FERALS GAIN IMPORTANT MATCH FITNESS IN FRIENDLY WIN OVER BURY POT BLACK
Moreton Hall Ferals, who have won the Premier Logos Bury Sunday League Division One title in 3 of the last 4 seasons, pick up 90 minutes of match fitness with a pre-season friendly against Bury Pot Black.
Pot Black, who are new to the league and will be playing in Division Three of the Bury Sunday League this season, had some good spells of possession.
Ferals though had the first chance in the 3rd minute, Charlie Glover broke through onto the left-hand side of the box but hit his great strike just over the top far corner.
Jake Peasgood then saw a right wing cross clip back into play off the crossbar six minutes later, before the winger gave Adrian Crowe's side the lead, from inside the box, seconds later.
A sensational free-kick from James Buckmaster quickly doubled Ferals' lead in the 17th minute, the defender's brilliantly taken 35-yard free-kick was pinpoint to the top left-hand corner, despite a brilliant dive from the keeper to tip it into the net off the inside of the post, 2-0 Ferals.
Buckmaster tried his luck at goal again nine minutes later, though this time his low volley on the edge of the box, which was on target, was well blocked, while the rebound fell to fellow goalscorer Peasgood on the right-hand side, whose low tight angled effort went just wide of the bottom far corner.
Peasgood found himself in a similar position just after the half-hour mark, but again saw his shot go agonisingly just wide of the bottom far corner.
Ferals then saw a shot, from point blank range, on the left-hand side beaten away by the keeper at his near post on 38 minutes, while Peasgood's left wing corner found Taylor Waterson whose close range shot was superbly kept out by the defender on his goal-line a minute later.
The defender then tried his luck at goal moments later, but shot wide of the top near corner.
Ferals added a third just as the half ticked into two minutes of stoppage time. Mitchell Bryant was found free on the left-hand byline whose great ball across the face of goal was tapped home by Sam Waterson from point blank range.
At the end of those two additional minutes, added on by referee Adrian Copsey, Ben Newdick - who played in goal for the first half, was alert to deal with a dangerous cross into his six yard box.
Ferals then swapped Newdick outfield, with Charlie Larter donning the gloves, with Ferals adding a fourth goal two minutes after the restart. Josh Blunden was found inside the box before finishing smartly into the top left-hand, near, corner.
Mitchell Bryant then tried his luck with a fierce shot at goal from the edge of the box, but saw his shot well saved by the goalkeeper on 53 minutes.
Bryant though scored his first goal for Ferals, since rejoining Adrian Crowe's side, moments later as James Buckmaster's shot was blocked by a defender for Bryant to lash home into the bottom right-hand corner.
Peasgood was then threaded through onto the right-hand side of the box, albeit shooting just wide into the near side-netting on 56 minutes, before Charlie Glover's left wing corner found Ben Newdick free at the near post, but the latter glanced his header just wide of the far post, on the hour mark.
Ferals then hit the woodwork five minutes later, Jake Peasgood whipped a dangerous free-kick, on the left-hand edge of the box, to Bryant at the far post whose backwards header went just wide off the base of the right-hand post.
Peasgood then lifted another good free-kick into the box, this time from the right-hand, wing, edge of the box, but this time the set-piece just evaded Ben Newdick from six yards out. Sam Waterson though was there at the back post to get a good shot off at goal, but his angled shot dipped just wide of the top far corner on 67 minutes.
A minute later, Ferals extended their lead with Bryant again on the score-sheet. Charlie Glover's great free-kick, just inside Pot Black's half on the left wing, was whipped smartly to the former in space to volley a superb strike into the top left-hand corner.
A great break from Ferals saw Peasgood race into space down the right wing, his brilliant cutback found George Crowe on the edge of the box, the defender unselfishly teed up Bryant to thunder a shot at goal. The goalkeeper however best it away as far as Crowe, whose leaping header was creeping underneath the crossbar, but the keeper made the catch, on 70 minutes.
Peasgood's excellent left wing corner, into the danger area, then just evaded Blunden and went just wide of the far post on 75 minutes.
Pot Black then looked a shot over 2 minutes later, before George Crowe added his name to the score-sheet, with 11 minutes left on the clock.
Peasgood was fed through down the right wing before beating his man and driving into the box and onto the byline, the winger's cutback found the defender who finished smartly, on the half-volley, into the the bottom left-hand corner.
Peasgood's great left wing free-kick was then headed just wide, of the far post, by the leaping Newdick at close range on 80 minutes, while a great save from the Pot Black keeper thwarted a superb strike from Bryant - looking for his hat-trick.
Great play saw Peasgood fed down the right wing, the winger's low cross across the six yard box just evaded Blunden in the centre, and Crowe at the back post. Charlie Glover picked up possession, finding Mitchell Bryant in the middle, whose great fierce strike was smothered away well by the diving keeper, low to his right-hand side.
Two goals in four minutes saw Ferals round off proceedings, Bryant completed his hat-trick on 85 minutes, after being fed through onto the right-hand side of the box he smashed a great low strike in off the inside base of the far post.
Peasgood added his second of the game, latching onto a through-ball down the right wing before cutting into the box and finishing cooly into the bottom far corner in brilliant fashion.
Pot Black then found a man on the left-hand edge of the box but fired the shot wide of the bottom far corner.
Ferals start the season on September 1st away to last season's runners up Barrow in Division One, while Pot Black host Red Lodge Rovers in Division Three (10:30am kick offs).
Ferals: 1/10 Ben Newdick, 8 Ollie Norman, 6 James Buckmaster, 15 Taylor Waterson, 88 George Crowe, 5/1 Charlie Larter (c), 12 Sam Waterson, 9 Josh Blunden, 14 Mitch, 11 Charlie Glover, 4 Jake Peasgood.
Goals: Jake Peasgood (9', 89'), James Buckmaster (17'), Sam Waterson (45'), Josh Blunden (47'), Mitchell Bryant (53', 68', 85'), George Crowe (79').
