dave Adams diverted a cross from Ben Spencer on to a post in the 12^th minute. Two minutes later a low shot from Ollie Mann was pushed on to the other post by Matty Hill. Brantham broke quickly at a Diss corner and Dean Dale curled a shot inches wide.

In the 20^th minute Steve Wright took the ball off Spencer and beat James Horsfall before crossing for Soanes to have a weak shot blocked with the follow up header from Jason Hunt being cleared off the line. A minute later Mark Shadrack headed a David Grimwood shot off the line at a Brantham corner. After a quiet ten minutes Bedingfield used his legs to block a Soanes shot after a fine pass from Danny Jones. A minute later Jones forced a save from Bedingfield after exchanging passes with Soanes.

Sean Dale had a shot held by Hill at the second attempt in the 35^th minute as he dived to his right. Three minutes later Keiran Smith-Edwards should have done better than shoot over when unmarked at a corner. Five minutes before the break Danny Partridge cut in from the left and had a shot deflected inches past the post. From the corner Ed Cussons played the ball to And Moody and took the return before sending in a dangerous shot which Bedingfield did well to hold on to.

The second half play was less hectic and the next chance did not come until the 61^st minute. Partridge raced clear on to a through ball from Cussons and as Bedingfield came out to narrow the angle Partridge floated his shot into the side netting. Two minutes later Hill used his feet to keep out a shot from 18 yards out by Grimwood. A long ball out of defence in the 68^th minute was headed on for Sean Gunn to out pace the home defence and run from 30 yards out before hitting an unstoppable shot from 14 yards out for the equaliser.

Soanes moved clear in the 73^rd minute but failed to get any height on his shot and Bedingfield made an easy catch. Mann had a header at a corner blocked on the line in the 80^th minute. The last chance of the match fell to Cussons three minutes later when he took a return pass from Soanes and moved into the penalty area to force Bedingfield into a save.

Diss team: Matty Hill, Stuart Jenkinson, Ed Cussons, Dave Adams, James Wilson, Mark Shadrack, Steve Wright, Danny Jones, Danny Partridge, Ben Soanes, Jason Hunt.

Diss subs:  Terry Minshull, Andy Moody (for Jones 64 mins), Peter hooks and Mark Camidge..

Match Sponsor: Merrick Hill, Insurance Brokers of St. Nicholas Street, Diss.

Match Ball Sponsor: Mr Jonathan Tidnam.