MATCH REPORT: Blow and Crowe steal the show as Woodbridge edge out Cornard

Christmas came early for Peckers fans as goals from Ash Blow and Andy Crowe led Woodbridge Town to their first win in December.

Following back to back losses, the Peckers knew how important a victory would be ahead of a difficult winter run. Having already beaten the hosts twice this season, Woodbridge went into this one hopeful of picking up yet another good result against the Ards. And once again, the Peckers outclassed Cornard to claim a valuable 3 points.

Woodbridge’s objective was clear from the outset: get in over the top of the Cornard high line and punish in behind. The first couple attempts at being direct were flagged offside, but it was third time lucky for the Peckers when Andy Crowe timed his run to perfection and lobbed Ben Loftus from range to put Woodbridge in front. Not a long while later, a near-identical chance presented itself to Ash Blow, but his attempted chip was caught by the Cornard goalkeeper. Woodbridge had set the early pace, and things looked very rosy for the away side.

This early stranglehold for the Peckers seemed to slip away as the game progressed, with Cornard working their way back into the match. A few half-chances for the hosts didn’t really threaten, but when Woodbridge failed to clear their lines, the Ards punished and levelled the game just before the half-time whistle. A frustrating goal to concede for the lads, who should’ve kicked on and took control following the early dominance. The first half came to a close, with both sides locked at 1-1.

Despite the scoreline being level, Woodbridge would’ve expected to pick up where they left off in the first half and go on to win the game. However, it was the hosts who came out the blocks quickest, forcing Toby Hurst to pull off some great stops following a good headed effort and a low driven shot from range. This was a let-off for Woodbridge, who really struggled to get going at the start of the second 45. The minutes ticked down, with both sides having half-chances to take the lead - the game was waiting for a moment of magic. 

The match-winning moment came with 15 minutes to play as Kris Rose made a brilliant burst from centre-half to find himself in the opposition penalty area. He cut the ball across the goal towards Ash Blow, who was taken out before he could poke the ball home. The referee was left with no choice but to point to the spot, and show a red card to Ryan Culleton for denying a goal-scoring opportunity. Blow stepped up to take and sent Loftus the wrong way to give Woodbridge the lead. This takes Ash Blow to 11 goals in the league, and his third goal against the Ards in the 4 meetings this campaign.

With the player advantage, the Peckers held on to seal the 3 points and take a big win on the road. Thank you to all the supporters who made the trip, and we hope to see as many of you as possible at the Homestyle UK Ground for the local derby this weekend against Ipswich Wanderers! Have a very merry Christmas, and as always, UP THE PECKERS!