Tunley Roll Past Banwell with 4-1 Road Win
⚽️🏡 Match Report
Tunley v Banwell 10/1/2026
This was a game that took its time to catch fire.
The opening half was cagey and physical, with neither side able to carve out many clear chances. The tempo was slow, the challenges were hard, and space was at a premium. Tunley had a few sights of goal, but shots repeatedly found boots, legs, and bodies as the Banwell defenders threw themselves in the way. One highlight (included simply because we liked it) was a brilliant run from Finn Little. A clever turn on the touchline and a powerful burst had the Banwell defence in all sorts of trouble until he was absolutely wiped out by a Banwell defender. A praiseworthy run and a card-worthy challenge 😂 (Finn was fine).
Another standout moment came late in the half, with a pair of superb saves in the 43rd minute from award-winning goalkeeper Ryan Edmunds (we will, of course, continue to mention this 🏆). Calm, sharp, and utterly unbothered by the growing legend 😃, he kept the score nil-nil at the break.
The second half arrived with purpose.
Tunley broke the deadlock in the 50th minute. From a corner, a familiar sight, captain Tyler Davis rising highest, towering above the defenders to slam home a commanding header and give Tunley the lead.
Just six minutes later, Tunley doubled their advantage. A long ball forward from Joe Blethyn set things in motion before Finn delivered a dangerous cross into the box. It very nearly ended in spectacular fashion when Paul Gray attempted an impressive, acrobatic, groin-pulling (karate?) kick, but the ball dropped kindly to Ben Curtis. It was not an easy finish, the kind you so often see skied into a car park or pasture, but Ben made it look easier than it had any right to be, blasting home a controlled volley in the 56th minute.
The third came from quality and composure at the back. Chris Sheppard produced a superb challenge to swipe the ball from the attacker, quickly repeated the feat, drove into open space, and picked out a streaking Curtis. Timing his run well and using his speed, Ben slipped behind the defence, stayed on his feet, and calmly slid the ball past the keeper in the 72nd minute.
Tunley were not finished.
The next goal came from pure graft. A throw in from Finn was followed by another long ball from Joe (if Joe’s not careful, he’ll end up with a nickname involving long ⚽️⚽️🤭), dropping into a crowded box. What followed was proper hard work from Owen Little and Josh Tyler, who won tackles, scraps, and second balls until the chance finally opened up. The ball broke once more to Curtis, who made no mistake, smashing it home like he was trying to blast it back to Tunley, completing his hat trick.
A slow and physical first half gave way to a dominant second, built on grit, teamwork, and clinical finishing. Anchored by a strong back line, award-winning goalkeeper Ryan Edmunds 😄🏆 (ok, we’ll stop now…maybe) and finished off by “Hat Trick” Curtis, this was a performance that grew stronger with every minute.
One final note, and a fair one. The score finished at 4-1, and we’d be remiss not to mention Banwell’s goal. It was a genuine cracker from over 30 yards, struck by their #16, giving Edmunds absolutely no chance. The finish was matched by the reaction, or lack of one. No celebration, just a jog back like he’d done it a thousand times before. Full respect to number 16. If you’re going to lose a clean sheet, at least let it be to a hit like that. And while we’re not showing the goal here (this is our highlight reel), we did pass it along to Banwell. Respect. 👏⚽️
