Moreton Hall Ferals start off their home 2024/25 Premier Logos Bury Sunday League Division One campaign with a 2-1 victory over newly promoted Bedfield at Hardwick Heath.
Adrian Crowe's side started brightly with Cam Nicholls breaking into the penalty area down the right-hand side, the forward rounded the keeper who recovered well to gain possession after just 30 seconds.
Last season's Division One double winners took the lead in the sixth minute as a low left wing cross found Kieran Waller in acres of space to, first time, pick out the top left-hand corner.
Ferals went close again two minutes later, forcing a good save out of keeper Olly Garner, Cam Nicholls was threaded through into space down the right-hand side of the box, whose shot was smothered behind by the shot-stopper.
Ollie Ward then dipped a 30-yard free-kick just wide of the bottom near, left-hand, corner after 17 minutes, before Ferals again went close two minutes later.
Ferals, who continued to dominate, saw Charlie Glover picked up possession on the left wing before cutting into the box before shooting narrowly wide of the bottom near corner.
Ten man Ferals, due to a sin bin, played a good through-ball into the penalty area for Kieran Waller, but goalkeeper Garner was out smartly to hold on 27 minutes.
Bedfield made the man advantage count, as the visitors began to get a foothold into the game but found debutant Theo Stamp unbeatable in the Ferals goal, with the stopper holding onto a shot from outside the area after 28 minutes.
On the half-hour mark, Giles Tuley forced another routine save from Stamp, after a shot in space in the centre was hit straight at the 'keeper.
Tuley then fired a shot wide two minutes later, while an excellent save from Stamp again thwarted the visitors five minutes before the break. Paddy Styles found space 30-yard from goal to wrap a brilliant dipping strike towards Stamp's bottom right-hand corner, which the latter dived across well to tip behind.
Just before the break, Bedfield had a good chance to equalise in the 2nd minute of stoppage time, a right wing 40-yard free-kick found Jimmy Mayhew who headed over from point blank range.
Ferals brought on Mitchell Bryant at the break, with the Champions starting the second half brightly. Substitute Bryant was fed into space on the edge of the box, only to see his low fierce shot well held by the goalkeeper in the 50th minute.
Bryant continued to have an impact, threading Ferals' all time top scorer Cam Nicholls through on goal, onto the right-hand side of the box, whose shot went agonisingly just wide of the bottom far corner a minute later.
Goalscorer Waller then picked up possession for Bryant to surge forward into space to in turn slot the former free inside the box to shoot, whose effort was blocked behind by the foot of Garner at his near post for a corner on 52 minutes.
Ferals' good start to the second half fruited a deserved second goal for Crowe's side, as the hosts doubled their lead a minute later. James Buckmaster's left wing, resulting, corner was swung superbly to the far post where goalkeeper Garner was unable to keep hold of it on his line, dropping perfectly for captain Charlie Larter to steal in and poke home.
Bedfield meanwhile saw a right wing corner punched away brilliantly by Street on his line on 58 minutes, while Harvey Mills' fierce shot went just wide of the bottom far, right-hand, corner four minutes later.
Incredible goalkeeping from MOTM Street denied the visitors with a great reflex double stop on 65 minutes. The first saw the stopper dive down smartly to his right-hand side to beat a shot away, before getting straight back up and across to his far side to keep out another fierce effort at goal.
At the other end, Cam Nicholls looked to extend the hosts advantage, firing a powerful shot narrowly over the crossbar from the edge of the box on 69 minutes, prior to driving through onto the right-hand byline before squaring an audacious ball across the face of goal, as the ball trickled out for a throw-in with nobody around to capitalise two minutes later.
Good positioning from Street again saw the goalkeeper deny the visitors on 72 minutes, a free-kick from the halfway line was swung to the far post where the header was well held by the debutant.
A brilliant solo run from Mitch Bryant almost sealed all 3 points for Crowe's side a minute later, running through the visitors' half, and majority of their team, to advance one on one with the goalkeeper but to shoot just wide of the vacant bottom near corner, after beating Garner.
Garner however was on hand to deny Ferals from adding a third goal on 74 minutes, Nicholls was fed into space on the edge of the box, although his ferocious low shot was brilliantly beaten away by the shot-stopper at his near post.
At the other end, the woodwork denied Bedfield from halving the deficit on 77 minutes, Harvey Mills' 30-yard free-kick was curling dangerously towards the top left-hand corner but rebounded over off the top of the crossbar.
Street continued to frustrate Bedfield in the 80th minute, as a shot in space on the left-hand side of the box was well saved by the 'keeper diving low to his near post, with George Crowe's brilliant block denying Joe Mills a shot on the rebound.
The away side though did halve the the deficit four minutes later, a low left wing cross found Kieron Minter free at the far post to tap in at close range.
Brilliant goalkeeping and defending from the home side preserved their lead on 86 minutes, the away side drove through on goal, forcing Street off his line to make a great block with substitute and fellow debutant Oscar Crighton well placed to brilliantly stop a shot at the vacant net, first to clear the loose ball.
A minute later, Bedfield headed a left wing cross over the crossbar before Mitch Bryant headed a right wing cross straight at Garner in the 90th minute.
Another excellent save from Street in the 91st minute blocked a shot from the right-hand byline behind for a corner, while Bedfield fired a shot wide of the bottom far corner two minutes later.
Ferals saw out the remaining minutes to record all 3 points, with the team having a break between fixtures until October 13th.
Ferals:- 1 Theo Street, 14 James Buckmaster, 4 Taylor Waterson (73' Crighton), 88 George Crowe, 10 Sam Waterson (HT' Bryant), 15 Charlie Glover, 8 Charlie Larter (c), 7 Fred Stewart-Hogg, 9 Cameron Nicholls (82' Waller), 11 Kieran Waller (63' Waller), 6 Ollie Ward (73' S.Waterson). Subs: 12 Josh Blunden (88' Nicholls), 27 Oscar Crighton, 33 Mitchell Bryant.
Bedfield:- 17 Olly Garner, 2 Charlie Coe, 3 Conor Goodchild, 4 Callum Scott, 5 Jimmy Mayhew, 6 Jake Seaber, 7 Joe Mills, 8 Paddy Styles, 9 Giles Tuley, 10 Charlie Smith, 11 Harvey Mills. Subs: 12 Martin Kemp, 14 Kieran Minter, 15 James Turnbull (unused).
Sin binned: Ward (24'). Booked: Sam Waterson (22’), Taylor Waterson (22'), Glover (45'+2').
Goals: Kieran Waller (6'), Charlie Larter (53'); Kieran Minter (84').
