Drayton battle at Bedworth

On a heavy, drizzly afternoon at The Oval, Drayton were unlucky not to leave without a point.

Early chances were spawned and Haydn Whitcombe was faultless, as ever, in goal. It was Bedworth's pressure, not to mention a generous interpretation of the offside rule by the assistant referee, which led to Khaellen Bailey-Nicholls coolly slotting home a one-on-one with his right foot after a break on 17 minutes.

For the remainder of the first half, Drayton chances were hard to come by. The 3G pitch was making passing difficult and the heavy conditions resulted in some wayward clearances which made putting moves together challenging. Luke Keen was the first victim of the conditions and was subbed after 16 minutes following a challenge inside the Drayton area. Sean Griffiths and Richard Blythe clashed heads midway through the half which led to the Bedworth Captain leaving the game earlier than he would have hoped as well. Griffiths played on, but was eventually substituted just before half time; replaced by the returning Sean Geddes.

No sooner had the first half begun that James Askey found himself floored having fallen awkwardly after a challenge and was quickly replaced by Ryan Seal. After an hour, Iyseden Christie, who replaced Keen in the first half, and who so nearly signed for Drayton a few weeks ago, made it 2-0 when he found the net in a penalty area melée.

Shortly afterwards, Sean Geddes' knee gave way again and he was quickly substituted as a precaution by boss Carl Abbott. Will Hancox replaced Geddes and quickly found the net just 6 minutes into his appearance. The remainder of the second half was all Drayton. Sean Williams and Javia Roberts chased every ball sent down the wings. George Bowerman fought to find space but was crowded out by the Bedworth defence. Corner after corner was cleared, Nathan Jackson towered above his opponents and won every ball aimed at him, but Bedworth held out to secure the points.

Team: Whitcombe, Griffiths (Geddes 42' (Hancox 66')), Haines, Maslen-Jones, Taylor, Askey (Sea, 46'), Roberts, Tweed, Jackson, Bowerman, Williams.