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The inaugural Jamo Memorial Match Day game kicked off at 2pm yesterday afternoon at Westfields Football Club’s Allpay Park between a Jamo XI against a Commy XI.
The memorial matchday kicked off with the Jamo XI in the Westfields home strip (sky blue shorts and sky blue socks) with blue shirts and the Commy XI in the Westfields away strip (blue shorts and yellow socks) with white shirts.
First opening coming the way of Jamo with a free-kick from midway inside the Commy half which Joel Edwards managed to get his head to but it went over the bar.
Joel Edwards then played a good ball through to Rich Godsall but Commy goalkeeper Scotty Jones was quick off his line with a crunching challenge before Jay Semple had an effort which went wide of the right post.
The Jamo team opened the scoring early on after a delightful ball over the top to the left channel which Kieron Leighton latched onto before calmly tucking past Scotty Jones the ball into the bottom-right corner.
Rob Purdie came on for Katie Taylor for Commy before Curtis Pond went on a mazy run finding Paul Howells on the left edge of the box but his ball into the box was snuffed out by Charlie Plumridge.
Corner for Jamo on the left played in by Kieron Leighton towards Joel Edwards but it was cleared by Liam Jones before Jay Semple had a long range effort that fizzed just wide of the left post.
Rob Purdie then went on a good run with his shot taking a nick off Gaz Williams for a corner.
There was then a period where both sides traded places of possession before the next chance came from Jamo’s Rich Godsall who advanced into the box on the right before from an acute angle clipping the right post.
Minutes later Rich Godsall was very unfortunate to see his effort hit the crossbar from about 20-yards out and bounce away to safety.
With about 24 minutes gone Commy then had a free-kick on the left, Rob Purdie delivered into the area but it evaded everyone in a white shirt before Curtis Pond tried his luck from around 35-yards after seeing Jamo goalkeeper Ed Hayes off his line but it went narrowly over the bar.
Rob Purdie played a delightful ball over the top to Curtis Pond who was one on one with Ed Hales but his touch was heavy and Hales managed to come out to meet him before being clattered by the Commy striker resulting in him having to go off after receiving treatment resulting a outfield player having to take over.
On the stroke of half-time Jamo we're reduced to ten-men after a VAR decision from a coming together between two former Bulls Curtis Pond and Joel Edwards with Edwards receiving a straight red card. A funny moment!
Half-time: Jamo XI 1-0 Commy XI
There was a half-time crossbar challenge which was well attended and won by two contestants Fin and Ellis.
Despite the red card for Joel Edwards the Jamo team we're allowed to come back out with eleven men.
The first chance of the second-half came from Commy with Curtis Pond drilling his left foot shot wide of the right post before Pond did pull the Commy level with a thunderbolt of a left foot strike from the edge of the box which nestled into the top-left corner of the net.
Scotty Jones who had now come out of goal to play outfield had a go from the left side of the box with a venomous free-kick which took a nick off the head of Ash Jones and into arms of the replacement goalkeeper before Kieron Leighton had a curling right foot strike which went over the bar.
Jamo retook the lead after a ball into the area was missed by the goalkeeper and found Judd Vivash free on the left who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom-right corner.
Shortly afterwards they almost got a third after Rich Godsall did well on the right by-line, his strike taking a nick off Connor Box and clipping the outside of the post.
With three minutes left, Commy had a corner on the right which was lofted to the back post by Scotty Jones finding the head of Liam Jones but his effort looped over the bar.
Before another corner on the right was again played in by Scotty Jones but Jamo managed to scramble the ball away to seal victory in the closely contested inaugural Jamo Memorial Match.
Full-time: Jamo XI 2-1 Commy XI
Jamo XI goals scored by Kieron Leighton and Judd Vivash.
Commy XI goals scored by Curtis Pond.
Jamo Starting XI:- Ed Hales, Ash Jones, Joel Edwards, Charlie Plumridge ©️, Gaz Williams, Kieron Leighton, Beth Prior, Jay Semple, Ryan Davies, Phoebe Jones, Rich Godsall.
Substitutes:- Jake Norris, Judd Vivash, Leo Hollis, Todd Doyle, Joel Nicholls, James Shutt, Malcolm Williams, Jason Jones, Ethan Edwards, Benson Williams, Joe Hackley, Damien Hargest, Matt Forrest.
Manager:- Maurice Plumridge
Commy Starting XI:- Scotty Jones, Paul Howells, Liam Jones, Guy Cooke, Connor Box, Matt Price, Dan Mills ©️, Katie Taylor, Aaron Howells, Bradley Buckle, Curtis Pond.
Substitutes:- Nathan Potts, Mark Newman, Karl Lugg, Ollie Harris, Henry Godsall, Wayne Milner, Ross Hutchinson, Rhys Holder, Harry Weaver, Jamie Marchant, Kyle Leroy, Lukas Gummerson, Neil Price.
Managers:- Ryan Gillespie and Steph Weaver
With a very impressive over 900 in attendance it was a hugely enjoyable day and important to promote mental health remembering the Bulls’ own James “Jamo” with special thanks going to committee and board members Sarah Plumridge and Maurice Plumridge James’ parents, his partner Sophie Morgan, Craig Anthony, Paul Boulton, Lindsay Salmon, Guy Cooke, Dan Mills, Ryan Gillespie and Hayden Kirby for organising and working hard to make the event possible.
Words by Sam Cummins