LYE TOWN 1 WOLVES CASUALS 1: FULL MATCH REPORT...

Injury Mars Untidy Encounter At Lye…

Lye Town 1 Wolves Casuals 1

The toss and the bending right leg of Ricky Anslow...

This difficult to watch match was decided by a free-kick and a penalty, scored at the openings of the halves, achieving a scruffy parity and I guess, following the horrific arm injury to Town’s Nicky Pugh, a draw was probably a peaceful conclusion. Casuals’ replacement Nathan Jackson was the panto’ villain, for he jumped with Pugh and then appeared to stumble over the fallen Lye midfielder. Whether intentional or accidental, the giant substitute was interestingly cautioned after an hour’s delay and the emergence onto and disappearance from the pitch of two ambulances. Pugh, I believe, was given oxygen and morphine but Jackson was given the treatment a pantomime villain could expect from some rightly or wrongly incensed spectators. Indeed, he then committed two more rather unwise offences after the game had restarted. I wish Pugh all the best for a speedy recovery. The most spectacular contest of the match was the one between Casuals’ competent ‘keeper Stephen Taylor and Lye’s energetic and bustling striker James Spray, who was denied several times by the leaping goalie. JJ Melligan kept things moving in the Wolves midfield trenches and although home skipper Ben Jevons was a success aerially, too often Casuals threatened on the flanks, through Matt Dodd and Tyrone Clarke-O’Connell.

The moment of impact...

Casuals started offensively and soon won a free-kick from the referee, who had played an advantage, but then brought back the play to offer the visitors a shooting opportunity from 25 yards, from which they scored. Clarke-O’Connell sized up the shot and smacked a great effort, which Lye ‘keeper Sam Pearson dived up to his left to turn brilliantly onto the angle of bar and post but the ball rebounded perfectly for Dodd to fire into the net off the left upright. Soon, a Matt Johnson free-kick was scooped up by Taylor and Pearson fumbled a Dodd centre from the right, as the teams exchanged attacks. Ricky Anslow raced along the right-flank for the hosts but it was Spray’s angled effort which drifted well wide of the far post. Chris Henry, the battering ram in the Cassies’ front line, was pulled up for the second of two tugging offences, as Melligan began to exert his influence and Dodd and Clarke-O’Connell menaced the touchlines for the guests.

Dodd converts, following Pearson's fine save: 0-1 to Casuals...

An error by a Casuals defender saw him obstruct a Lye attacker but the official seemed happy with that but when he gave Town a free-kick, inside-left channel, 25 yards out, Spray sent in a fine effort, which Taylor leapt up to his left to turn over the crossbar stylishly. Lye looked busier and Wolves were forced to defend a couple of corners and free-kicks with some heroic heading away and they seemed to have lost impetus themselves. Players tumbled in the penalty-box as Ben Wilkins’ free-kick seared across from the left but Simon Williams back-tracked well to force Dodd to run the ball out for a goal-kick, as Casuals made a break on the right. Simon Williams, one of three Williams boys on the pitch, along with George and Sean (who didn’t say hello to me…) of Wolves, actually defended well for Lye, although little was seen of his attacking abilities. The referee allowed a foul on a Lye player to go unheeded then immediately gave a free-kick for a similar challenge to Casuals, prompting several loud “How many?” comments from the Lye bench. Neat Sean Williams play for the visitors led to Melligan firing 5 yards wide of the left upright, from the edge of the penalty-area then Spray nearly connected with a corner, before a fine pass along the right-flank by home defender Stephen Lodge, who played steadily, led to Anslow’s pass for Spray, again at an angle on the right but the frustrated forward’s effort was blocked at the near post for a corner. Jevons won the ball in the air from the flag-kick but it bounced harmlessly across the goalmouth.

Dodd raced into the Lye danger zone but a brave challenge by Pearson thwarted the Casuals man on the byeline, close to the left upright and although George Williams flicked on the ensuing left-wing corner and the ball was struck across the goal first by Sean Williams then by Clarke-O’Connell, no visiting player could get in a shot. Twice the referee allowed advantage to Casuals then awarded the free-kicks anyway and it only remained for Anslow to threaten Taylor and for Sean Williams to receive a harsh caution for a tackle on Pugh. The interval had arrived, the evening was getting colder, I stood alone on the grassy bank, fielding wayward shots by the Lye replacements and receiving stick from Damien Whitcombe for turning up at all, for he considers me a Dog of the Dark Arts and a bad omen for his team. Thanks for that…

Anslow was adjudged offside as the second period began and then as long balls became the norm, a free-kick by Wilkins on the right virtually struck Jevons’ head at the far post and bounced harmlessly wide. Suddenly though, Lye broke into attack and Melligan took down Scott ‘Doggeeee’ Gennard in the penalty-box; a penalty was awarded, but Melligan was merely cautioned, a decision which prompted a Lye Coach to yell: “You bottled it…” Hmm, I wonder to whom? Anyway, Spray drove the spot-kick high and just left of centre, as Taylor dived smartly the other way. 1-1 and game on…

Spray slams home Lye's penalty...

Lye celebrate their goal...

A neat one-two involving Johnson and Spray, including a clever back-heel, came to nought, then with the pressure rising, Henry was replaced by Craig Bannister. Another free-kick, this time by Johnson, appeared to strike Jevons’ back, as it bounced on into Taylor’s arms but Lye were on top by now and Gennard’s drive was deflected for a right-wing corner, which was unconvincingly knocked out by Taylor but the ‘keeper recovered brilliantly to turn Spray’s rising shot over the crossbar again. A Johnson cross from the left was then headed down by Jevons and Taylor did really well to drop right and fingertip the ball towards his right upright, just doing enough to foil the lurking Spray, splaying out a threatening foot and a defender hacked the ball clear. Kevin Nickle replaced Anslow, who had been oddly quiet for Lye and Jevons headed another long ball across the Casuals’ penalty-area. Darius Darkin and Nathan Jackson replaced Sean Williams and Giles Harvey for the visitors, so that we now had two Jacksons and two Williamses on the pitch. Are you keeping up?

Jevons tackled the lively Dodd brilliantly on his own 18 yard line, Gennard pushed Luke Tudor as he attempted to get in a header but then Nickle fed Spray at 18 yards, who smartly sidestepped a defender and rattled in a shot, which Taylor beat away with clenched gloves and Melligan completed the clearance. Then Pugh jumped to head the ball, Nathan Jackson rose behind him, kind of, and the Lye man fell down awkwardly, before Jackson stumbled near the prone body. There was real concern, a woman’s voice could be heard vilifying Jackson, Pugh was clearly in a lot of pain and medical assistance was called for. Two ambulances arrived at the scene and an hour later, Pugh was taken away in the larger conveyance.

It wasn't me...

Concern for Nicky Pugh...

The other players were kept warm, then as the game was about to get going again, curiously the referee cautioned Nathan Jackson. Now, I find that strange, coming some 60 minutes after the incident, for which the Casuals man has been deemed blameless… Hmm. Whitcombe replaced the departed Pugh and from the resulting free-kick (so there WAS a foul…), Jevons headed on Johnson’s long delivery and Nickle volleyed it onto the right upright from 7 yards, with Taylor helpless. Nickle was crowded out after Lodge had headed on a throw then Nathan Jackson lumbered forward and shot a bobbler at the right post, which Pearson struggled to hold on the ground and was forced to kick aside for a corner. Nathan Jackson was warned for a sliding challenge, then repeated his action, which incensed Lye’s Johnson so much that HE received a caution from the rather defeated-looking official. Clarke-O’Connell’s delivery from the right took a touch off Nathan Jackson’s boot straight into the fortunate Pearson’s midriff, the limping Gennard left the field and was replaced by Kalum Evitts for 29 seconds and the referee signalled the end to a game Lye ought to have won on goal chances alone.

It had not been pretty. The referee had been talking in the bar beforehand about the number of points he had amassed (?) but that accumulation would have been considerably subtracted from on the evening, by both clubs, almost certainly.

But who really cared about the outcome of the game, with Nicky Pugh in such pain?

I didn’t...       

Lye lies low...

Teams:

Lye:  Sam Pearson, Scott Moore, Matt Johnson; Ben Wilkins, Stephen Lodge, Nicky Pugh; Simon Williams, Scott (Doggee) Gennard, James Spray, Ricky Anslow, Ben Jevons (Capt).

Subs: Stuart Ward, Kevin Nickle, Damien Whitcombe, Kalum Evitts, Steve Weaver.

Casuals:  Stephen Taylor, Carlo Franco, Luke Tudor; Marcus Jackson, Giles Harvey, George Williams; JJ Melligan (Capt), Sean Williams, Chris Henry, Tyrone Clarke-O’Connell, Matt Dodd.

Subs: Paul Blagrove, Adrian Jones, Darius Darkin, Nathan Jackson, Craig Bannister.