AFC BRIDGNORTH 3-1 SHAWBURY: match report by The Mowdog...

Danks For That…

AFC Bridgnorth 3 Shawbury 1

A well-mannered method of meeting...

Shawbury huddle...

Bridgnorth refrain from hugging at all...

This was a confusing game to watch, for after a bright start, Bridgnorth became embroiled in a physical first-half battle against the wind and with the persistent rain in their faces, whilst working up the Crown Meadow slope. Shawbury disappointed before the break, rarely causing home ‘keeper Chris Crook more work than merely shepherding the ball around, but home striker Mark Danks was lively and forced visiting goalie Matty Evans into the first of several fine saves he made during the contest. Indeed, Danks’ two goals directly before half-time owed more to good fortune than slick shooting, yet when the forward struck really good shots later on, Evans would make some fine blocks. Shawbury fought back however, after some Bridgnorth pressure in the opening period of the second-half and falling further behind to a splendid Kev Buxton goal, but it was bearded striker Tom Rogers’ deliveries from the right flank which caused some real consternation for the home defenders. Bridgnorth were worthy winners however on a wet, dull, Danks night…

The toss...

A 25 yard shot from home midfielder Glynn Coney flew only just wide of the right upright and then from Danks’ flick-on, strike-partner Tom Whitney drove too high from 19 yards. A crude challenge from beefy Shawbury skipper Stu Ellis on Danks earned him a caution but soon, Bridgnorth caused more problems for their guests from a corner. Andy Hartlebury, the skipper, rose and headed the ball towards the right post, where Danks stole in and Evans took evasive action to knock the ball away, leading to a clipped effort by Whitney from 17 yards, which dropped past the left upright. Crook kicked a low clearance straight to Ellis, 35 yards out and the Shawbury man turned to volley a smart effort straight back to the ‘keeper then Bridgnorth survived a bit of chaos in their own penalty-box after Crook had conceded a corner and finally a Shawbury offensive header bounced off a team-mate for a goal-kick.

Bridgnorth were attempting to pass the ball, which wasn’t easy on the undulating pitch, which in places looked like a grassy no-man’s-land at the Somme, but neat play led to an angled left-footer from inside-right by Danks, which Evans leapt right to turn away spectacularly. An off-the-ball incident followed, involving Coney who,I was later reliably informed, might just have been fortunate to escape with only a caution, as lots of men’s deep voices shouted things at each other and also at the main official, like: “Excuse me, good fellow, perhaps that chipper chap wearing 11 just lost control of a boot there, and maybe ought to take the remainder of the evening orf… Yes?” Coney remained on the field. I didn’t see it. Gods, am I turning into Arsene Wenger? Oui?

Accusations...

Enter Jason Pike. He was working as a postman when I watched Bridgnorth Town a few times a while ago and I presume he still is and with the air still shivering with male anger, he aimed a little kick at an opponent, before becoming far more involved in the proceedings. Neat passing between the elusive Danks and the spearhead Whitney resulted in an overlap on the right by Simon Gregory and his cross was headed down by Whitney for the rampaging Coney to strike first-time from 20 yards and the powerful shot rose only just too high. After Crook fly-kicked the ball against his own defensive colleague and was lucky that the ball flew back into his midriff, another Whitney header to Danks led to a pass for Pike to run onto but he shot well wide of the left post from 24 yards. Pike then tripped the compact and speedy right-sided Shawbury attacker Steve Hole (should he have been playing in the hole behind the strikers?) and the busy Bridgnorth midfielder was shown a yellow card as the rain fell and the night cooled.

Danks struck a fine volleyed pass left to Coney but Gregory headed the ensuing cross well wide of the far stick, although Gregory has to be honoured for the way he sprinted impressively back to his position each time he was involved in an attack. And then Pike struck, with an intuitive through-pass at inside-left for Danks and he ran with his marker alongside marker Tom Lappin into the penalty-box but although his low shot ought to have been simple for Evans to collect, the ball took a ridiculous jump in front of the ‘keeper, as if a mole had nodded it on and the shot bounced rather abjectly over the falling Evans’ body and into the empty net. Danks clipped a 20 yard free-kick over the Shawbury crossbar, before benefitting from another fine Pike feed, a gem from his postbag, whereupon visiting defender Adam Groom slipped on the treacherous turf and allowed Danks to run into the penalty-area, right side, but his shot appeared to be scuffed, which of course again caused an impossible problem for the advancing Evans and the ball rolled harmlessly into the net. 

The interval reached, the players stroll off for a pee, a cuppa and no doubt a rollicking...

The interval had been reached and I scratched my head at the scoreline, for the majority of the half had been untidy, uninteresting and unimaginative, bar a few passing movements by the hosts. Little had been seen of Shawbury’s offense, even with the elements at their backs and the slope in their favour but Bridgnorth began the second period well in the ascendancy and looked very lively indeed. Neat build-up play between Danks and fluent midfielder Karl Griffiths led to a rising 12 yard drive by Gregory flying off target, then after a bad foul by Shawbury’s Clayton Johnson, Pike’s free-kick led to a fine piece of shielding by Danks and another appearance by Gregory, whose low shot rolled some yards wide of the left upright from a favourable 10 yards. With the hosts really looking dangerous, Danks ran to the left byeline smoothly, passed a low delivery to the edge of the 18 yard box and there was the hard-working and keen, impish and effective Buxton to rifle a fine left-footer over the shaken Evans and into the roof of the net. A great strike.

AFC Bridgnorth celebrate their third goal by Buxton...

Whitney and Danks combined again for the latter to drive well over the bar from distance then a melee ensued in the Shawbury penalty-box and Griffiths managed to poke a low 8 yard shot, which nearly went through the falling Evans’ legs but in fact struck them and somehow the visitors survived again. Excellent defensive play by Pike set up Danks on the break for AFC, but his low feed from the right was too far in front of Whitney and then Coney and Pike exchanged passes well but the former smashed his shot way off target. And then, completely against all the odds, Rogers, now playing on the right, with Hole in search of a better ‘ole on the left, crossed wastefully straight into Crook’s arms, waist-high but the ‘keeper inexplicably dropped the ball, like a crook spilling his bag of swag and there was Lester Alderson to pounce and slip the ball into the Bridgnorth net from 6 yards. 

Rogers had triggered (geddit?) the response for the guests and he again received the ball wide-right but before home left-back Phil Hurdley could get at him, the bearded striker had crossed the ball onto the top of the crossbar; Hole retrieved the ball and passed inside for Alderson at 18 yards but the midfielder’s strike flew over the crossbar. A great Buxton pass for Danks at inside-right led to an angled shot and a fine save by Evans’ legs as the goalie advanced and with the game opening out more, Hartlebury glanced the corner some yards past the right post with a soaring header. Shawbury responded and Jordy Kennedy latched onto a panicky clearance right of centre and shot low from 8 yards but although Crook was out of position, the dependable Hartlebury did really well to kick the ball off the goal-line at his own left upright. Fine play by Griffiths and Buxton set up Danks for a ripping 25 harder, which Evans leapt to tip over his crossbar and Pike’s corner was nodded off target again by Gregory, who sprinted back to defence like a spirited dog returning a tennis ball to its owner.

Then the game, which had inexplicably begun late anyway, was held up for a while after Whitney and Shawbury’s Lappin clashed heads, leaving them both immobile on the grass and needing urgent attention. The AFC physio’ had moaned about the rain to me before the game, concerned that she would probably slip over when she raced onto the pitch, but she kept her feet magnificently. Both injured players were bandaged around their heads and they were led to their dugouts like infantrymen rescued from World War 1 shell-holes. Owen Lloyd replaced Lappin, Anwar Olugbon replaced Whitney. Shawbury chose to introduce Kev Renshaw and Dale Williams in the places of Johnson and Kennedy, as the game lost its cut and thrust for a time but after Lewis Ayres replaced Coney for the hosts, the in-form Shawbury central defender Adam Groom cleared Buxton’s fine centre brilliantly. Pike’s subsequent corner was headed well wide of the far post by Olugbon from 15 yards. A Danks slapped shot was deflected wide as Bridgnorth raised their game again, then he hammered a cross too hard across goal and Olugbon was unable to benefit. Finally, good Evans staked his claim to challenge Danks for the game’s Most Valuable Player, for Olugbon raced clear at inside-left and unleashed a powerful drive, which Evans did so well to parry away, only for Ayres to fire the rebound at a gaping goal but the ‘keeper recovered superbly to block that too…

The injured are recovered from the battlefield...

An exciting finish then and the players could not be faulted for their efforts and attempts to pass the ball on what became a tough surface. Pike, Buxton and Griffiths emerged to run the midfield trenches and Danks was always a threat, despite several ‘unwise’ passes around the edge of the Shawbury penalty-box. Defenders Hartlebury and Josh Bradburn played stoutly for the hosts but so did Groom for the visitors. Hole and Rogers were often influential for Shawbury but I guess that Evans would have to be thanked for keeping the scoreline respectable. 

I drove home for a lump of cheese and a bowl of Weetabix. Well, it’s what I do…

Teams:

AFC Bridgnorth:  Chris Crook, Simon Gregory, Phil Hurdley; Jason Pike, Josh Bradburn, Andy Hartlebury (Capt); Karl Griffiths, Kev Buxton, Mark Danks, Tom Whitney, Glynn Coney.

Subs: Lewis Ayres, Anwar Olugbon, Alex Hall, Mike Evans, Mark Clyde. 

Shawbury:  Matty Evans, Jaton Vernon, Jake Jones; Tom Lappin, Adam Groom, Jordy Kennedy; Steve Hole, Lester Alderson, Tom Rogers, Stu Ellis (Capt), Clayton Johnson.

Subs: Ken Renshaw, Dale Williams, Connor Courtney, Owen Lloyd, Dave Howarth.