Match report: Bashley sealed 3-2 Southern League Division One victory against Willand Rovers in the club’s first match since Jordan Chiedozie’s tragic accident

Bashley achieved the result they so desperately wanted – beating Willand Rovers 3-2 – on Saturday afternoon in the club’s first match since the tragic accident involving Jordan Cheidozie.

With striker Jordan Chiedozie still lying seriously injured in hospital after that freak road accident seven days earlier, his teammates hoisted his shirt onto a pillar behind the home dugout – and it certainly seemed to inspire them.

The 30-year-old had been returning from a match against Tavistock AFC with physiotherapist Reighan Taylor. After suffering a flat tyre, they pulled over onto the hard shoulder and were standing outside the vehicle when another car hit Chiedozie.

Chiedozie’s family, including partner Michaela and his father John – the former Tottenham Hotspur winger – were guests of the club and watched on as Bashley collected all three points on the back of a terrific trio of headers by Mitch Speechley-Price, Brett Williams and Dan Walster.

At a meeting on Thursday, the Bashley players considered whether to hold back from playing this game, as they had done to everyone’s understanding for the Tuesday fixture against Thatcham – or return to action and dedicate the game to their stricken teammate.

They chose the latter – and gave a performance to be proud of. The scoreline had a falsely close look mainly because of what many considered a generous penalty decision in favour of Willand six minutes from the end of normal time.

Likewise, referee Tom Farlow didn’t quite capture the mood of the moment when he fussily showed a yellow, then straight away a red card to Bashley manager Dave Lewis, banning him from the touchline for the final 15 minutes.

Bashley’s first corner, on 20 minutes, brought the opener. A typical Lewis Ross inswinger from the left was met at the far post by the very fired-up Mitch Speechley-Price with a powerful downward header for the player’s long-awaited first goal on his return to the club.

There was a momentary lapse when Harvey Dorothy got in behind the Bashley back line. Mack Allan looked as though he might have gone too soon in racing out 20 yards to meet him – but the young keeper got there in the nick of time to blast the ball off the striker’s toes.

Soon Bash came rampaging forward again, and on 35 minutes it was deservedly 2-0. Ross had a free kick high into the box this time, and Brett Williams turned back the clock with a classy header.

With 43 minutes on the clock, Willand won a penalty. It looked as though Lewis Waterfield may or may not have tripped Ashton Hewitt, but there was no doubt about how Bailey Kempster took the spot kick, textbook, low and hard to Allan’s left corner.

Just short of the hour mark, Bashley scored a deserved third with another fabulous headed goal. Ross completed a hat-trick of assists with a right-wing free kick, which Dan Walster came diving through a pack of players to head in at the near post.

Then came the moment that looked as though it could have set the spoiling of the afternoon in motion. With 84 minutes played, some goalmouth tussling before a corner kick ensued, the like of which we’ve all seen a hundred times before. Referee Farlow spoke to the players, but his hand pointed to the penalty spot when the ball came in. A second expertly-placed spot-kick by Hempster set up a nervy finish.

However, on this day of such massive passion and determination, there was seldom a doubt that they would hold on, even with a generous seven minutes of added time.

Non-playing skipper Steve Walker proudly held aloft Cheidozie’s shirt as the Bashley players took a lap of honour, applauding the crowd as they came around and the crowd reciprocating in style.

The Bashley squad has it all again on Tuesday evening when Thatcham are the visitors at 7.45pm before an away match against Exmouth Town on Saturday at 3pm.

Bashley: M. Allan, J. Bertie, C. Baughan, D. Walster, T. Edmondson, L. Ross, L. Waterfield, L. Holmes, B. Williams, J. Arnold, M. Speechley-Price. Subs: C. Whit22’y, H. Bertrand, C. Wooding, T. Bailey, K. Samadi.