Cornard United v Great Yarmouth Town Saturday 28th October 2023. Report by Martin Baxter.
After not having any competitive football for 3 weeks Yarmouth finally returned to action with a long trip to the Suffolk/Essex border to face Cornard United.
On arrival at the Blackhouse Lane ground I was informed that Cornard had lost their first team manager only a few hours prior to kick off and the club seemed to be in a little bit of disarray, which was further enhanced with the kick off time being delayed by 15 minutes owing to traffic congestion on the nearby A12 causing several of their players to arrive late.
Yarmouth made 3 changes from last time out with Spooner, French and the fit again Akpan all in the starting eleven.
Getting off to a positive start and grabbing that all important early goal has been a major feature of this Bloaters side so far this season, and in only the 5th minute once again they went in front when following a corner the ball bounced off of an Ards defenders head and into the net for an own goal and it was 1-0 to the away side.
This early goal then opened the game up as Cornard went pushing for an equaliser allowing Yarmouth to then counter attack which is what they have been very good at away from home, however both sides then became guilty of not being clinical enough with the final through ball to their strikers and it started to get a little bit frustrating as a watch and Yarmouth were not really working hard enough at closing down their opponents in the midfield areas.
However this changed in the 20th minute when following superb link up play between Fenn and Belmar down the left side, the latter cut in and put his shot across the face of the goal just missing the target by only half a yard and 5 minutes later the home side had their first shot on target when a strike from Bloomfield from 15 yards out was comfortably dealt with by Ling in the Yarmouth goal and in the 30th minute Ling was called into action again, this time making a superb double save from close range, firstly from Spurling and then from Arnold to help keep his side’s slender 1-0 lead.
Having only just returned from a spell on the sidelines it was unfortunately more bad luck for Akpan in the 35th minute when he hobbled off with a foot injury and was replaced by Cantwell and 5 minutes later Couzens went on a surging run through the heart of the Ards defence before shooting over the bar from 15 yards out and just before half-time the Bloaters should really have doubled their lead, however Cornard keeper Lee-Stevens made an excellent point blank save to deny Sanders from 3 yards out.
Half time: Cornard United 0 Great Yarmouth Town 1.
The 2nd period started and the Bloaters were caught cold in only the first minute from a free kick when they allowed Bloomfield to ghost through and with the goal at his mercy and from only 4 yards out he somehow scuffed his shot wide of the post and this was the turning point in this match as despite all their off-field issues earlier in the day, Cornard were making a real game of this and an equalizing goal right at the start of the second half would have given them a massive lift and would have certainly switched the momentum to the home side. Only a minute later the play switched to the other goalmouth when Sanders once again tested the Ards keeper with a shot from 10 yards out which he did well to save.
On 55 minutes a Spooner pass from the right found Fenn who’s strike from 10 yards out was once again well saved by keeper Lee-Stevens and this was now a very even contest with the next goal being crucial and in the 68th minute Fenn was replaced by Duffield.
The Ards winger and captain Lindoe was at the heart of everything positive for his side and he was causing Yarmouth problems down the left flank and Halliday found himself in a real battle to keep him at bay and in the 72nd minute Couzens tried to lob the keeper from just over the half way line with a Jesse Fenn special, however this time the ball went a yard wide of the post.
Going into the final 10 minutes Perry and Cork were introduced and once again full credit the Yarmouth coaching staff for giving all 4 substitutes some game time on the pitch after their long journey and just as it seemed that the away side would see the match out Cornard won a corner in the 92nd minute and from the corner Seal headed home at the near post to make it all level at 1-1.
However there was still more late drama to come as in the 94th minute Yarmouth themselves then won a corner, which was swung into the box by Cantwell and found Couzens who slotted the ball into the net for a dramatic last gasp winner.
Full Time: Cornard United 1 Great Yarmouth Town 2. Attendance: 42.
GYTFC: Ling, Halliday, Belmar, Wilson-Towns, Philpott, French, Akpan, Spooner, Couzens, Sanders, Fenn. Subs: Perry, Cantwell, Duffield, Cork.
Man of the Match: George Couzens.
