MATCH REPORT: EVESHAM UNITED 4 NORTH LEIGH 0...

North Leigh Mugged By Robbin’ Robins

Evesham United 4 North Leigh 0

The toss @ Evesham...

I have slept on this result and this morning, it can’t be true, surely? The Millers of North Leigh squandered a number of chances at Evesham’s smart ground, showed good movement on a number of occasions but were soundly beaten by four goals. Evesham’s opportunities were simply not spurned by these frugal hosts, who handed out a cruel lesson in efficient shooting to the unfortunate visiting strikers Aaron Woodley and the ebullient Conor McDonagh in particular. North Leigh ‘keeper Adam McHugh made one save in this game to speak of, diving right to keep out a late free-kick, yet home goalie Louie Barnfather was barely tested either, for the North Leigh forwards were totally unable to target the 192 square feet of space beneath the goal-frame. On another day, this game might have been won 4-6 by North Leigh, but not on this day and the visitors’ hopes sank sadly with the misty spring Evesham sunset. Famous surnames had arrived in the North Leigh team at Evesham though: Caton (Tommy, once of Manchester City), Gunn (Brian, Norwich ‘keeper), Bowles (Stan the trickster of QPR), McDonagh (Roy, and you really SHOULD read his autobiography) and of course Hole, the surname of Barrie, the Welsh midfielder who was a favourite of mine at Villa…

Early corners by North Leigh, as they started the better, were cleared by Evesham, who looked rather lacking in any creativity whatsoever and home ‘keeper Barnfather thumped one flag-kick clear with a strong fist. The Robins soon messed up a free-kick and McDonagh made a powerful and surging run forward for the guests but although he had support on the left, he ran into a blockage and the opportunity was wasted. Finally, a low delivery from the Evesham left by Ben Evans, whose ability on the ball was clever at times, was nudged on by striker Carl Brown but the direction was awry and Marcus Jackson was unable to capitalise at the far stick. Barnfather dived at Michael Hopkins’ feet to snatch McDonagh’s pass, as the Millers attacked again and then, in a lively and committed opening by both teams, Liam Malone fed dangerous wide player Mark Bell for the visitors, his centre was nodded upwards by McDonagh but when the ball fell, the striker’s shot was blocked by an Evesham defender.

No goals as yet...

Neat play by North Leigh led to a head forward by Brian Bowles and McDonagh controlled it well and turned at 18 yards, only for his curling effort to miss the right upright, with Barnfather beaten. Concerted sweeping attacks by the visitors were pushing Evesham back and home defenders Will Wellon and Jamie Sauntson were having to battle hard, especially to curb McDonagh’s running power. On a rare sortie forward, Lance Smith drove low for McHugh to fall upon but Jackson was apparently injured and he was soon replaced by James Bowen, who would prove to be the match-winner for the Robins. Evesham then managed to win a left-wing corner but Richard Mansell slipped as he took it and the ball blundered behind the byeline. A fine run by impressive left-back Hopkins for the guests led to a flick-on in front of the near upright but the ball struck McDonagh’s forehead and bounced over the crossbar from just 3 yards. A long throw by Evesham, still riding their good fortune, was headed on by the spirited Lance Smith but the challenging Brown was offside, before Smith bundled the ball in, as McHugh dithered on the ground and the ‘goal’ was rightly chalked off.

Offside and no goal...

McHugh then dropped a left-wing corner but no Robin was cute enough to react, then incredibly, when it had seemed a matter of time before North Leigh got their firing sights right, the hosts were awarded a free-kick at inside-right, when Millers’ defender Andy Caton fouled Brown. The tall Adam Powell’s free-kick was headed on by Caton and dropped perfectly beyond the far post for Bowen to volley left-booted, a shot which arrowed across goal and nestled in the bottom right corner of the net. 

1-0 to Evesham...

North Leigh responded and Bell made two runs on the right and from the first he drove a low effort across the goalmouth, but from the second, Barnfather dropped on the low centre, as the profligate McDonagh hovered. Another North Leigh drive flew well over the goal-frame, Woodley flicked a near post effort against what appeared to be the startled Barnfather’s throat but then Caton passed short to skipper Wayne Turk, not wearing a scimitar, or unique headgear (something my ex-wife’s grandma said to be careful about when Aston Villa were due to play Fenerbahce in the 1977 UEFA Cup…) and the captain’s pass freed McDonagh, who had rolled cleverly off his marker; it seemed that at last, North Leigh would score but as McDonagh raced in on the advancing Barnfather through the inside-left channel, his shot, as he opened out his body, failed to hit even the proverbial barn-door, never mind the net, rolling several yards beyond the right upright. All that remained in that nightmarish first period for the Millers, was to survive a head-on by Smith, which cannoned off Brown and a defender for a fruitless Evesham corner. The sun faded, the evening promised more goals, probably from North Leigh and I would be proved totally wrong…

North Leigh failed to capitalise upon an early second-half error by Sauntson, with Woodley the culprit then Bowen defended really well for the hosts, as Bell centred superbly from the left byeline. All the Robins could muster was a mediocre effort by Brown, which McHugh fell upon but North Leigh attacked dangerously again, through McDonagh and Bowles, who won a corner, which was taken short for Bell to cross from the left byeline again; Evesham headed away but Turk clipped a pass to inside-right for Caton, who netted, albeit from an offside position, but at least the ball had found the net… Another fine Millers move ended with a brilliant left-wing cross by Hopkins but there was nobody lurking around the far post area to capitalise. An isolated and speculative Bowen drive was wayward for the home team, Bell nearly found himself with a chance for the guests then Bowles was unable to take the ball in his stride at inside-right and again a chance was scorned by the visitors.

Bell flicked on a Hopkins corner at the near post but again North Leigh failed to grasp their opportunity, yet Bell was withdrawn, to my surprise, for the introduction of Morgan Williams. Evesham lost possession in midfield and McDonagh was fed at inside-right but the ball slithered beneath his studs, like he was ice-skating for the first time and by the time he recovered his balance, Barnfather had advanced to grab the ball. McDonagh was deserving of a goal however and drove a shot wide of the left upright, although he vehemently claimed a corner, if unsuccessfully. And then, typically, the hosts attacked on the left from Powell’s pass, Bowen attempted a couple of flamboyant step-overs as he cut inside and rattled an angled shot, which bounced as McHugh pounced and the effort nestled in the right corner of the net again: 2-0 and the North Leigh players’ heads simply shook in disbelief.

Bowen has netted the second goal for the Robins...

The Millers became more desperate, although some of their movement continued to cause concern for the overworked Evesham defence, in which Wellon was well on course to achieve hero status on the night… Bowen glanced a header from a right-wing corner wide of the far post, as Evesham managed an attack, then McHugh fisted another flag-kick away. Battling North Leigh midfielder Liam Malone was warned for a foul, the ensuing free-kick struck his torso hard then he was cautioned anyway for something he said, after Joey Smith had replaced Adam Powell for Evesham. Jacob Walcott replaced Bowles for the guests but after Woodley unbelievably lost his footing as he was about to shoot from 18 yards, Evesham rubbed salt into North Leigh’s wounds by netting a third goal, which at first I thought had been scored by Bowen again, but he was actually the provider, after Joey Smith and Mansell had combined, slipping the ball from the inside-left channel into Lance Smith’s path and the striker, who deserved his reward, shot low, left-booted, into that bottom right corner of the net again, past the helpless McHugh. The Millers held heads in flour-covered hands…

Lance Smith has added a third for Evesham...

Elliot Kennedy replaced Brown for the Robins and McHugh was immediately forced to collect a low centre from the Evesham left-wing, before McDonagh turned the ball onto his left foot, 16 yards out on the right side of the Evesham penalty-box, following Williams’ strong run, but he couldn’t find the power to beat Barnfather, who saved low and comfortably. Immediately, with the Millers plundering the home defence, which did make errors, North Leigh missed yet another chance, as Woodley raced onto Turk’s short pass between Michael Tambling and Sauntson, then drew the ‘keeper at inside-left but unfortunately screwed a left-footer some two yards wide of the far post. I guess I know what the next training session will consist of for the visitors’ forwards… A curling left-footed Bowen free-kick from 23 yards was well pushed behind for a left-wing corner by the diving McHugh, a McDonagh drive, typically, was deflected perfectly into Barnfather’s arms, following another slick North Leigh move and then the hosts broke away on the left again, Kennedy picked up a pass inside and poked goal number four into that bottom right corner of the netting yet again and North Leigh’s players simply couldn’t believe it…

Kennedy has struck and North Leigh are 4-0 down...

The game ended and the bare statistic of a 4-0 victory would have infuriated and frustrated North Leigh, as it would have flattered but amused Evesham. There was no shortage of entertainment on the night, both sets of defenders made errors but individually made positive contributions too, yet the main talking point of the proceedings was the abject, inept and weak finishing of the Millers, who needed to dress their millstones for a sharper cutting edge. Fair play to the Robins, who capitalised upon their guests’ inadequacies to snatch four goals and take the victory.

More frustration for North Leigh...

Me? I looked again at the team sheet; during World War One, Captain Bruce Bairnsfather of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, drew the most famous of war cartoons entitled:

“Well, if you know of a better ‘ole, go to it.”

The cartoonist worked for a while in a cottage next the field where the Christmas Day match between British and German troops took place, ironically. Incredibly, in this game, Evesham’s ‘keeper was called Barnsfather and North Leigh’s right-back was called Hole, who might just have left Evesham looking for a better one for his colleagues to hide inside…

Teams:

Evesham:  Louie Barnfather, Michael Tambling, Richard Mansell (Capt), Jared Wilson, Will Wellon, Jamie Sauntson; Marcus Jackson, Adam Powell, Lance Smith, Carl Brown, Ben Evans.

Subs: Luke Hitchman, Joey Smith, James Bowen, Elliot Kennedy, Linden Dovey.    

North Leigh: Adam McHugh, Stuart Hole, Michael Hopkins; Liam Malone, Andy Gunn, Andy Caton; Mark Bell, Wayne Turk (Capt), Conor McDonagh, Aaron Woodley, Brian Bowles.

Subs: Zak Westlake, Jacob Walcott, Morgan Williams.