SHEPSHED DYNAMO 0-2 BASFORD UNITED: match report by The Mowdog...

Lee Hendrie the Panto’ Villain Directs Basford Victory

Shepshed Dynamo 0 Basford United 2

The Hendries flank Wiggins-Thomas...

Lee Hendrie warms up with a spot of Irish dancing...

I chatted to Lee Hendrie before this game, having seen him so many times in a Villa shirt, and on this night watched him direct most of the matters for an hour or so, link well with his brother Stuart at times with little turns and flicks and by the break, United ought to have been leading by more than a single Marc Goodfellow finish. A couple of late first-half flurries by the hosts, including a free-kick which inadvertently rebounded off Lee Hendrie’s boot onto one of his own posts went unheeded by Basford, who were given a sterner test after the interval and a couple of headers were missed by Dynamo, although to be fair, Stuart Hendrie failed at the near post with a diving effort for Basford too. Things became very unpleasant too, as the referee found himself in the middle of trouble; he hadn’t cautioned Sam Craven of Basford for a slightly high challenge, which incensed Shepshed’s players, who were still plaguing the official after the half-time whistle and the beer-swilling home fans took up the cause, baying at the official from then on, leading to errors by the unassuming referee. A second goal for Basford late on by the otherwise none too effective Ruben Wiggins-Thomas settled the ill-tempered second period and Shepshed’s players and supporters left the arena like bears with sore heads.

The toss at  Butthole Lane...

A clever back-heel by Lee Hendrie led to a long pass by his brother but Ryan Whitehurst’s threat was snuffed out like a Westminster Abbey candle on August 4th. A fine Lee Hendrie pass saw Stuart Hendrie win a corner, which was headed clear strongly by the tall, uncompromising Shepshed defence, in which it was good to see Rob McCormick performing with aplomb. After Fabian Smith, who was excellent for Basford at both full-back positions, had won possession, a really accurate Lee Hendrie pass from right to left found his brother, who cut inside and unleashed a powerful rising drive, which flashed across the face of the Dynamo goal. A free-kick was then awarded to a dominant Basford outfit, just 20 yards out with the Shepshed fans chanting in high-pitched Frankie Valli voices: “I played for Villa, I wanna take it…” Only he didn’t. Goodfellow clipped a left-footer instead, shocking goalie Ryan Thacker but the ball ruffled the side-netting behind the left upright.

United skipper Aaron Webster back-headed a neat Lee Hendrie free-kick (yes, he took that one…) but the home defence hacked the ball clear then Smith’s powerful 25 yarder was deflected over the home crossbar for the first of two corners by Lee Hendrie, left-side. It was headed clear and the second flag-kick was knocked away by tall goalie ‘thwacker’ Thacker, before another dangerous position for a Basford free-kick looked ominous for Dynamo, who were struggling to make any impact at all by this time. Lee Hendrie pushed a short forward pass for his brother to be innovative, whose effort at goal rose too high again from the left side of the penalty-box. The expected goal finally came, although not from Stuart Hendrie, or the rather shackled Wiggins-Thomas; Smith lifted a short pass over a defender on the right and Stuart Hendrie’s delivery to the near post placed home skipper Chris Gray in difficulty and he attempted to hook the ball clear, only to feed Goodfellow, who coolly lifted the ball into the top right corner of the net from a few yards, a shot which reminded me of a hockey penalty-strike, swept upwards. So Goodfellow was rewarded by an error from a bad fellow…

Goodfellow, right, takes the plaudits: 0-1...

Stuart Hendrie was stopped in his tracks at inside-left, with what looked like a block by a San Francisco 49er’s running-back but Thacker caught Lee Hendrie’s ambitious free-kick under his crossbar. Lee took that one probably because he once played for Villa... A fine Webster tackle and a good delivery from the left-flank and suddenly Wiggins-Thomas looked dangerous at inside-right but he was drifting wider and Thacker raced left out of goal to parry the striker’s effort from 12 yards. A Goodfellow corner led to a far post header by Sam Craven, whose effort was blocked; he retrieved the rebound and from an angle, drove the ball across the goalmouth, but Thacker took evasive action to beat the ball away. Finally, finally, Shepshed were awarded an offensive free-kick but the tall jumpers only succeeded in knocking the ball down for Ali Barcherini to gather in the United goal.

A spot of bother...

Lee Hendrie drove a decent 25 yarder just too high then Dan Fletcher’s fine left-flank centre was surprisingly won in the air by Stuart Hendrie but the ball was flicked past the far upright. Fletcher was having a fine half for Basford, like his full-back partner Smith. Yet it was the hosts who ended the half on the offensive, thanks to a foul by Craven. His challenge was a definite foul, a foot was lifted without doubt, but surely without intent too and maybe some officials would have possibly cautioned the defender but the furore in the grandstand was one of shrieking rage and the Dynamo players simply wanted the opponent to be punished further. The free-kick by Callum Thompson’s right foot curled against Lee Hendrie’s waving foot on the end of the defensive wall and Barcherini nearly lost his headband as his head shook left to see the ball bounce softly against his left vertical. Another attack by the hosts saw Webster’s defensive header float towards the right byeline, Barcherini chose to be Gareth Southgate and sweep up the danger but Lee Hendrie was in his way and the ball rebounded back towards Bradshaw, with the ‘keeper finding himself stranded on the flank like a visitor to St Michael’s Mount at high tide. Bradshaw’s subsequent cross flew towards the 6-yard box and several players jumped for it, like a free-ball in a Denver Nuggets v Atlanta Hawks basketball game, but the dependable United skipper Webster headed the danger clear, aided then by two Lee Hendrie clearances. Ah, a little excitement to end the half with, but still the home skipper and a colleague continued to berate the officials, as the trio stood like a row of conifers awaiting the arrival of the Shirley Heath tree-cutters.

After the break, Wiggins-Thomas threatened at inside-right and Smith overlapped but his cross was partially blocked and Thacker grabbed the loose ball at the near stick. Fletcher had taken a knock for Basford in the first period and was soon replaced by Josh Thornton, meaning Smith moving to left-back but a really late and wild challenge by Thompson on Goodfellow earned the Dynamo man a caution, which ignited the Shedmen again, the vociferous band of spectators in one corner of the grandstand who didn’t like Lee Hendrie much. They screamed at the referee about the fact that he hadn’t booked Craven earlier. The annoyance rightly fell upon deaf ears. Neat skills by Thompson led to Adam Vasey looking threatening but Thornton defended the danger well and then Shepshed nearly scored a flattering equaliser. A long right-side throw by Bradshaw was cleverly headed on and goalwards from the byeline by tall striker Steve Chaplin, minus hat and cane of course, but Barcherini threw himself right and spooned the ball straight onto left-back Niall Harrison’s forehead, just 3 yards from goal but his effort bounced wastefully too high.

Wiggins-Thomas (9) beginning to threaten...

The cleverer play was still emanating from the visitors, albeit with no real offensive thrust but although Lee Hendrie was not as effective after the break, he received one clever left-side throw from Smith over covering defenders Martin and James Brookes, like the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback lobbing a gentle pass over the rush defence to an uncovered tailback and Hendrie volleyed a fine centre, which only just evaded the sliding Wiggins-Thomas. Thacker advanced to beat Wiggins-Thomas to Lee Hendrie’s thoughtful through-pass, then Whitehurst cheekily back-heeled to Goodfellow for a fine near post cross, which was headed behind by the diving Stuart Hendrie who was so close to converting. All this happened before the hosts even mustered an attack. A long left-side free-kick was met by Chaplin’s head, who beat Craven in the air but the effort bounced across the 6 yard box and scraped the outside of the left upright. A short Basford free-kick to Whitehurst, inside-right, led to a smart turn but his powerful drive rose too high and soon Craven rose well at the far post but headed Goodfellow’s left-wing corner over the crossbar.

Lee Hendrie's centre nearly set up Wiggins-Thomas...

Thompson’s surprise 40 yard free-kick might have worried Barcherini but the effort also drifted too high then the game dipped into discomfort, disarray and discredit. Lee Hendrie was in possession, Thompson, already cautioned, slid forward with studs raised, caught Hendrie and set an attack moving, which Vasey failed to capitalise upon, weakly pushing the ball goalwards, where a defender was covering anyway, but the referee, seeing Hendrie writhing, had belatedly blown his whistle to allow the former Villain, now villain of the peace here of course, to receive medical attention to a leg. The Shedders were dancing with rage by this stage, yelling and screaming their reproaches and castigations, the Dynamo players were incensed too and Hendrie took more, and more abuse, so much so that as he limped away to be replaced he used one finger to demonstrate to his abusers how many England caps he has won. I think... The referee hasn’t won any at all, he was probably envious and so cautioned Hendrie as the injured player departed to tumultuous ridicule from the Shedpeople… Ridiculous stuff all round.

Another spot of bother...

Joe Coxon replaced Lee Hendrie and soon, Smith was hammered to the ground by the smiling Shaun Martin, for which he received a caution too, probably for the sneer. This set off the by now convulsing, apoplectic Shedders again. Then Smith took a throw on the attacking left-side, Stuart Hendrie pushed a neat pass between Bradshaw and Gray for Goodfellow, who drove in a far post cross over Thacker and there was Wiggins-Thomas, beating Harrison to the ball and heading deep into the net from 2 yards.

Wiggins-Thomas celebrates: 0-2...

Coxon was really late in a challenge on Bradshaw, which deserved a card the colour of his shirt, but the game carried on and no caution was offered by the referee, leaving Bradshaw apparently clutching a shoulder and the Shedders even more affronted and wrathful. The crowd remained like a simmering curry in a butthole and Stuart Hendrie made way for replacement Ty Nightingale but Basford won the game and deservedly so, on the balance of 90 minutes of football and also the number of chances created. And they actually scored twice. And that helps.

Attendance 134...
Hmm.

Good performances by the home defenders, a lively match from Thompson and a decent effort by Bradshaw for the hosts, whilst the Hendries, the polished Fletcher and the superb Smith especially, starred for United, although the two central defenders, Craven and Jay Smedley, looked solid enough. I drove home along the A42 and wondered whether the Shedders were taking their tempers out on their next-door neighbours’ dogs’ Buttholes... Maybe not.

Teams:  

Shepshed:  Ryan Thacker, Kieren Bradshaw, Niall Harrison; Rob McCormick, James Brookes, Chris Gray (Capt); Shaun Martin, Danny Chapman, Steve Chaplin, Adam Vasey, Callum Thompson.

Subs: Liam Tuck, Conor Bennett, Danny Blythe, Chris Sykes, Martin Cross.

Basford:  Ali Barcherini, Fabian Smith, Dan Fletcher; Lee Hendrie, Jay Smedley, Sam Craven; Stuart Hendrie, Aaron Webster (Capt), Ruben Wiggins-Thomas, Ryan Whitehurst, Marc Goodfellow.

Subs: Ty Nightingale, Josh Thornton, Kevin Hermagou, Joe Coxon, Martin Kearney (gk).