Small’s pride at Vase run despite heavy Hartpury defeat

BOVEY Tracey’s players can hold their heads high despite Saturday’s FA Vase exit at the hands of Hartpury University.

That’s according to Moorlanders manager Will Small, who watched as his side were comprehensively beaten 7-0 on a chilly day in Gloucestershire.

The travelling side, who were appearing in the Third Round Proper for the first time in their history, went toe-to-toe with their hosts pretty well for the first half-hour.

They could even have hit the front with just three minutes gone had centre-half Si Laughton’s speculative effort from the edge of the 18-yard box not been deflected narrowly wide.

But Bovey’s bright beginning would ultimately bear no fruit, and it was instead the home side who struck first on 29 minutes. A deflected cross to the far post fell kindly for Luca Robinson who had the simplest of tasks in side-footing past Dom Aplin.

A second sucker-punch came on the stroke of half-time when Laiith Fairnie rose highest to head into the top corner and give the Acorns a two-goal lead at the break.

Second half onslaught puts slim Bovey hopes to bed

Any hopes of a Bovey resurgence were swatted away two minutes after the interval when Josh Beadle strolled into acres of space in the penalty area before calmly picking out the bottom corner.

Then the floodgates really opened as three became seven in a little over 20 second half minutes. First Beadle added his second from the penalty spot after Aplin felled Fairnie in the box.

Then the Bovey shot-stopper came close to keeping out Ben Baxter’s effort for five but the linesman on the near side confirmed that the ball had crossed the line.

Livewire substitute Abdallah Ayobi got in on the act in the 65th minute before Kian Kang rounded off the rampant hosts’ scoring four minutes later.

The away side’s heads didn’t drop and they even had the ball in the next themselves during the closing stages, but the linesman’s flag would deny substitute Tom Mortimore a consolatory goal on his FA Vase debut.

‘We were in it for half an hour’

Despite the disappointment of bowing out with a heavy defeat, Bovey boss Small was under no illusions that his side were simply outclassed on the day.

‘We were in it for half an hour, I thought,’ said Small. ‘We had a couple of chances early on which could’ve fallen our way but didn’t.

‘For their first goal the luck of the bounce has dropped their way and he’s tapped it in. We never really recovered from that.

‘Bang on half-time we were sloppy from a corner and conceded, but at 2-0 at half-time you think you’re still in the game.

‘After the break Hartpury just came out and dominated. They are by far the best footballing side I’ve seen – the full-backs were playing like midfielders and it was like watching Man City play at times. They were very good and it was a bit of a lesson for our lads really.

‘We knew it would be tough coming here and that these are probably a decent shout to win it. We were under no illusions about the task at hand, which was made even harder having three key players unavailable.’

‘Nobody expected us to get to the Third Round’

Small was without the services of experienced defensive duo Lewis Perring (suspended) and Lee Hildreth (work), with top scorer Ollie Aplin only fit enough for the bench.

‘Without Lewis we had no left-footed player in the side,’ Small continued. ‘Lee is a leader at the back who is experienced and knows the game inside out.

‘Ollie guarantees goals and a couple of those balls which have dropped in and around the box may well have fallen to him.

‘It’s frustrating but it’s been nice to go on a little run in the competition. It’s as far as the club has ever got in the Vase so the lads can hold their heads up high.

‘Nobody has expected us to get to the Third Round. We’ve done very well in getting this far, but unfortunately this was one of the hardest draws we possibly could’ve got.

‘They’re pretty much a full-time operation and train a lot more than we can, which showed today in the gulf in class.’

Vase debuts handed to talented teens

Small was able to seek consolation in being able to hand FA Vase debuts to two of Bovey’s talented Under-18 players.

Sixteen-year-old midfielder Mortimore came on to replace Brad Crocombe in the second half, while back-up keeper Fin McLean (17) swapped with Aplin for the final 20 minutes.

‘We have a lot of young lads in and around our squad and it’s nice to give them a chance,’ Small added. ‘Tom Mortimore has come on and made his FA Vase debut as a 16-year-old, which is fantastic.

‘Fin has been with us every game. He’s a great lad with a massive future ahead of him and he’s deserved to get his 20 minutes on the pitch at the end.

‘For the club it’s great because it’s showing that the Under-18s have a pathway through. I don’t think that there are many clubs around that have that.

‘That’s a massive part of what we’re trying to do so it was a big bonus that those two lads went on and gave good accounts of themselves.’

Attentions don’t turn back to the Peninsula Premier East division just yet as Cullompton Rangers visit Mill Marsh Park in the Walter C Parson League Cup on Saturday (2.30pm).

‘We just have to forget this and dust ourselves off ahead of a really big month,’ said Small. ‘There are lots of big games coming up, with the chance to climb the table and to get into the next round of the league cup.

‘Hopefully we can put this behind us and have everybody back firing next week to go again.’