Late Joyce Strike Earns Diddy Win

Didcot Town made another one and the last one thankfully of their long trips this season on Saturday as we travelled down the M4 and M5 to Somerset to visit already relegated Bridgwater Town.

The hosts having been officially relegated last week had changed managers and gone very much youth first with their line-up following a heavy 7-0 defeat on Tuesday at promotion chasing Salisbury. To be fair there was some optimism and a noisy positive contingent of home support to cheer their new look side on and their team responded to it especially in the first half.

Didcot forced into changes from last Saturday’s loss to Yate, they did however keep the 3-5-2 system they used against Yate. Sam Elkins began his 5 match ban which meant Sam Barder moved to right wing back, Taylor Janes was absent which meant young Ross Tanner came in at left wing back, James Organ replaced Andy Ballard in the back 3 with the manager dropping to the bench, Ollie Thomas was also recalled to replace Barder in the middle of midfield, Louis Joyce also made a welcome return to the bench following a recent absence.

On a pitch with the longest grass I’ve ever seen Didcot looked to establish an early possession game and should have made an ideal start, Josh Baines found George Reid in the box and as the Diddy striker twisted and turned he was brought down by the legs of home debutant keeper Ashton Granter for a clear penalty. George Jeacock stepped up but his tame penalty was easily saved by the youngster diving low to his left and the ball was cleared. This moment probably changed the whole game as an early goal against most probably would have rocked Bridgwater and who knows what would have happened.

The home response was a strong one, reinvigorated from the early lifeline and the Diddy backline struggled with the pace and trickery of the young Bridgwater forwards Syd Camper and Matt Connick in particular. Connick skilfully leaving Organ and Cattell for dust forcing Bedwell into a smart save low to his right. The game then got scrappy and bitty, Diddy frustrations were becoming obvious, the play slow and laboured with absolutely nothing in the final 3rd. Ollie Thomas went into a strong challenge which he won fairly but the Bridgwater player fully committed to it caught him late which almost certainly higher up the pyramid would have been a red card got away with just a yellow. Ross Tanner shortly followed into the book for a blatant pull back of Camper as the game threatened to boil over.

Then in true Didcot fashion a complete self-destruction to gift the hosts a goal, an aimless seemingly harmless long ball over the top seemed destined to roll to Bedwell, the ball held up in the grass and as Organ left it for his fully committed goal keeper, centre forward Connick hadn’t given it up and nipped in between the two of them, easily rounded Bedwell and rolled it in to the net to give the hosts a lead and something to hold on to, a complete Diddy disaster. Organ probably should have just booted it in hindsight but with the goalkeeper committed and shouting for it he chose to leave it and Didcot paid the price.

The response was non-existent in fact the hosts looked more likely to score the 2nd goal, Didcot’s only attempt was from Callum McNish from 30 yards which cleared the stand behind the goal. The half time whistle blew on one of Didcot’s worst half’s of football all season.

Into the 2nd half and Didcot made an immediate change with Ben Whitehead coming on to replace Jeacock up front and already the tactic was obvious to go a bit more direct and put the young Bridgwater defence under a bit more physical pressure. Thankfully it worked.

A corner into the box by Whitehead was headed towards goal by captain Learoyd, it bounced off the woodwork and as Didcot bodies tried to force it over the line Bridgwater bodies flung in front of it and scrambled it away, George Reid was then blatantly pushed in the back but the referee and linesman somehow didn’t give it.

The equaliser came shortly after when another Whitehead corner was met superbly by a towering Organ who planted his header into the top corner giving Granter no chance and restoring Didcot belief.

Ballard then replaced the hobbling Thomas still feeling the effects of the earlier challenge and in all honesty it was all Didcot at this point, Bridgwater trying to waste time and hang on to a point. Whitehead had made a difference, putting the defence under more pressure and he should have headed Sam Barder’s excellent cross in but he couldn’t make a good enough connection and it drifted harmlessly wide.

Barder himself then had the chance to put Diddy ahead when he sprinted clear of the backline, controlled the bobbling ball well but a mixture of goalkeeper and defender somehow deflected his shot agonisingly over the bar.

In a final throw of the dice to win the game Tanner was replaced by Joyce who went up front with Whitehead with Reid pushing out to the left hand side in a 3 pronged Diddy attack.

Joyce nearly had an immediate impact as his low shot was saved well by the legs of Granter but the striker was to have the last laugh when with 5 minutes to go a long ball by Bedwell was bravely won by Barder who nipped in front of the defender and prodded the ball through to Joyce who ran clear and drilled a superb low shot into the bottom corner beyond Granter to give Didcot the lead.

Bridgwater tried to rally and the impressive Cannick shot well from 25 yards but it was straight enough at Bedwell who turned it over the bar neatly and Didcot held out pretty comfortably after to seal their first away win since November although it was a lot tougher than they probably expected it to be.

Diddy’s next game is next Saturday when we host mid-table Wimborne Town.