Gunners struggled against high flying Abbey Res in the league. Once again Gunners found themselves with a bare 11 due to a number of last minute withdrawals and had to play a good proportion of the game with no linesman. Gunners started slowly with Abbey having a couple of early chances before the team settled down.
Paul Stout then nearly opened the scoring when his free kick hit the bar. Unfortunately, Abbey then opened the scoring with a soft goal which should have been better defended and then made it two when Paul Stout was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box and they subsequently converted the penalty.
Abbey controlled the rest of the half and Gunners only managed to create a few chances the best of which saw Steve Smith break free down the right and cross the ball for Peter Ali whose shot when just wide of the post. The half time score was 2-0 to Abbey Res.
In the second half Gunners started brightly and looked the better team for the opening ten minutes. Paul Stout was unlucky again when his free kick hit the bar.
However, Abbey soon began to assert themselves and added another goal with an opportunist strike from outside the box. Gunners felt the game slip away and Abbey took full advantage with two more goals including an indirect free kick which was parried into the net thus giving them a goal. At the other end of the field, Gunners created a couple of clear chances when Marcus hit the cross bar with a header and Matt Rees burst through on goal but put the ball wide.
The game was over for Gunners who then struggled to keep with Abbey who played the ball around the field quite well and put the final nail in the coffin with a cross-shot goal which flew in over the keeper. The final score was 6-0 to Abbey who won the game comfortably.
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