ALMONDSBURY TOWN 0 v 0 CN TOWN

Alex Volosanov taking a free kick early in the game

Chippy came away from the long trip to Bristol with a hard earned point to set the season’s points tally up and running. Ian Ford introduced new signing Alex Volosanovs into the side in place of the holidaying Steve Knight and Tim Jenkins came in for the injured Craig Holman. The home side had started the season well, with two wins out of three, and their confidence was there for all to see. They began brightly and were knocking the ball around very sweetly, the back four all comfortable on the ball. With Justin Bishop looking lively up front Chippy’s rearguard, that had conceded 15-goals in the previous four matches, had to be a more secure unit and certainly looked it. Bishop sprung the offside trap after fifteen minutes, but Mark Harris rushed from his goal and made an excellent sprawling stop. Paul McKelvaney was the home sides real danger man though, and his shot from distance cracked the post midway through the half. Chippy weathered the storm though, and a Volosanovs free-kick was just frantically kept out by Kim in the Almonds goal down by his near post, and the rebound narrowly evaded Andy Varnam.  Almonds then came close again when the impressive Bishop sret his strike partner Cole away, but again he could not beat Harris who saved impressively. Half-Time 0-0

The second half was a much more even encounter, both sides going close within the first ten minutes, first after Varnam and Prierra had combined well Jenkins’ shot went into the side netting, and at the other end, a long ball almost caught Chippy’s defence flat, Harris advanced from his goal and averted the danger temporarily, but Winter’s lob back over him looked to be heading for the back of the net, but sturck the bar and Nathan Meade, a rock at the back for Chippy, hacked the ball clear. Entering the last ten minutes, and it looked like The Magpies had pinched it when Volosanovs set Varnam clear, he finished clinically, but the linesman’s flag was raised, a very tight call that. There was just time for Mckelvaney to crack in another effort that Harris tipped past the post before the referee’s whistle blew and the points were shared.

TEAM: Mark Harris 9*, Gary Morrison 7*, Anthony Akers 7 (Andy Harris 69/7), Nathan Meade 8, Steve Olczak 7, Alex Volosanovs 7, Tim Jenkins 6, Nathan Haisley 6, Cameron Busby 5 (Gary Wilson 64/8), Remi Prierra 6, Andy Varnam 6