DAVENTRY TOWN 1-4 COALVILLE TOWN: match report by The Mowdog...

Ravens Lethal At Profligate Daventry

Daventry Town 1 Coalville Town 4

The above result fails to reveal the true story of a pleasant and warm afternoon at Communications Park, despite the flies, which irritated, itched and irked the spectators. It wasn’t quite like watching Brazil, but there was a Pele on the field and he attempted to pass the ball, so no, it wasn’t like watching Brazil at all, actually. The tentative first period, during which neither team dominated was memorable for two fine Ravens goals and a couple of poor Daventry misses, then after the break heavier pressure and still more poor Daventry misses were punished by two opportunist goals from young Raven replacements and the referee felt so sorry for the hosts that he awarded them a penalty, possibly for a hand-ball offence, praying, no doubt that they wouldn’t miss that too. Mitch Piggon looked to take it, Tommy Berwick stole the ball, scored, then hitched a ride back to the half-way line on his strike-partner’s back. A bit of a workhorse is Mitch. Thanks to both teams for providing some identifying surnames and if there are any mistakes below, I apologise most sincerely.

The skippers toss... As you do.

The early pace along the left flank by Dior Angus for the purple hosts left Ali Abdu cursing his luck but the right-back settled quickly enough and the Daventry wide-man was challenged well by the Raven as the half wore on. Angus’ opening centre found Berwick on the right but after some neat control the striker drove a shot too high. Pele Orton’s pass led to Raven Grant Ryan firing across the 6 yard box, Abdu’s fine centre was cleared by Daventry and then Berwick threatened on the Daventry right again but his attempted cross was blocked. Another smart Orton pass led to Ross Lamb winning a corner but Cam Stuart’s awkward delivery was well held by ‘keeper Richard Morris. A great pass, left to right by James Jepson, who I last saw in a Kettering shirt losing to Slough in last season’s play-off final, led to a foul on Berwick but Jepson’s subsequent free-kick was cleared by the Ravens.

Ryan was finding the game tough to affect effectively and after physically winning possession, following Stuart’s long pass, in the opposition penalty-area, his angled centre drifted behind the goal-frame, then Lamb’s run ended with a wayward shot, as Coalville began to look the likelier crew. Quite suddenly however, Berwick latched onto Nathan Haines’ long clearance forward and to the Ravens’ shock, was not flagged offside but the forward saw the evil of Sean Bowles’ frowning eyes bearing down upon him and limply side-footed his attempted lob into the big goalie’s belly, like he was passing on a sandbag to a neighbour in a flood-plain. Good possession by Coalville’s Ryan, Robinson and Abdu eventually led to skipper Lee Miveld’s one-two with Ash Way and he curled left-booter wide of the right upright, after the initial move had seen Theo Robinson’s left-side centre cleared by Daventry.

Piggon could get no power behind a close-range, 7 yard effort, which rolled to Bowles, Orton failed to feed the running Ryan and Piggon won a near post header for the hosts but leaned to lift his effort much too high. Ryan did well to chase a lost cause and win the ball near the right byeline for the visitors but Lamb lost possession, then Coalville won a free-kick, 21 yards out, inside-right slot, which was labelled ‘For Cameron, Happy Birthday, From Daventry Town’. Stuart curled his dipping left-foot shot into the right corner of the net because Cam likes receiving gifts and he made sure he thanked Morris during his celebration too...

Cam Stuart (3) jogs jauntily back into defence after scoring a fine free-kick...

 Morris was still seething when he bent to fumble Robinson’s low right-wing centre and only a desperate challenge by Josh Blake prevented Ryan from scoring a simple goal. Good creativity by Coalville led to Robinson breaking forward at inside-left onto a great Miveld pass but his low first shot struck the advancing Morris’ legs; the striker retrieved the rebound, looked to feed the supporting Orton but instead turned onto his right foot and drove in a 12 yard effort, which Morris dived left for and beat away spectacularly. Ryan placed the second rebound straight to the ‘keeper. Remarkably, Ash Way soon broke forward on the left for Coalville, following a defensive challenge and long ball by skipper Lee Miveld and he simply fired a hard and low cross-shot from the corner of the 18 yard-area, an effort which beat Morris, as if the ‘keeper’s favourite greyhound had just rushed past him and out of the back-gate. 1-2 to Coalville.

Pele (16) has congratulated Way for his goal...

That's the Way to do it... And what a sharp haircut, Mr Robinson...

 Half-time arrived, the flies continued their harassment (where is a decent Swift when you need one? Probably scared away by the Ravens…) and some replacements entered the fray. Ali Abdu and I both reckoned we were haunting one another, have seen each other at the Sphinx v Griff game recently and I moved to the opposite side of the pitch, where the flies seemed less interested in my hair-gel and sun-tanned legs.

Raven substitutes Matt Coton (goalie), plus outfielder Will Coutts appeared after the break but Berwick started a move, which might just have reduced the arrears, as Daventry pressured Coalville more persistently after the interval. Berwick’s pass, ignoring Piggon’s run towards the right, found replacement Barry Deakin, whose driven low shot was superbly blocked by the angular Jamie McAteer, causing the tall defenceman some real discomfort to an ankle. He was at it again a few moments later as the trouble again stemmed from the Daventry left, where of course, Abdu was no longer playing, having been substituted. Deakin received a low pass across goal from Angus and was about to stroke it into an empty net when a telescopic McAteer leg slid across his toes like a venomous viper and jammed the effort, saving the Ravens. Kyle Turner then replaced the hurt McAteer, whose ankle was strapped in the casualty clearing station dugout but Coton soon managed to block at Piggon’s feet, after home skipper Ollie Wilkinson had forced the ball forward, only for Deakin to miss his third opportunity, nodding the rebound wide from about 17 yards.

Abdu was re-introduced, at left-back, curiously, which didn’t appear to suit him, but Robinson took a rest, although the forward, like Ryan, had not really affected the proceedings too markedly. Piggon worked the right side well with Berwick but just when it seemed that the latter would try to shoot, Piggon roared onto the ball and smashed it into the side-netting. Tommy was frustrated, threw up his arms like he’d received the wrong Playstation game for Christmas and Piggon completely ignored him. Blake was replaced by Ash Deeney, who slotted in at right-back for the hosts then Coalville, tame since half-time, were awarded a free-kick, some 28 yards out, inside-right channel and of course, Stuart jogged forward jauntily to curl it into the penalty-box; Liam Kay challenged for it at the near post but the ball squirmed across into the middle, where the alert Turner fired a shot from 8 yards, past substitute Moldovan ‘keeper Cerga Iustin and into the bottom left corner of the net.

Turner (4) has added a third for the Ravens...

 Piggon’s 18 yard drive was blocked as Daventry responded then Berwick, roaming on the left, fired wide of that upright from the same distance, as Coalville struggled to cope with the loss of McAteer. Stuart had moved into central defence and Abdu was learning the left-back role… Josh O’Grady’s keen and quick midfield play had been a feature of the Purple Play but he lost control of the ball as he moved onto a return pass from Piggon, after the pair had taken Stuart out of the action with quick turns and Coton picked the loose ball up easily. Piggon explored the left flank for Daventry again and his feed was skied wastefully by the now less effective but bullish Angus. Coalville then began to settle as breakout artists and much of the running came from Coutts on the right, whose first real cross was deflected, then after running fast and combining with Ryan, after Wilkinson had been dispossessed, Way ran into the penalty-box, lost his way, fell but not as well as Arjen Robben and thus failed to win an unwarranted spot-kick.

Another run from the right by Coutts ended with a drive past the left upright, despite support to his left but then, just before the referee’s charity penalty award, Piggon did really well on the left byeline and dropped a fine centre onto the reintroduced Blake’s head just beyond the far post, but despite the defender’s lunge, which reminded us all of a Norman Wisdom slapstick tumble, he couldn’t score, as the ball shaved the vertical pole. Berwick then took the ball off Piggon as if it was his ball and he had to go home for his tea, after the official had blushed, looked eminently embarrassed and pointed to the penalty-spot for ahem, ‘hand-ball’, allowing Tommy to fire his good penalty to Coton’s right, hip-high. Then he claimed his Piggon-back… (Geddit?)

Piggon, the saddle, looks so pleased that not only did Tommy steal the spot-kick from him, but he also provided the goalscorer's transfer from 18 yard box to half-way line...

 Lamb and Pele Orton were replaced by Campbell Mason and Jordan Emerson for the visitors, immediately following the fourth Coalville goal, cleverly lobbed from 18 yards over the stranded Iustin by the increasingly threatening Coutts, following a misjudged header by home skipper Wilkinson, now filling in at left-back. The reintroduced Robinson then attacked on the right as Coalville finished strongly, the forward crossing low and the ball falling kindly again for the influential Turner, after Ryan had challenged at the near post and the ball had skidded off Daventry defender Kyle Cartwright. Turner, who had initiated the move, struck a low 10 yard right-footer but this time it was well saved by Iustin, who tipped it past his right stick. The game ended after another fine sortie by Coutts from the right flank ended with a wayward centre but the result looked more emphatic than the reality, for Daventry really ought to have netted a couple more goals at least.

Coutts (10) has completed the scoring...

A number of players were no doubt missing from both crews: certainly the Ravens were without their managers, the Saunders brothers, Callum Woodward, Anthony Carney and new signing Ashley Spencer and I’m sure that the Purples will have other options in hand, such as Josh Cole but on the whole, O’Grady, and as the game went on Piggon, impressed for the hosts, along with defenders Haines and Martin Hutchcox and red-haired replacement Adam Creaney, who looked confident in possession. Coutts was lively for the guests after the break and although Ryan and Robinson will surely prove more effective as the pre-season progresses, Way looked useful and Abdu did rather well against the tricky Angus before the break.

I wiped the flies off my face and knees, chatted to Jordan Emerson’s dad and James Jepson’s parents, then drove home for the Saturday eggs and chips… It’s what you do…