Despite a spirited second half rally, Chelmsford went down 2-1 at Bournville on Sunday.

A half-time reshuffle, which saw the removal of player/manager Andrew Kennedy with a calf strain and a change of formation to a four-man midfield, was not enough to overturn Bournville's 2-0 lead and, in the end, Stuart Gower-Jackson's 68th minute penalty corner conversion was scant reward for Chelmsford's efforts.

After the match Kennedy was quick to highlight the poor first half performance that had put the pressure on his side. "We were clearly second best in the first half and could easily have been three of four down at the break," he said.

"The second half was a different story and we probably just shaded it against one of the best teams in the league."

Chelmsford certainly struggled to keep control of the ball on the wet surface in the first 35 minutes.

Time and again, a poor first touch or lax control on the run resulted in the home side regaining possession.

When Simon McCollum converted a sixth minute penalty corner, low to David Carter's left, things were looking bad for Chelmsford.

Five minutes from the interval, Martin Oates extended Bournville's lead with a simple deflection from a cross that left Carter with no chance.

After the interval Owen Thom replaced the injured Kennedy at the heart of the Chelmsford defence and acting Coach Steve Evans increased the numbers in the midfield area with immediate results.

From the off, Chelmsford looked more assured and kept their opponents on the back foot for lengthy periods.

Iain Mackay and Shuhel Malique looked lively going forward, while David Hunter was solidity personified at the back. However, what Chelmsford could not do was find the finishing touch in front of goal.

Gower-Jackson eventually reduced the deficit two minutes from the end with a soaring penalty corner, when Chelmsford were very much in the ascendancy, but it was too late to snatch an equaliser.

Published Tuesday February 19, 2002