Wedgwood FC travelled to OSSMA to face Ashwood FC in a pulsating league away fixture on 14 September 2025, kicking off at 10:30am. The match delivered seven goals in total, with Wedgwood FC emerging victorious by a narrow 4-3 margin after a fiercely contested 90 minutes plus injury time under the watchful eye of referee J. Holdcroft.
Wedgwood lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, deploying Kieren Forrester in goal. The defensive line consisted of Jack Ward at right back, Jordan Coleman and Ricci Edwards as central defenders, and Alex Bayley on the left. In midfield, Ollie Heath and Joshua Cartwright operated as the two holding central midfielders, tasked with breaking up play and distributing the ball forward. Ahead of them, the attacking trio featured Jay Blood on the right wing, Craig Cookson centrally as the attacking midfielder, and Kei Parsons on the left flank, all supporting lone striker Shane Reaney. The team also named Ben Deakin on the bench.
From the outset, Wedgwood showed intent. Within two minutes, Kei Parsons delivered a key pass that set Jay Blood up for an early attempt, which was well saved by the Ashwood goalkeeper. Craig Cookson followed up with a shot on goal two minutes later, also comfortably saved. The early exchanges were intense, with Ricci Edwards and Jack Ward making crucial interceptions in the fifth and seventh minutes respectively to snuff out Ashwood’s advances.
Shane Reaney was a constant threat upfront, firing wide in the eighth minute before seeing a shot saved at eleven. However, Wedgwood’s defensive solidity was tested early on, and at the 16th minute, Ricci Edwards was forced off injured, replaced by Ben Deakin. The substitution did little to halt Wedgwood’s attacking momentum as Cookson produced a long key pass in the 17th minute that created a clear chance, though Reaney’s subsequent effort was saved again at 19 minutes.
Defensively, Jack Ward was busy, executing a vital tackle at the 20th minute and intercepting once more at the 30th. Goalkeeper Forrester was alert, catching crosses and intercepting danger at 21 and 26 minutes, while Jordan Coleman also made a timely tackle at 21 minutes. Alex Bayley’s defensive contribution was notable too, with a crucial tackle at 27 minutes that prevented a clear chance.
Despite Wedgwood’s efforts, Ashwood struck twice before half-time, scoring in the 40th and 44th minutes to take a 2-0 lead into the break. The home side’s clinical finishing had tested Wedgwood’s resilience.
The second half saw Wedgwood respond with renewed vigour. Forrester made a confident catch at 53 minutes to keep the deficit at two. The breakthrough came in the 61st minute when Shane Reaney headed a precise assist to Craig Cookson, who lobbed the ball expertly over the goalkeeper to halve the deficit. However, Ashwood restored their two-goal cushion with a goal in the 73rd minute, making it 3-1.
Undeterred, Wedgwood pressed on. At 79 minutes, Shane Reaney again provided the assist, this time with a short pass to Craig Cookson who found the net to bring the score to 3-2. Reaney continued to trouble the Ashwood keeper with a saved attempt at 81 minutes.
The comeback was completed late on as Jay Blood scored in the 88th minute, capitalising on a mistake from the opposition. The drama escalated deep into injury time when Alex Bayley scored the winning goal in the 92nd minute, sealing a remarkable 4-3 victory for Wedgwood.
Forrester’s heroics continued with a full-stretch save at 94 minutes, denying Ashwood a late equaliser. Bayley nearly added a second in the dying moments but shot wide at 96 minutes.
Jay Blood’s tireless work on the right wing, combined with his crucial late goal, earned him the player of the match accolade. Wedgwood’s resilience and attacking flair ultimately overcame Ashwood’s early dominance, delivering a memorable and hard-fought three points on the road.
