CALLEY AND GATSO GRAB BRACES AS RESSIES OPEN WITH A WIN 

Freeland Reserves began their Division Two adventure at the home of football, at a warm, sun kissed and packed Simon Hole Memorial Ground. The Ressies were missing the talents of serial sex pest Pete Higgins and Ben Sadler after last minute international call ups, and were also without the wing wizardry of Thomas Scroggs and their midfield dynamo Tom Mason, despite this it was still a strong looking line up, backed up by the array of talents on the Freeland bench.

As the sun beat down Freeland seemed to struggle in the early stages, looking a little rusty on their first outing, compared to that of Adderbury who had three games under their belt. Adderbury put themselves about, and Freeland toiled, mis placing passes and struggling to get any rhythm. Despite this, Adderbury did not cause too much danger to Jamie Leachs goal, the only problems coming from a long throw, which Freeland struggled to deal with in the opening exchanges. The throw earnt Adderbury a couple of chances, but both of these were headed over the bar.

The game turned on its head when the tough tackling Ashley Blackwater did some tough tackling, and this seemed to rally Freeland and they started to win every ball that was on offer. It came as no surprise when they took the lead, Andy Hollywood James picked the ball up forty yards from goal and rifled the ball into the top corner, anyone that thinks it was a cross would be very mistaken.

Freeland almost gifted Adderbury an equalizer moments later, when the otherwise assured pairing of Sam Symonds and Andy Salkeld made a hash of a routine clearance, booting the ball against each other in comical fashion, it ended up resulting in a corner, but it could have left the pair very red faced and with a lot of explaining to do to their towering keeper Leach.

As the half wore on Freeland started to dominate, this certainly wont be the best football they play all season but it was effective enough. Simon Calley doubled the Freeland lead after a ball was not cleared, the midfielder emphatically thumped the ball into the roof of the net. It was not long before Freeland got a third, the impressive ex Hanborough frontman Ben Gastobury nodding home from close range.

The second half Freeland looked more relaxed, and academy graduates  Billy Webb and Joe Wick were causing the visitors all sorts of problems down the flanks. Freeland almost notched a goal of the season contender on the opening day, the classy Salkeld waltzed past a striker before pinging a glorious ball out to Rob Belcher, Belcher weaved past the challenges of two defenders before squaring the ball to Gatso, the burly striker struck a fantastic curling effort and was unlucky enough to see his shot smash the far post and bounce out of harms way.

Calley did get Freeland their forth though, heading home a Wick free kick, and Blackwater then added a fifth with a deft header from another Wick cross. Gatso then headed home from a Belcher cross, to cap a great week for the Welsh International who has just signed a lucrative contract to be the face of Veet Hair Removal Cream,  as Freeland dominated the second half. Leach was called upon once, making a fantastic refles save down to his left, other than this he was not tested.

Hardy came on and pulled a few strings, and not to be outdone Sam Symonds showed the footballing World what he can do with possibly the best touch of the game, bring a ball down from over his head before cooly turning his man and ping the ball down the line.

All that was left was for Gatso to miss an absolute sitter from a yard out and that was that. Manager Nathan Langford will be pleased to get the first game done and dusted, and even more pleased with the emphatic scoreline that shows the Ressies are going not just going to be in Division Two to make up the numbers. Assistant  Ben Symonds was beaming after the game, and told the reporters who had gathered in The Simon Holes Swollen Arm Memorial Village Hall “I am delighted, and now I am getting right on it in Manchester”.