Top of the table clash for Bullets

An away day for the Bullets saw us make the short trip to Coalville Town for a local derby and a huge top-of-the-table clash. With the sun beaming down on Owen Street, everyone knew this was going to be a tough encounter between two strong sides.

The game started with Coalville on the front foot, putting the Bullets under plenty of pressure for large parts of the first half. The boys had to dig deep, defending resolutely and standing up to everything Coalville threw at them. Despite being under pressure, AFC still created opportunities of their own, but a strong Coalville side managed to keep us at bay.

Then, late in the first half, against the run of play, the Bullets produced a fantastic passage of football. A few quick passes in a tight area opened up the opportunity for a low-driven finish into the bottom corner. GOAL AFC! 🔵⚫

The Bullets went into the break a goal to the good.

At half-time, the coaches encouraged the boys to raise the work rate and, most importantly, show more confidence when in possession. The message was clear — we needed to keep competing and start taking control of the game.

The second half saw a much-improved AFC performance. The Bullets began keeping hold of the ball better, competing for every physical duel and finally getting a foothold in the game.

Midway through the second half, an AFC winger was brought down in a dangerous position. The resulting free kick was struck brilliantly and found the back of the net. ANOTHER GOAL FOR THE BULLETS! 🔵⚫️

But Coalville weren't finished.

Not long after, they pulled one back directly from a corner, setting up a nail-biting final 20 minutes.

Coalville piled on the pressure, but the Bullets showed incredible determination. Some outstanding defending, last-ditch challenges and excellent goalkeeping kept AFC in front as Coalville searched for an equaliser.

At the other end, the Bullets continued to create chances of their own, only to be denied by a determined Coalville defence and goalkeeper.

Then came the final whistle!

AFC TAKE ALL THREE POINTS! 🏆🔵⚫🔵

What a game of football. A proper local derby with everything you could ask for — goals, physical battles, end-to-end action, fantastic defending, brilliant goalkeeping and two teams giving absolutely everything.

The boys showed tremendous character today, especially after having to weather the storm in the first half. To come away from a top-of-the-table clash with three points is a fantastic achievement.

Goals

Dexter

Thomas

👏🏻 WELL DONE, BULLETS!

This week’s Player of the Match award is a double award, with both Logan and Dexter thoroughly deserving of the recognition after two outstanding individual performances.

Logan delivered a real old-school centre-half performance. Strong in the tackle, composed in possession and always willing to do the simple things well. Logan read the game brilliantly throughout, stepping in to deny the opposition any through balls and dealing with danger before it could develop. His determination was there for all to see, especially with a fantastic last-ditch tackle towards the end of the game to help ensure AFC stayed on top during the dying minutes. A commanding defensive display from Logan!

Dexter was equally deserving of the award. Normally operating out on the wing, Dexter was asked to lead the line as a lone striker and took on the challenge with great efficiency. He worked tirelessly from start to finish, chasing down every loose ball and putting the opposition defenders under constant pressure. His agility and frightening pace caused problems all afternoon, and he capped off his performance with a composed finish into the bottom corner in the first half.

Two different roles, two excellent performances and two very worthy winners.

Players of the Match - Dexter and Logan

Well done Logan and Dexter — fantastic performances from both!