Bullard brace sees Brock past Ringwood in league cup clash

Sydenhams Wessex League Cup 2nd Round

Brockenhurst FC 3Ringwood Town FC 1

BROCKENHURST FC secured a spot in the next round of the league cup with a hard-fought 3-1 win over local rivals Ringwood at the Meadens Skoda Arena last night (Tuesday).

Brockenhurst took a 1-0 lead into the break after young striker Freddie Bullard scored from close range. Sammy Brown restored parity with a direct free-kick before Dylan Manufor and Bullard put the game to bed in the second-half.

Although Ringwood made a bright start, Brockenhurst looked the more likely of the two to score first. Brockenhurst captain Will Tickle went close with a free-kick from just outside the box, his shot well-saved by Ringwood’s Liam Harris who tipped the ball onto the upright.

When the breakthrough came, it arrived in the simplest of ways. Eighteen-year-old Bullard worked some space before quickly firing off a shot which worked its way through a gaggle of defenders from 10 yards out.

The second half was more competitive, with Ringwood forcing some impressive saves from Badgers keeper Jon Webb. When the equaliser came, it was fully deserved as Ringwood’s Brown buried a free-kick from 19 yards with such authority that it drew applause from the beaten keeper.

With the game hanging in the balance, defender Manufor kept his cool to restore his side’s advantage. Both sides then created chances, but Webb withstood the barrage at one end while man-of-the-match Bullard added his second to kill the game.

After the match, Brockenhurst manager Pat McManus told the A&T: “I’m happy to see the side progress to the next round. We knew Ringwood would be on a high after their 5-0 win over Hythe & Dibden at the weekend; we had no intention of underestimating them.

“I feel like we dominated the first half and limited them to counter attacks. We really should have gone into the break with more goals. However, the second half was much more even. Both sides created, but Jon Webb was in fine form and we were more clinical.

“I was especially pleased with the performances of some of our 17 to 19-year-olds, particularly Freddie Bullard with his brace.”

In the next round, Brockenhurst FC will take on US Portsmouth who play in Sydenhams Wessex Division One. Their next league match is at home against Lymington Town FC on 7th October.

Ringwood Town FC will next be in action against Newport at home on Saturday.

Brockenhurst: J. Webb, D. Manufor, T. Barnes, J. Nwachukwu, P. Wilson, B. Magookin, W. Tickle, T. Bailey, F. Bullard, M. Vokes, L. Carbayo-Borges. Subs: B. Ben Maatoug, H. White, J. Mayo, T. Hill, G. King.

Ringwood Town: L. Harris, J. Evans, R. Butterworth, J. Petty, C. Williams, R. Osman, L. Taylor, S. Prentice, R. Hamm, B. Harris, S. Brown. Subs: L. Carter, M. Gilham, C. Horton, J. Manley, J. Ransom.