Bishop’s Cleeve began their season with a resilient 2-1 win at Shaftesbury despite an early challenge. Remarkably, debutant Jamal Lawrence was shown a red card less than 30 seconds into the match after being penalised for using an elbow. This unprecedented early dismissal left manager Paul Collicutt’s side with ten men from the outset.
Shaftesbury capitalised on the numerical advantage to take the lead in the 25th minute thanks to Dawid Regula. However, Bishop’s Cleeve responded with determination in the second half. Returning left-back Matt Bower equalised with a powerful header in the 67th minute, connecting with a precise cross from debutant Jack Carter, who had benefited from the efforts of fellow newcomer Charlie Holliday.
The decisive moment came near the end of the match when substitute Steve Davies unleashed a long-range strike three minutes from time, which dipped past the goalkeeper to secure the victory.
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Reflecting on the match, Collicutt praised his team’s spirit: “I am highly proud because the lads have put in one hell of a shift today. In all the years I’ve been in football, to have a player sent off inside 25 seconds in the first game of the season is extraordinary. The lads battled throughout. We went into half-time 1-0 down, but in the second half Jack Carter did brilliantly with his cross for Bower’s equaliser. Then, ‘the old man’ comes on and scores a brilliant winner from distance. The lads are well happy, I am well happy, and so is the chairman, Clive Rawlings – it’s a terrific start.”
Looking ahead, Bishop’s Cleeve will host Swindon Supermarine on Friday evening, with Lawrence available for selection. However, his three-game suspension for league matches will commence following that fixture. Notably, Lawrence remains eligible for the FA Cup and FA Trophy competitions despite the ban.
Bishop’s Cleeve starting XI: Clayton; Carter; Turner (Davies 30); Lee; Bower; Liddiard (c); Sambu (Langworthy 79); McLean; Lawrence; Holliday (McInerney 75); Evans-Harriott. Subs unused: Nelmes, Messenger.
Attendance at the match was 202 spectators.