Shortwood 1 Stonehouse 0
Gloucestershire Challenge Trophy 1 st round
Keegan Bowes’ goal was enough to give Shortwood the cup bragging rights over local rivals Stonehouse, writes Jim Cunneen.
Earlier, Wood boss Ian Soule took the opportunity to rest some of his first-team regulars. Soule welcomed back Peyton and Byrnes from injury.
At the back, Wood looked solid with Shay Lyons particularly impressive, while Bowes had possibly his best game for the club from wide on the flanks.
For Stonehouse, former Shortwood keeper Adam Clark had a terrific game with several fine saves to keep his side in the tie, and Wood keeper Alex Freeman
matched him with a vital save in the last minute to deny Tom Palmer.
Both sides went at from the start and Magpies’ captain Alex Kibble shot over from a good position. Clark then dived full length to deny Gilson – Clarke and Earle fired over.
It was fast and frenetic. Fowler fired wide for the Magpies and Bainbridge drove a shot straight at Freeman. After 22 minutes Gilson- Clarke raced through and beat Clark but the shot was cleared off the line at the expense of a corner. Bowes volleyed across goal before Wood lost Rhodes through injury after half-an-hour.
Kibble again fired over and he and Tosdevine were yellow-carded for a dust-up just before the break.
After 54 minutes Clark somehow turned a shot from Gilson – Clarke round the post and from the resultant corner again kept his side in it with a point-blank save to deny Lyons. Just 5 minutes later Wood took the lead – Bowes heading home a pinpoint cross from Earle.
Bowes again tested Clarke with a shot bound for the top corner as Wood hunted for a second while Stonehouse tried to hit Wood on the break. With 83
minutes gone Bainbridge was fortunate not to see red for a bad challenge on Freeman as he collected a through ball and in the last minute Freeman dived full length to keep out a shot from Stevens.
Wood face an away game at either Mangotsfield or Chipping Sodbury.
Shortwood: Freeman, Marks K, Harper – Emerson (Peyton L 65), Byrnes, Marks N, Lyons, Bowes, Tosdevine (Odia – Coly 80), Gilson – Clarke, Rhodes (Barrett 30), Earle,
