On a freezing Tuesday night at Kayte Lane, Bishop’s Cleeve secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Didcot Town, continuing their dominant run this season. Manager Paul Collicutt credited the cold conditions for spurring his team on.
“We probably ran around a bit more tonight than in recent games!” said Collicutt after the match.
Toby Holland was the star of the show, netting both goals in the first half, including a stunning free-kick that left the opposition goalkeeper with no chance. “Toby scored a couple of good goals, the free-kick especially,” Collicutt added.
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The match started slowly, with little action in the opening 10 minutes. However, momentum shifted when Jack Watts was fouled inside the box by JP Nyuysemo, earning Bishop’s Cleeve a penalty which Holland calmly converted.
Didcot Town struggled to respond early on. William Frank Glover’s sharp reaction led to their first significant attempt but his shot went wide. Luke Payne’s effort from distance also narrowly missed after a deflection. Despite holding more possession as the half went on, Didcot found it difficult to create clear-cut chances.
Bishop’s Cleeve doubled their lead before halftime when Holland expertly curled a long-range free-kick into the bottom right corner, leaving the keeper helpless.
The Mitres started the second half with plenty of energy, rattling the post through Ben McLean and forcing a rebound that Jack Watts unfortunately shot wide. Didcot began to find their footing around the 65th minute, but Bishop’s Cleeve missed a golden opportunity to seal the game when Ross Langworthy, set up perfectly by Holland, failed to beat the keeper on two separate occasions.
Late chances from Joe Keeping and a missed opportunity by Didcot in the final moments kept the tension alive, but Lewis Clayton’s clean sheet remained intact as time expired.
Collicutt was pleased with his team’s collective performance, stating, “They came to do a job, and I’m glad to say they didn’t succeed.”
With this win, Bishop’s Cleeve now prepare for their upcoming away fixture against Mousehole as they continue their pursuit of the league title.
Bishop’s Cleeve line-up: Clayton, Payne, Turner (Keeping 81), Lee, Nelmes, Holland (Davis 76), McLean, Watts, Langworthy (Jemmett-Hutson 76), Jeremiah, McInerney (Leeson 64). Sub not used: Liddiard.
Didcot Town line-up: Bedwell, Colquhoun (Herbert 16), McNeill, Glover, Carnell, Learoyd, Mills, Robertson, Frank Glover (Gardiner-Solomon 69), Nyuysemo (Sughayer 83), Conlan (Bessasa-Grant 57).
Referee: Simon Gudger.
Attendance: 96.