Emerging goalkeeper, Josh Bowler, won’t forget his Pitching In Southern League Premier Central debut in a hurry.
The Berkhamsted custodian saved a first half penalty on his way to helping his club secure an away point from a 1-1 draw at Bromsgrove Sporting.
“It was quite an eventful game,” he told us. “I thought that overall I did okay, considering it was my first appearance at Step 3.
“The penalty save came in the first half and did my confidence the world of good; I chose the right way to make the save and luckily the ball rebounded over the crossbar.
“Then just after the penalty, I managed to push one wide that was going in the top corner, so it really helped me for the rest of the game.
“There was a close range reaction save in the second half that I was pleased about and it was nice to see us go on and grab a point with a late equaliser to make it a good day for me and the team.
“It was great to be able to play my part.”
Bowler began his football journey at AFC Dunstable before joining the Luton Town Academy as a youngster. From there he went on to the Dagenham & Redbridge Academy before returning to AFC Dunstable when it closed down.
It was with AFC Dunstable where he got his first taste of Southern League action in Division One Central last season before joining Berkhamsted ahead of the current campaign as back-up to Jamie Head.
He has been out on loan at Leverstock Green in the South Midland Premier League this term where he has gained plenty of competitive experience and helped the team reach third place in the table.
“I have enjoyed my time at Leverstock Green,” he added. “It has stood me in good stead and I hope that the team can go on and make the play-offs.
“To get my first-team chance here at Berkhamsted was a great experience; to play against better quality players and in front of a crowd of over 600 was good for me.
“My team-mates helped me through the game with their encouragement and it has whetted my appetite for more opportunities like this.
“I just want to be able to gain as much experience and game time as I can, whether it’s with Berkhamsted or helping Leverstock Green in their quest for promotion.”
There are familiar opponents for Berkhamsted this weekend as they play host to Bromsgrove Sporting in the reverse of last weekend’s fixture.
IMAGE: Berkhamsted FC
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