MATCH REPORT: Chippenham Town 4-3 Swindon Supermarine | Wiltshire Premier Shield Final | Tuesday 16th April 2024
A very entertaining final saw a youthful Bluebirds overcome a 3-1 deficit to win 4-3.
Chippenham started with a largely academy side with only keeper Will Henry and skipper on the night Dan Ellison having featured regularly for the first XI this season, although they were belatedly boosted by substitutes Tyreke Johnson, Will King and Caine Bradbury who made a significant combined contribution after coming off the bench.
The match was fittingly refereed by Wiltshire’s premier referee Sam Allison, the former Bluebird player and now Premier referee showing why he is so highly thought of in the game as he largely remained anonymous throughout the match with a highly polished performance.
A quiet opening ten minutes saw only a Supermarine corner held by Henry whilst a through ball saw Supermarine keeper Billy Thomas beat Leo Rendell to the ball.
On eleven minutes an audacious lob from Pele Kouisseoue, seeing Thomas off his line, was short and wide.
On the quarter hour mark Harlee Vozza’s cross saw Leighton Tuodolo blaze over, whilst two minutes later a Bluebird corner similarly ended with Kouisseoue firing high.
Midway through the half Supermarine began to control the midfield and on twenty one minutes Henry had to rush out of his goal to block and the ball fell to Brad Gray whose shot was blocked by Ellison. Supermarine took the lead seven minutes later when a good ball into the area was tapped home by Michael Fernandes.
Marine doubled their lead on thirty two minutes when a corner was only cleared to the edge of the box and Zak Kotwica hit a low shot home.
The Bluebirds found a way back into the game four minutes later with an exquisite goal from Dan McAllistair who ran on to beat Thomas with a low shot.
Before the break Supermarine’s Gray headed effort from Liban Ibrahim’s cross was saved by Henry, whilst Tuodolo shot wide.
HALF TIME: Chippenham Town 1-2 Swindon Supermarine
At the start of the second half Supermarine introduced former Bristol City player and one time Bluebird loanee Jake Andrews.
On fifty minutes a Chippenham free kick was played to Kouisseoue whose shot deflected goalwards but was blocked.
Four minutes later Andrews’ curling free kick was saved by Henry. Marine hit their third ten minutes into the half when a rare Ellison mistake saw him knock the ball forward on the edge of the area where Fernandes ran on to score.
Henry then saved a Fernandes near post shot whilst at the other end Ethan Cannings’ shot from distance was off target.
On the hour mark Chippenham brought on Bradbury and a minute later Thomas won a one on one with Vozza.
A minute after that Bradbury’s shot took a huge deflection off a defender and ended up in the back of the net.
Andrews then had another free kick blocked before Chippenham made it three all as Tuodolo met a deep cross to score from close in.
A quarter of an hour from the end Bradbury was just wide with a shot from twenty five yards.
Two minutes later Tyreke Johnson volleyed home an absolute screamer from a pass by Bradbury to win the game.
As the game reached eighty nine minutes Henry gathered a headed effort from Matt Bower.
Six minutes of stoppage time saw Chippenham’s Isaac Davies shoot over whilst Henry superbly tipped over another curling free kick from Andrews.
FULL TIME: Chippenham Town 4-3 Swindon Supermarine
Chippenham: Will Henry, Leo Rendell, Leighton Tuodolo (Nat Williams 84), Jack Poffley (Tyreke Johnson 73), Joah Hall, Ethan Cannings, Darren McAlastair (Caine Bradbury 60), Mal Nicholls (Will King 73), Pele Kouisseoue, Dan Ellison, Harlee Vozza subs not used: Alex Avenell, Nelson Ero, Owen Allison, Sam Hughes
Swindon Supermarine: Billy Thomas, Liban Ibrahim,, Ryan Campbell (Matt Liddiard 82), Ioan Richardson, Matt Bower, Jamie Edge, Zak Kotwica, Joe Tumelty (Josh Blyth 71), Brad Gray, Michael Fernandes, Henry Spalding (Jake Andrews 46) subs not used: Joe Liston, Fiachra Pegal, Dave Sims-Burgess, Henry Williams, Sam Turl, George Dowling
Ref: Sam Allison
Ass Refs: Mitchell Terry, Luke Hinchliffe
4th official: Lloyd Kettley
Att: 560
