OADBY TOWN 1-2 COALVILLE TOWN: match report by The Mowdog...

Scavenging Ravens Leave Oadby Rueing Misses

Oadby Town 1 Coalville Town 2

Oadby gave a good account of themselves in this encounter, which I was fortunate to see, bearing in mind the shocking traffic on the M69 en route from Solihull. Several misses, including saves, two shots against the goal-frame and rank inaccuracy were finally punished by the Ravens, who gobbled up two late goals to overhaul their hosts, who had led through a second-half Rob Morgan strike. The visitors struggled to contain home forward Ife Ogunbago, created little themselves but the offense was tame too, with Kyle Turner doing OK but Theo Robinson again looking ineffective throughout. Grant Ryan improved as the game wore on but the scoreline was harsh on Oadby, who were often dangerous, with Joe Cobb, Morgan and Elliot Putnam supporting Ogunbago with aplomb. Thanks to both clubs for providing names and numbers of players, so if there are any glaring errors in this report, I apologise both for the writing I had to decipher and probably my lack of ability to read the words; after all, I’m a male…

A linesman looks terrified of the referee and hides behind the Oadby skipper...

Coalville were sluggish from the start and it was clear that home striker Ogunbago was going to prove a handful for Jack Farmer and the strangely hesitant Liam Kay in the Ravens’ defence; Farmer, usually a right-back, I believe, won an early possession, raced forward but gave the ball away and Oadby broke back with Cobb passing from the left for Ogunbago, who screwed a disappointing shot past the right upright from a promising position. Kay was soon despairing again, as Ogunbago left him straggling behind like he was late for a bus but the striker’s measured, curled shot, left-booted, from 20 yards, slapped against the face of the left upright- a real slap in the face for the Coalville defence too.

Ashley Spencer, who would surely benefit so much more from the deeper Stiliyan Petrov for Villa/Javier Mascherano for Argentina role, allowing the extra second or two to set up plays, wasn’t involved in the early exchanges for the Ravens but he did manage a neat lobbed pass to release Kyle Turner through the centre, only for the forward to be rushed into a 15 yard lob, which was too high. Spencer then took possession after some good possession involving Coutts, Farmer and Turner and he clipped a languid pass left to the frenzied Robinson, who produced a fine delivery from deep, which Turner nudged goalwards, a yard out at the far stick, only for ‘keeper Aaron Bellairs to keep the ball out, waving arms and legs frantically, like he was entangled in a garden spider’s enormous web.

Ash Spencer: determined walk...

A Coalville corner on the left ended with Kay losing out and Ogunbago racing along the right-flank in an Oadby counter-attack, then passing left to Morgan, who in turn fed Cobb to his left, but Sean Bowles was quickly out of goal to block the midfielder’s low drive. Cobb combined well with Putnam, who won a corner for Oadby with his neat control but Ogunbago was still the main Reds threat, turning past Cam Stuart, centrally, to shoot low against the huge Bowles’ legs. A fine long pass by Stuart, along the left-flank saw the onside Ryan lob goalwards and right-footed from distance but too high, then careless ball-retention by the Ravens led to Spencer having to take down an opponent with a scything foul, conceding a free-kick, which displeased Oadby, who preferred an advantage to have been played. The referee, doing a brilliant impression of Benito Mussolini, the WW2 Italian leader, bellowed “COME HERE…” Spencer did so. I would have done too…

Ife gets his head to the ball...

The referee tells Ash Spencer that his hairstyle isn't to his liking...

Spencer latched onto a header-on by Ryan, who, gradually, was becoming more of an offensive force for the visitors but Spencer’s shot was weak and rolled past the left vertical. Half-time was whistled, a veteran near me, Putnam’s granddad, sported a fine handbag, his daughter’s, which matched his jumper, whilst she fetched him a drink and magnificently onioned hot-dog, leaving me only a splash of brown sauce short of biting into it. A few replacements were made by Coalville, including the unique Pele Orton, who was to prove rather a quiet performer on the night. The Ravens were berated by one of their coaches as they sat in a circle on the pitch, like they were being lectured on a Geography field trip. Even Benito moved away...

The art of jumping for a low ball...

Cool-arsed Bowles sits round the campfire...

Set up by 6th century Angles, Oadby was ‘given’ by William the Conqueror to a guy called Hugh de Grandmesnil but after the break, Ogunbago got his angles wrong twice and ended up with a goals tally of nil; possibly a name change to Ife de Ogunbagonil would be an idea… Firstly he was released into the penalty-box at inside-left but his low drive towards the right side of the net took a deflection off replacement goalie Matt Coton’s scrambling thigh, it seemed, then the striker drove into the side-netting, right-side, as Coalville proved that an interval ear-bashing can easily escape through the other ear… Finally, with Woodward becoming the influential midfielder we all know and respect, Coalville stretched limbs, yawned a little and attacked, Bellairs advancing to reach a through-pass before Woodward but the ball flew out to Robinson at inside-left, with an empty net to shoot at, 24 yards out and unfortunately for the ex-Romulus forward, his measured clipped shot dropped over the horizontal bar.

Suddenly though, with Coalville keeping the ball a little better, Oadby scored a deserved goal, as Morgan and Ogunbago combined just outside the penalty-box and Morgan stumbled into a shooting position, firing a neat low drive past the helpless Coton from 10 yards. Ryan responded but his drive from far out lacked direction, then a moment arrived, which would definitely affect the outcome of this friendly match; Morgan, again exchanging passes with Ogunbago, poked the ball past Coton but the shot rolled against a stubborn right upright and the Ravens, ravenous, decided that enough was enough and feeding on scraps was serving no purpose. Ali Abdu replaced Ross Lamb for the visitors and soon Ryan’s angled drive was deflected across the face of goal for a corner on the Coalville left. Woodward passed it short for the trusty, if rather gaudy yellow left boot of Stuart to strike superbly and low into the far corner of the net from a good 22 yards. A fine goal but Oadby looked suitably deflated.

1-0: Morgan (14)...

1-1: Stuart, second left and note Ali Abdu has arrived on the scene (12)...

Coton held a high Kieran Nugent shot, Dan Smith threatened for the hosts in a melee, before Kamran Glen, Luke Dalby, Liam Taylor and Carlos (not Brazilian Carlos Alberto, surely?) were all introduced by the Reds. I had been impressed by the nifty footwork of Oadby’s James Saldinha (hope that’s right…) and so it was sad to see him depart but the hosts succumbed to some Coalville pressure, when Robinson was hauled to ground by Smith, as Taylor attempted a tackle too and a penalty was correctly awarded, I guess, by Mr Mussolini, Il Duce, whose bellowed instructions for another ball to be provided are still ringing in my ears… Stuart allowed Ryan to take the penalty (some kindness that and maybe a gift is on its way from Private Ryan to Commander Stuart in recompense) but Bellairs was prevented from Saving Private Ryan’s spot-kick by a fine execution, high into the right corner of the net.

1-2: Ryan's penalty, but Ali Abdu needed to be on the image too...
Again!

Another short set-piece by the Ravens: Woodward to Stuart, looked odds on it would be another solid strike by the high-scoring left-back but he feinted and slipped a pass to the overlapping Will Coutts, whose dribbling skills had lit up moments of the game for Coalville but on this occasion, he drove the ball across the face of goal. He would however save his fellow Ravens, for a very late left-side corner by the effective Morgan was headed downwards by Tendai Daire, only for Coutts, stationed at his right post, to hack the ball away and preserve the Ravens’ rather tenuous, certainly undeserved lead.

A keen contest, although Elliot’s mum looked downcast, his granddad adjusted his cap sadly, his brother licked the beer from his lips and the floodlights went out to reveal a fading sunset. It only took me 52 minutes to drive home, despite the fact that a wide load, with flashing yellow lights overtook a truck in front of me, blocking the outside two lanes of the M42, at around 65mph; it wouldn’t happen in Dubai you know, cuz it’s not what they do...