Bristol Manor Farm progress in the FA Cup as a clinical first half was enough to see off Bishop’s Cleeve, writes Jack Davies.
Farm had saved all their wins for this competition so far this season and the man who had scored 4 already in the previous 3 ties had the bulk of the early chances. Owen Brain’s first chance came inside 10 minutes, and it looked a presentable one. Jayden Nielsen was found in space down the left and his low cross was blazed over by the striker. Brain then turned provider as his neat footwork ensured he found Lloyd Mills, but like Brain a few minutes previews, he couldn’t hit the target. The pressure always looked likely to pay off and it did so after 23 minutes. More good play and once Grubb played it through, Brain latched on the ball and coolly slotted beyond Clayton. One became two just a few minutes later. The ball spread wide to the marauding Ollie Woodhouse who slid in to get his first competitive goal for the Farm. The hosts didn’t know what had had them and Farm’s incredible half would yield a third. Cleeve guilty of losing it in their own half and Grubb got his second assist, finding Nielsen to lash into the bottom corner.
For as clinical as Farm seemed in the first hour, they really were missing some big chances. Nielsen guilty this time as he placed wide inside the area. The chances kept coming as Farm looked to put it beyond doubt. Grubb and Brain getting into the area but both firing wide. Bishop’s Cleeve would set up a grandstand finish with two late goals. Ethan Dunbar bundled in from Jay Malanskyj’s drive across and just before injury time, Dunbar got his second via a deflected low strike. The final whistle brought sighs of relief mixed with celebration as Farm go one step closer to Wembley!