Longlevens was back into the full swing of things as for the first time in months the A Team, B Team and Girls’ Team were all in action. First up for Coach Harris was trying to show the codgers of GPSFA how to use the new contactless machine as a way for people to pay for ‘our goods’…..AKA Andy’s baps! This not only cost him in energy that he did not have, but also in money – having to give examples of how to use it. With each swipe of Apple pay on his watch, Coach Harris saw his funds for his new house go out the window. 

After both the A team and Girls’ put in battling performances to gain two wins from two, the pressure was on the Bs to follow suit and it looked like that was going to be difficult within minutes of the game’s start. Aitchenson was called into action on numerous occasions, but really pulled it out of the bag with an athletic double save – the second being off the line to keep the home team in the game. 

Swansea’s pressure came to fruition when brilliant work through the middle of the park found the ball pushed out to the right. Jenson sprinting past the Gloucester defence, swing a ball into the box and the bounce deflects of the keeper and into the net. 

Gloucester really struggling to get hold of any of the ball, Swansea continued to find their way through the midfield and at the goal. Aitchenson was called into action again with a shot being saved to his left and then a long range effort being caught nicely. The rest of the half saw Gloucester have few efforts at the away team’s goal, but were able to hang on to only a one goal deficit.

With a bit of a telling off at half time, the Yellows went back out there and performed to a level far more representing of their capabilities. Their endeavour paid off when a Clarke corner was perfectly met by Giddy in the air and his header finding its way into the top corner, levelling the score.

Swansea responded with their own goal from a corner when Davies finds himself completely unmarked in the box and slots home. Gloucester did counter quickly from the restart and pressure from Hardcastle on the keeper led to mistake and Clarke’s finish just ending up over the bar. 

With Swansea conceding a free kick to the left of the pitch, up steps Neate to take. With instructions to keep his head over the ball and fire at goal, he duly follows orders – ending with his kick flying past the keeper for two each.

Harvey, took one look at Neate’s neat finish and obviously felt like he could do the same. A free-kick in a similar position hit sweetly flew over the keeper’s head to give Gloucester the lead for the first time in the game and Harvey his second scoring free-kick in two games. 

With the Welsh contingent feeling like they deserved something from the game and time running out the boys’ resolve was put to the test. Although they battled very well until the end, it was a free-kick that was perfectly placed into the Gloucester goal in the dying moments that earned both teams a fair draw in the end.

Once again, although a good second half, if we can find the fight to start as we finish, the games would go a lot smoother. 

Gloucester B: Aitchenson, Liggett, Harvey, Giddy, Lucas, Saunders, Hill, Gladding, Neate, Hardcastle, Johny, Clarke