Bungay Town 3, Wells Town 4
THREE goals at home are normally enough to win a game but at the Maltings Meadow on Saturday Wells went one better to take the Anglian combination division one points.
Three times the Black Dogs led but were unable to hold on and defensive frailities were part of their downfall, though on balance they deserved something from an entertaining game which included some well taken goals.
Kevin Riches was again prominent in mid-field and it was he who put Bungay ahead after 15 minutes with a excellent 20 yard free kick, just as he had against Horsford on the previous Tuesday. But the visitors were soon level, with Dan Grocott netting with a fine header from a corner.
Shortly before half-time they went close again, as a forward broke through, but Steve Batt and Gary Foyster cut out the threat, and Bungay went ahead right on the interval with a superbly taken goal from Dan Andrews. Dan Scriven found him racing down the left with a long ball over the defender’s head, and as the keeper advanced he scored with a first time lob from 20 yards. There was still time for Andrews to go close again, but the keeper got the best of a tussle for a high bouncing ball.
Five minutes into the second half Wells were level, with another good header, this time from Scott Grey from a right wing cross. As the action continued a good free kick from Riches was just plucked off Andrews’ head as he moved in, and when Bungay conceded a free kick after 60 minutes, the wall did its job at the expense of a corner.
The Black Dogs were continually looking dangerous going forward, and when they broke quickly following a Wells corner Dan Lowe, who had a solid game at the back, sent Scriven racing through and he beat the keeper with a low shot into the corner.
Wells almost equalised immediately when another header was turned against the post by a defender and Foyster managed to smother it on the line. But the home keeper was at fault when he allowed the ball to bobble from his hands soon afterwards and James Cawston gratefully scored from the loose ball.
Bungay had a chance to go ahead for a fourth time in the 65th minute as Ainsley Baines found substitute Mitchell Armstrong in space with a quickly taken free kick, but with plenty of time, he put his volley narrowly over.
Finally, Wells took all three points with eight minutes left with a fine 25-yard drive from Grocott after Bungay were caught out after losing the ball in mid-field.
THE Black Dogs got their home Anglian Combination division one programme off to a winning start with a well earned win against Horsford on Tuesday evening.
Two first half goals did the trick, and though Horsford had the better of the second half, even when reduced to 10 men, Bungay held on for their first points of the season. The performance was a 100 per cent improvement on the previous week’s game at Poringland.
Dan Scriven, on his debut, curled an early effort wide for Bungay as they put together some good moves. A low cross across the face of the goal by Horsford caused problems, but it came to nothing, and at the other end a Scriven free kick was cleared.
But the Black Dogs took a 12th minute lead when they were awarded a free kick just outside the area and Kevin Riches, who had another good game, drilled the ball low past the wall and the keeper into the bottom corner of the net.
The visitors had a chance when the home defence got in a mix-up but a goal-bound shot was deflected for a corner. At the other end Dan Andrews had a shot blocked, but in the 31st minute the striker made it 2-0 with a good finish low past the keeper after a good ball forward from Dale Smith, who again looked impressive for Bungay.
Horsford looked more determined after the interval and struck the bar early on. Bungay put together a fine move down the right when ended in James Youngman pulling the ball back for Scriven, whose effort was blocked and Andrews was unable to take advantage of the loose ball. But the visitors did more of the pressing and Riches was lucky to see an attempted clearance loop just over the bar.
With 20 minutes left the visitors were reduced to 10 men when Leigh Manning was dismissed for a foul and then a push on Scriven. Shaun Whiteman was just off target with a fine heard from Riches free-kick, and soon after at the other end cleared a dangerous situation at the expense of a corner, before Gary Foyster was forced to turn a good chip shot over the bar.
The visitors pulled a goal back with three minutes left when Bungay conceded a penalty which was clinically converted by Dale Webster. But the home defence held out comfortably for the win
20th July 1st Team Walsham-le-Willows home 0-2
22nd July 1st Team Loddon United home 1-1 Scorer: Russell Tufts
29th July Under 18s Norwich United home 1-3
30th July Women Coplestonians home 9-4 Scorers: Emily Leach 2, Lauren Purling 2, Jo Oakley, Amber Rowland, Leanne Muffitt, Michelle Stanborough, Vicky Bloomfield
31st July 1st Team Acle United home 1-4 Scorer: James Youngman
3rd August 1st Team Wenhaston United away 2-1 Scorers: Sean Whiteman, Dan Andrews
3rd August Under 18s Watton Juniors home 0-1
4th August Reserves Loddon United Reserves home 4-2 Scorers: Dan Lowe, Russell Tufts 2, Matt Holmes
5th August 'A' Team Hempnall 'A' home 2-3 Scorers: Matt James, Charlie Jones
6th August Sunday Reserves AFC Star home 3-2 Scorers: Jason King, Ainsley Baynes, Jack Tipple
10th August 1st Team Hempnall home 1-2 Scorer: Dan Andrews
11th August Reserves Hempnall Reserves home 3-2
12th August Under 18s Coplestonians home 0-0
13th August Women Acle home 0-7
14th August Reserves Norwich United Reserves home 2-5 Scorer: Matt Holmes 2
17th August Women Debenham LC home 1-4
We have now entered Under 11s and Under 12s teams in the Norfolk Ladies & Girls League. Matches will be 7 a side played on Saturday mornings starting September. Girls who wish to play will need TWO passport photo's for id registration cards. Training will continue during the summer holidays on Wednesday's 6-30 to 7-30pm. All welcome whether you want to play or just like training.
We have also entered our Under 14 Girls in the Norfolk Ladies & Girls League rather than the Norfolk & suffolk Youth League this season
If you need more info: email: paddylinfield@btinternet.com
Sportsmen and women in Bungay are celebrating a great Christmas present - the confirmation of a grant of nearly £50,000 to enable the latest development plans at the Maltings Meadow sports ground to go ahead.
News that the latest application had been successful came on Christmas Eve and means the Bungay and District Sports Association can install an outdoor gymnasium, to further enhance the impressive facilities at the Ditchingham venue. The project has been ongoing since December 2008 when the association achieved Stage 1 approval for the £49,000 grant from the Community Spaces Fund. Now the final approval means that this grant will provide a floodlit hard surface track that could be used for jogging, cycling, roller skating or similar activities, linked to a small outdoor exercise area utilising modern equipment aimed at boosting cardiovascular performance. The scheme has been designed with the help of the Godric Cycling Club and the Black Dog Running Club, in conjunction with the existing sports clubs that are currently represented on the sports association management committee.
Bungay and District Sports Association chairman Jon Fuller said: ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂThere were definitely times when we did not think it would all come together, but with the support of the local community, garnered at the Bungay Visioning Day held earlier in the year, and the persistence of the B&DSA committee, it means next spring and early summer will see yet more development work start at the Maltings Meadow sports ground.ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ He said simply creating a new football club with modern facilities was never the intention.
A financially viable sports facility needed to be multi-use if it was to grow and develop, and needed to be used continuously in summer and winter, whether the sun was shining or the rain hammering down on the grass.
The Maltings Meadow Sports Club was reinvigorated in March 2006 when Bungay's tennis, cricket and football clubs joined forces to start the development. The new project will bring runners, cyclists and all the healthy living enthusiasts into the sporting hub and help to make Bungay, Ditchingham and the surrounding villages the envy of other local sports people.
The project involves the creation of a hard surface tarmac track around the main football pitch with additional floodlighting attached to the existing columns. It includes the installation of cycle racks near the sports club to encourage a reduction on the dependency on the car for access, and in addition four pieces of modern exercise equipment, specially built for outdoor use, will be strategically placed close to the existing multi-use games area.
The intention is that the activity track and exercise area will be available free to use for much of the day, but with a booking system in place for the busy evening periods. Mr Fuller added: ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂWe have realised over the past two years that participation or spectacle is what brings people down to visit our sports club. We are hopeful that this new project will allow activity to take place even if it is too wet to play cricket, tennis or football.ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Since the BDSA was established to redevelop the ground, well over £1m has been ploughed into providing an extension to the field, a state of the art sports pavilion, floodlighting for the main football pitch and a floodlit multi-use games area - providing two artificial tennis courts and five-a-side football facilities.
The match ball for Bungay's Suffolk Senior Cup match against Leiston St Margarets was proudly sponsored by Toffee Publications Ltd
Toffee Publications Ltd is a Bungay-based publishing company producing one of the leading international carp fishing specialist magazines called CARPology, and also an acclaimed FREE iMag, not to mention its range of smart clothing.
Finance Director Karl Jackson commented, ‘I am so proud that we can sponsor a club that is both local and one that I once played for myself a long time ago. This club has grown so much in recent years it’s amazing to see what it’s giving to both the local community and further afield. There never seems to be a weekend without some activity at the venue. Well done to all the members of the club from the management at Toffee Publications Ltd. CARPology website can be found at www.carpology.net
Jon Fuller, Chairman of Bungay Town FC, said: 'It is really marvellous that local business wants to get involved with Bungay Town FC in this way. Our philosophy has always been sport for all but ultimately we also would like to see our 1st team challenge other high profile teams in the area for the honour of being top dog! The cost of match balls and referees increases all the time and any help we can find to offset this cost is always gratefully received. If there are any other ex-Black Dogs out there who would like to help in this way please contact me on 07876 614617 or come along to our club reunion we are holding in November'.
Pictured is Robert Long, Bungay Town goalkeeper and Health & Safety Manager of Tubes Scaffolding Ltd with some of the Bungay Town players before their Suffolk Senior Cup match with Leiston St Margarets on Saturday.
Jon Fuller, Chairman of Bungay Town FC, said : 'We are trying to reach a standard off the pitch to enable this club to move forward. We believe that we have some of the best facilities and almost certainly the very best pitch in the area and gradually the playing side of the club is on a roll in the right direction. Creating and maintaining the best facilities for football we can, costs significant sums of money and we are always extremely grateful for support from local companies. We are ever mindful of the hard economic times that business is facing, with the building industry one of the hardest hit; and for that reason it is pleasing to know that Tubes Scaffolding chose Bungay Town FC as a vehicle to maintain their high profile in the area.'
Robert Long, Health & Safety Manager of Tubes Scaffolding Ltd said : 'We are delighted to be sponsoring a club that is not only a big part of the local community but also a club that I proudly represent myself. From both a sporting and social point of view the club caters for everyone with events / activities regularly taking place and although Bungay Town FC has come a long way over recent years I know ambitions within the club remain high, and we hope to continue our partnership in the future.'
This midweek competition, which Bungay won last season, will be running again this year. The six competing sides have been drawn in two groups of three, which each team playing the other two teams in their group, with the top two sides in each group progressing to the semi-final.
| Group A | Group B |
|
Bungay Town |
Long Stratton |
|
Halesworth Town |
Wenhaston United |
|
Wortwell |
Loddon United |
This season's new kit is now available and can be seen below as modelled by Craig Hunting (left) and striker Paul Bullen (right).
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To celebrate 25 years of continuous sponsorship by Waveney Truck Parts we have returned to one of Bungay Town's old colours of sky blue and black. The kit is also sponsored by Bovingdon Bricks and Eastern Power Systems.
Mike Derbyshire (1st Team manager), Jon Fuller (Chairman), Paddy Linfield (Director of Youth Football), Graham Mickleburgh, Pete Reynolds and Brian Gower (Secretary) with the Charter Standard Community Club of the Year Award at the presentation at Ipswich Town F.C.
